Don't feel bad about the semantics of your statement. Few are left today in train or engine service who wrote out the answers to rules examinations in longhand. We called it writing the rules, but it was really writing the answers to the questions. I am retired, but I did it twice:
- When I hired out, I had to write the answers to the entire 600 question rules examination, using an open rule book and a No.2 pencil. The book was then sent to the Trainmaster for checking and I was expected to have all corrections made within 30 days, on my own time, upstairs in the Superintendent's office with his chief clerk as proctor. Also, there was a Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal rules test of 50 questions that was treated in the same manner.
- Additionally, when I borrowed out temporarily at Galveston, the passenger train left Houston over the Southern Pacific, so I had to hand write about 150 questions on Southern Pacific rules that differed from Santa Fe rules, and pass an oral examination.
- For promotion to Engineer, I had to write the answers to the same 600 question rules examination, plus the 250 question air brake and train handling rules examination, plus the 200 question mechanical examination. This time it had to be done in ink, and be proctored. The book was never allowed out of the Superintendent's office. After being graded, all three exams had to be corrected. Then I had to sit for an oral examination on all the questions on the three exams. For the orals, there were 5 other Firemen, so I only got every fifth question, unless somebody gave a wrong answer, and then the same question was asked to the next Fireman in seating order. We all scrambled to avoid sitting next to two particular Firemen, one of whom failed his first attempt on the rules, and the other who squeaked by with a minimum allowable score.
None of this was multiple choice. However, there were a few Do You Understand questions, such as, "Do you understand that employees are required to report for their respective assignments at the assigned location at the assigned time?" Correct answer: Yes.
