MIT entrance exam from 1869 goes viral, shocks social media users: 'Pretty easy'

A conception of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) entranceway exam from 1869 precocious went viral, and galore of the questions astonished societal media users. 

A information of the exam was posted connected r/Damnthatsinteresting, a subreddit with 17 cardinal members. The image, which garnered implicit 37,000 upvotes and 1,800 comments, stirred a treatment astir however assemblage admissions standards person changed implicit the past 155 years.

The algebra information of the exam consisted of basal questions, which users recovered surprising, considering MIT is 1 of the astir prestigious universities successful the satellite today.

One of the questions says, "Solve 7x – 5y = 24, 4x – 3y = 11," which is considered a beginner algebra question successful U.S. precocious schools today. Other questions inquire prospective students to simplify two-variable expressions, besides considered basal algebra.

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A conception of an MIT entranceway exam from 1869 started a lively treatment astir assemblage admissions standards connected Reddit. (MIT.edu/iStock)

Many of the commentators were not impressed by the exam's questions.

"Good to cognize that I could person joined MIT successful 1870," 1 Reddit idiosyncratic said.

"HOLY MOLY I could get into MIT backmost successful 1869," different wrote.

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Some Reddit users claimed the questions were casual and that they would person been accepted into the prestigious university. (MIT.edu)

While immoderate users recovered the questions amazingly easy, others admitted they astir apt wouldn't person passed the exam — past oregon now.

"I can’t bash this successful 2024," 1 idiosyncratic said.

"Today I learned I’m dumb successful 1869-1870 times," a antithetic idiosyncratic lamented.

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Other readers noted that getting accepted to the assemblage astir apt wasn't arsenic casual arsenic it appeared.

The Maclaurin Buildings connected the Massachusetts Institute of Technology field successful Cambridge, Mass., Dec. 12, 2023. (Getty Images)

"This conception is titled algebra," 1 Redditor said. "The sections titled analytical trigonometry and differential equations astir apt overgarment a antithetic picture."

"Might beryllium a spot casual for today's elder precocious schoolers, but what I similar to enactment is that the exam is, trivially, designed to beryllium solved with astir nary calculations, arsenic evidently calculators were not to beryllium a happening for different century," different chimed in.

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Despite making its rounds connected the Internet recently, the exam has been nationalist for galore years. In 2009, the MIT website shared an representation of the trial and explained the school's aboriginal history.

The Walker Building astatine MIT betwixt 1890 and 1901. MIT began accepting students successful 1865. (Getty Images)

"Sure, MIT's acceptance complaint is hovering astir a grounds 10% close now, but backmost successful the precocious 19th century, it was a antithetic story," the station explained. "The archetypal people of students who registered successful 1865 weren't required to take formal entranceway exams.

"They conscionable needed to beryllium ‘properly prepared’ … Fast guardant a fewer years when, successful 1869, the MIT Corporation yet decided to adhd qualifying exams successful required taxable areas, including English, Geometry, Algebra, and Arithmetic."

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Fox News Digital reached retired to MIT for further comment.