Making a Grade

James Elwick is an associate professor in the Department of Science and Technology Studies at York University.

"This is a book which is committed, from the outset, to the reconstruction and analysis of numerous aspects of the rise of examinations. It involves some excellent detailed recovery of individual cases from a range of archives, and the author is to be congratulated on his nose for a good source."- Roy Lowe (British Journal of Educational Studies) "Making a Grade makes an important contribution to the world of science and educational assessment research. Elwick’s thorough review of Victorian examinations helps to historicize key stakeholders’ perspectives in the science of measurement (i.e., standardized testing) in recent educational history."- Peiyu Wang and Liying Cheng, Queen’s University (Historical Studies in Education/Revue d’histoire de l’éducation) "Elwick’s systemic approach allows him to accommodate both the incredible pluralism of Victorian education and the growing homogeneity of its exam culture." - Peter Mandler, University of Cambridge (Victorian Studies)

• List of Figures Preface and Acknowledgments Introduction Part One: Examinations1 "The Age of Examinations": A Historical Sketch 2 Monetizing Marks: The Political Economy of Examinations 3 An Epistemology of the Mundane: Dissecting One Examination Part Two: Examiners4 Daguerreotypes of the Mind: Paper, Partition, and Specialization 5 Machining Minds: Commensuration, Tabulation, and Standardization 6 Thin Descriptions: Credentials and Other SignalsPart Three: Examinees7 Learning and Earning: Coaching or Cramming?8 Immoral Economies: How to Cheat on a Victorian Exam 9 Economies, Remoralized: Examinations as Technologies of InclusionConclusion Appendix A: Important Dates Appendix B: Biographical List NotesBibliography IndexList of Figures Preface and Acknowledgments Introduction Part One: Examinations1. "The Age of Examinations": A Historical Sketch 2. Monetizing Marks: The Political Economy of Examinations 3. An Epistemology of the Mundane: Dissecting One Examination Part Two: Examiners4. Daguerreotypes of the Mind: Paper, Partition, and Specialization 5. Machining Minds: Commensuration, Tabulation, and Standardization 6. Thin Descriptions: Credentials and Other SignalsPart Three: Examinees7. Learning and Earning: Coaching or Cramming?8. Immoral Economies: How to Cheat on a Victorian Exam 9. Economies, Remoralized: Examinations as Technologies of InclusionConclusion Appendix A: Important Dates Appendix B: Biographical List NotesBibliography