This Math Question From A Hong Kong Elementary School Test Has Adults Stumped

Business Insider ^ | 06/06/2014 | JULIE ZEVELOFF

[GeronL]

c?

[antceecee]

Looks like “B”

[mikrofon]

I first thought ‘89’ based on “last previous - first following” digits, but the left-most spot doesn’t fit, and that’s way too obscure for its audience ...

[adorno]

Logically speaking, I would have guessed the “unmarked” spot, or the “free” spot, since, the others are all numbered and numbered spots are usually reserved or paid, so, the only spot occupied was the unmarked/free one, which all cheapskates would go for immediately.

[bubbacluck]

C

[SkyDancer]

Look. Don’t hex me, okay?

[SkyDancer]

Nope. Think outside the box. It’s no different than the first problem those kids had to solve. This was also a kindergarten question.

[Farmer Dean]

“You need to take a test to get INTO first grade?”
Fail the test and you start work in a coal mine.

[babygene]

Trick question... I’s not a math question.

[GeronL]

lol

[GeronL]

I guess these kids were just unable to write their names in Chinese cursive....

Working overtime in the coal mine....

[babygene]

“Since Chinese is read from right to left, a Chinese kid could spot it much quicker.”

These are not numbers to a Chinese 1st grader. They wouldn’t probably recognize them as numbers at all so they wouldn’t be looking for a mathematical solution.

[Fresh Wind]

.78 sı ɹǝʍsuɐ ǝɥʇ

[Bulwyf]

Nah, split second, I thought there was some kind of trick.

[KarlInOhio]

For first grade admission it's pretty obscure.

One thing that is never clear when a single question is given from a test is whether it is a typical question or the final "separate the men from the boys" question.

[babygene]

“It’s a spatial visual awareness problem disguised as math problem. . .”

But not in China, their numbers are not the same. I’d copy and paste them but I can’t even do that since their just little squiggles... They wouldn’t look at it as a math problem. They wouldn’t even recognize them as numbers.

[DManA]

It may be a trick to out the liars and exaggerators.

BTW it took me .25 seconds to figure it out.

Now this:

If you have 1 bucket with 2 gallons and 1 bucket with 4 gallons, how many buckets have you got?

[Brilliant]

87

[Mears]

“If you have 1 bucket with 2 gallons and 1 bucket with 4 gallons, how many buckets have you got?”

—

Even old Mears got that one.:-)

.

[Comment Not Approved]

Here is one of my top riddles. Not math but give it a try. Stumps just about everyone.

Brothers and sisters have I none. But that mans’ father (pointing to man in distance) is my fathers’ son.

Who is that man?