Why is my dad such a jerk?

My dad is always berating and putting me down for not knowing things. He is soooo mean and he thinks I'm stupid. I didn't do too well on a placement test and he yelled at me. He also puts me on the spot with stupid "common knowledge" questions & it really bothers me! How do I get him to stop? I'm not talking to him because he won't listen and ugh!