From vriezenj@lakeviewtech.com Fri Jul  7 16:50 CDT 2000
Subject: SRAT 
To: propp@math.wisc.edu

I looked at your S.R.A.T which I found surfing the other day....      I
found it to be very interesting.   However, I have to take exception with
your published answers to the test-- (Q20 is fine, I agree on that one)--
let me explain.

Many of the questions use the word "answer" in phrasing the question.
Now, for a multiple choice question, there are three different ways to
interpret the word "answer"   For instance, consider the question:

1.  What is the first vowel in the English alphabet?

(A) E
(B) O
(C) U
(D) A
(E) I


Now the answer to the *question* : "What is the first vowel in the English
alphabet" is in fact:  "A".   This answer is *denoted* by the answer choice
"(D)".  A third way would be "The answer is (D):  A"

  Common usage allows us to substitute the answer choice (D) as
interchangeable with the answer, which is what your test seems to rely on.
For the purposes of your aptitude test, I think it is a fair and logical
conclusion that "The answer to Q1 (above) is A"   and it is also a logical
conclusion that "The answer to Q1 is D"      You might argue that the we
should parenthesis the (D), but you didn't do that in SRAT Q1 when you
intended it to mean "the answer denoted by (B)".

In the end, it seems that a logical conclusion is that either way of
viewing the word "answer" is a valid interpretation, so, for instance, the
answer to SRAT Q4 should includeQ16 as well the others whose answers are
denoted by A.


So, looking at your SRAT and the answers you propose (evaluating each
individual answer with the assumption that all other answers provided are
correct) here is what I find:

2.  Look at the answers to Q4 and Q5 .. the answers are both "5" and hence
identical.  Unfortunately, Q2 doesn't allow for this choice, so it is
unanswerable.  On the other hand, "identical is a pretty strong word, and
perhaps we should be looking for two questions with identical answers and
denotations of those answers.

4.  Q16 also has answer "A", according to your list of answers

6 & 17. Note that answering both of these questions with  "(D) None of the
above"   also works.    In fact as long as you answer the same choice for
both questions, they are consistent with each other.  Your answer key also
makes them consistent (using the alternative interpretation of the word
"answer")

8.   See Q16.  Its answer is also a vowel.

10.  Note that "(B) A" also works for this question

12.  This one has the right answer, but probably for the wrong reason..
See Q18 and Q10.

14.   See Q10 and Q17, they also have answer  D.

18.   This one also has the right answer, but again for the wrong reason,
most likely.  See Q16 and Q18.


I was curious if anyone else had come up with this line of thinking about
the SRAT.


John Vriezen
vriezenj@lakeviewtech.com