This Math Problem For 7-Year-Olds Is Confusing The Hell Out Of Adults On The Internet

I will be the first to admit that some math questions kids get these days I don’t have the slightest clue how to answer. It’s like, did math change that much in the years since I was in elementary school? Or are kids just expected to be way smarter than me and my friends were when we were young?

Once again today we are faced with one of those math problems that seems a bit advanced for a mere 7-year-old.

I say for a 7-year-old, because the answer seems fairly obvious to me, but all the hand-wringing going on all over the internet as to the answer has me questioning myself.

First off, I think you will agree with me and everyone else who is confused by the math problem in that it’s easy to see how a 7-year-old might struggle with this one.

But really, is it that difficult?

You’ve got 63 people on the train. Subtract the 17 who got on and you have 46. Add back in the 19 people who got off the train and you get 65. So that’s the answer, right?

The woman who posted the question to Twitter says that “if you think I the answer is 65 you would be wrong” and the answer is 46. Which, WHAT?! How?!

She also said that the teacher “left her answer sheet at school” so no one really knows for sure.

Here’s that I think. I think it’s a trick question. And if it is, then there is NO WAY IN HELL a 7-year-old is going to figure it out.

I think that the phrase “19 people got off the train at the first stop” is there just to throw off the test taker. I don’t think it has anything to do with the problem.

If you ignore it, and just use the 17 people who get on the train to make a total of 63 then the answer really is 46.

Needless to say this has sparked much debate among the people commenting on Louise Bloxham’s tweet with none of them agreeing on anything and everyone being certain that THEY have the correct answer.

So what do you think? Is the answer 65 or 46? Because hell if I know at this point.

H/T Mirror

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Before settling down at BroBible, Douglas Charles, a graduate of the University of Iowa (Go Hawks), owned and operated a wide assortment of websites. He is also one of the few White Sox fans out there and thinks Michael Jordan is, hands down, the GOAT.