Blue book exam
Encyclopedia
A blue book exam is a type of test administered at many post-secondary schools
in the United States
. Blue book exams typically include one or more essay
s or short-answer questions.
Butler University (Indianapolis) was the first to introduce exam blue books. They were given a blue color because Butler's school colors are blue and white, therefore they gave them the name "blue books."
Sometimes the instructor
will provide student
s with a list of possible essay topics and will then choose one, or let the student choose from two or more topics that appear on the test. Blue books typically contain several sheets of wide-ruled
notebook
paper.
The book itself is generally composed of two or three ruled leaves, bound in a sheet of paper and held together by staples. Although the color blue
is most common, other colors may be used. The "Green Book" is an environmentally friendly
green
-colored book manufactured by Roaring Spring Paper Products that is the same size as its blue counterpart but is made with 100 percent recycled paper
, 30 percent of it post-consumer waste
.
Prevalence of blue book exams varies between institutions and between academic disciplines. At many universities, virtually all exams in disciplines such as history or literature are blue book, while at the same universities, disciplines such as geology and math may virtually never hold such exams.
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Blue book exams typically include one or more essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
s or short-answer questions.
Butler University (Indianapolis) was the first to introduce exam blue books. They were given a blue color because Butler's school colors are blue and white, therefore they gave them the name "blue books."
Sometimes the instructor
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
will provide student
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
s with a list of possible essay topics and will then choose one, or let the student choose from two or more topics that appear on the test. Blue books typically contain several sheets of wide-ruled
Ruled paper
Ruled paper is writing paper that typically consists of horizontal lines meant to separate lines of hand-written text, and vertical lines meant to provide margins or to act as tab stops....
notebook
Notebook
A notebook is a book or binder composed of pages of notes, often ruled, made out of paper, used for purposes including recording notes or memoranda, writing, drawing, and scrapbooking....
paper.
The book itself is generally composed of two or three ruled leaves, bound in a sheet of paper and held together by staples. Although the color blue
Blue
Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal...
is most common, other colors may be used. The "Green Book" is an environmentally friendly
Environmentally friendly
Environmentally friendly are terms used to refer to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies claimed to inflict minimal or no harm on the environment....
green
Green
Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...
-colored book manufactured by Roaring Spring Paper Products that is the same size as its blue counterpart but is made with 100 percent recycled paper
Paper recycling
Paper recycling is the process of recovering waste paper and remaking it into new paper products. There are three categories of paper that can be used as feedstocks for making recycled paper: mill broke, pre-consumer waste, and post-consumer waste. Mill broke is paper trimmings and other paper...
, 30 percent of it post-consumer waste
Post-consumer waste
Post-consumer waste is a waste type produced by the end consumer of a material stream; that is, where the waste-producing use did not involve the production of another product....
.
Prevalence of blue book exams varies between institutions and between academic disciplines. At many universities, virtually all exams in disciplines such as history or literature are blue book, while at the same universities, disciplines such as geology and math may virtually never hold such exams.