Amatrure Radio (HAM) Extra License Question Pool Analysis

README.md

HAM Extra

Extra class (Element 4) Question Pool is effective July 1, 2016 and is valid until June 30, 2020.

• get doc from: http://www.arrl.org/extra-question-pool
• convert to txt

notice that:

• 45% of questions are the longist answer
• 29% of questions are the shortist answer
• (only 25% are medium-length)

Answers are reasonably distributed A,B,C,D, but D is least likely.

ham_extra.rb

pool = File.read "2016 ExtraClassPool2nd Errata.txt"
r = %r{\w\d\w\d{2}\s\((?<answer>\w+)\).*\n(?<question>.+)\n((\w)\.\s(?<A>.+)\n)((\w)\.\s(?<B>.+)\n)((\w)\.\s(?<C>.+)\n)((\w)\.\s(?<D>.+)\n)}
long = short = count = 0
answers = []
pool.split(/~~/).each do |question|
  match = question.match r
  if match
    count += 1
    answers << match[:answer]
    ans_len = match[match[:answer]].length
    lengths = [match['A'].length, match[:B].length, match[:C].length, match[:D].length]
    max_len = lengths.max
    min_len = lengths.min
    long  += 1 if ans_len == max_len
    short += 1 if ans_len == min_len
  end
end
puts count
puts long
puts 100.0*long/count
puts short
puts 100.0*short/count
puts "other: #{count-long-short}"
puts 100.0*long/count + 100.0*short/count
puts "A:#{answers.count 'A'} B:#{answers.count 'B'} C:#{answers.count 'C'} D:#{answers.count 'D'}"
puts :done

output.txt

702
317
45.15669515669516
204
29.05982905982906
other: 181
74.21652421652422
A:181 B:176 C:177 D:168
done