6- and 7-Year-Olds Couldn't Solve This Math Test Question, and We're Not Surprised

The internet is having a field day figuring out what the real answer is to a simple math problem. Twitter user Louise Bloxham shared a math problem from a Year 2 (equivalent to the first grade in the US) workbook that asked, "There were some people on a train. 19 people get off the train at the first stop. 17 people get on the train. Now there are 63 people on the train. How many people were on the train to begin with?"

@MichaelRosenYes Have you seen this one? Year 2!!pic.twitter.com/TDVjccH8U4

— Louise Bloxham (@LouiseBloxham) May 7, 2016

If you try solving it yourself, you'll probably get this setup: X - 19 + 17 = 63. All you have to do is solve for x, which gives you 65 as the answer:

@rachelrossiter @LouiseBloxham @MichaelRosenYes It is 65. x - 19 + 17 = 63
Therefore x -2 = 63 ...x = 65. Algebraic solution for a y2 Q.

— Robyn Duckworth (@DuckworthRobyn) May 8, 2016

But if you look further into the comments, users start arguing that the answer is 46, not 65.

@teach_well @carveresque on a teacher's FB group a teacher said it was on the mark scheme as Being 46

— Louise Bloxham (@LouiseBloxham) May 8, 2016

Someone even drew a detailed illustration of how they came to that number:

@LouiseBloxham @MichaelRosenYes pic.twitter.com/OqhMnG7Wwq

— かな、かな@困惑中 (@kanaoyudu) May 10, 2016

Other commentators became philosophical and said that the math problem fails to factor in the train driver and inspector:

@PotMoss @MichaelRosenYes @LouiseBloxham Husband says "66, because we've forgotten train driver". But that doesn't factor in inspector...

— Mrs Davison (@Mrs_Dav_I_Son) May 8, 2016

The situation apparently became too much for one person, who said that everyone was "looking at it algebraically for proof purposes," when it was really just a simple equation.

@LouiseBloxham @MichaelRosenYes Question is perfectly fine. We are looking at it algebraically for proof purposes but it's simple add + sub.

— Olachi Akin (@ixXAkinXxi) May 9, 2016

Although the math question has stumped some parents and young children, the main concern here is not whether or not it can be solved, but if 6- and 7-year-olds should've been asked it. That answer to that question is simple: if there's this much debate about it with adults, then it's not suitable for children.