Adults are (wrongly) insisting that they know the correct answer to this maths problem.
You left school a while ago – thank Christ – and you haven’t had to think about Venn Diagrams, fractions or algebra ever since. Until today, that is…
Twitter user Louise Bloxham has confounded many people online by sharing an image of an actual Year 2 maths paper which seems to have set the internet on fire.
Seems easy at first.
It isn’t.
https://twitter.com/LouiseBloxham/status/729027334284709893?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
What do you think the answer is?
Simple. 65, right?
@MichaelRosenYes if you think I the answer is 65 you would be wrong.
— Louise Blox (@LouiseBloxh) May 7, 2016
WHAT?!
@LouiseBloxham @MichaelRosenYes Let the number = x x – 19 + 17 = 63
But isn't that algebra?— Robyn Duckworth (@DuckworthRobyn) May 8, 2016
@DuckworthRobyn @LouiseBloxham @rachelrossiter @MichaelRosenYes Yes, there's no way it's anything but 65. Tough question, but not ambiguous
— Neil Hughes (@enhughesiasm) May 8, 2016
Apparently, it’s 46.
@carveresque 46
— Louise Blox (@LouiseBloxh) May 8, 2016
“How?” we hear you shouting at your laptop…
Thing is – it’s a red herring; the second line about the 19 people is irrelevant. Take away 17 from 63 – that’s what the question is asking.
@rachelrossiter @DuckworthRobyn @MichaelRosenYes you ignore the 19 they r red herring (presumably) so 63-17=46
— Louise Blox (@LouiseBloxh) May 8, 2016
IS IT THOUGH?!
@teach_well @carveresque on a teacher's FB group a teacher said it was on the mark scheme as Being 46
— Louise Blox (@LouiseBloxh) May 8, 2016
Still, a brutally cruel trick to play on students whose careers might one day depend on it.
Maybe we need to reform education. Something needs to happen, because this problem could tear the nation apart.
Are you taking SATs right now? Think this is a bit of a joke? Let us know at [email protected] or send us a message on Facebook.
