An Elementary-School Knowledge Quiz: How Much Do You Still Remember?

The following test's questions cover a variety of the basic concepts that the average pupil should have learned in elementary school. How much do you think you still remember? According to the makers of this test, 97% of adults cannot pass it! (Note: no study or sample is given for that figure; treat it as the quiz maker’s claim, not a measured result.) Are you in the 3%? Please share this with friends and family to see if they can pass it too! :)

How much do you remember?

Quiz: 12 Questions From Elementary School

These questions cover things most of us learned in primary school. See how much has stayed with you, and don't worry if some have faded.

How many planets are there in our Solar System?
Since 2006 Pluto has been classed as a dwarf planet, leaving eight planets.
What is 7 × 8?
Seven eights are 56.
At sea level, water boils at…
Pure water boils at 100 °C (212 °F) at normal sea-level pressure.
Which gas do plants take in from the air to make their food?
In photosynthesis plants use carbon dioxide, water and sunlight, and release oxygen.
Which word in this sentence is a noun: "The happy dog ran quickly"?
A noun names a person, place or thing: here, the dog.
How many sides does a hexagon have?
"Hex" means six, so a hexagon has six sides.
What is the largest ocean on Earth?
The Pacific is the largest and deepest ocean.
What is the past tense of "swim"?
"Swam" is the simple past; "swum" is the past participle, as in "I have swum".
Which of these animals is a mammal?
Whales breathe air and feed their young on milk, so they are mammals.
What is 1/2 + 1/4?
Half is two quarters, and two quarters plus one quarter is three quarters.
How many minutes are there in two and a half hours?
2 × 60 = 120, plus 30 minutes makes 150.
Which planet is closest to the Sun?
Mercury orbits closest to the Sun.

Time for a refresher

School was a while ago, and forgetting is completely normal. Every answer you checked today is a fact refreshed, so try again and watch your score climb.

Solid foundations

A good part of your school knowledge is still there. A few facts have drifted, but the basics are clearly in place.

Top of the class

Impressive! You remember most of what you learned in elementary school. Your teachers would be proud.

A perfect report card

Twelve out of twelve! Your school knowledge is as fresh as a new notebook.

Why forgetting school facts is normal

Most people remember far less of what they once learned than they expect. In a 2011 national survey of 1,500 Americans, about two-thirds likened memory to a video camera, a view cognitive psychologists reject: as the researchers’ summary put it, “the fallibility of memory is well established.” Facts that are rarely used fade or become harder to retrieve, and that says little about intelligence. Treat the quiz as a refresher rather than a test of ability; the third-party widget dates from 2016–2017 and may no longer load.

Sources: ScienceDaily, 4 August 2011: Widespread mistaken beliefs about memory, U.S. national survey reveals

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