Is This Engineering Test Question Too Challenging for a High School Freshman?
Hello everyone!
I’m not quite sure which subreddit to share this in, but I thought you might find it interesting anyway.
My son, a freshman in high school, is currently taking an engineering class. Recently, his teacher included a logic puzzle on a test that’s really got us puzzled.
I’d appreciate your input: Do you think this question is suitable for a 9th grader? (I’ll include it below.) He’s been working on it for over an hour—he’s really determined—but it’s causing him a lot of frustration. I usually enjoy logic puzzles, but this one feels particularly overwhelming. Maybe there’s a simple solution we’re overlooking?
I’m also curious about where the teacher might have found this problem—could it be AI generated?
Looking forward to your thoughts!
Here’s the puzzle:
Five students are seated in the back row, and using the 16 clues below, answer these questions:
- Who drinks Red Bull?
- Which student’s favorite class is Physics?
- Which student prefers to drink water?
- Who considers Stew their best friend?
- Who is sitting in the middle seat?
Clues:
- Laura is wearing a sweater.
- The student in the hoodie sits to the right of the one in the polo shirt.
- The student in the hoodie drinks Gatorade.
- Ronald enjoys Mt. Dew.
- The student in the blue t-shirt has Joey as their best friend.
- The student whose favorite class is Robotics has a best friend named Lola.
- The student in the middle seat prefers boba tea.
- Albert is in the first seat on the left.
- Bette’s best friend is Lark.
- The student whose best friend is Stew is next to the student whose favorite class is English.
- One student drinks Red Bull to stay awake in class.
- The student with Tammy as a best friend prefers to drink water.
- One of the students’ favorite classes is Physics.
- Albert is next to the student wearing a jacket.
- The student with Joey as a best friend is next to the student whose favorite class is Math.
- Elon’s favorite class is Engineering.
That certainly sounds like a challenging logic puzzle for a high school freshman! Logic puzzles can be quite perplexing, especially when they involve multiple variables and relationships, and this one appears to fit that bill.
It’s not uncommon for teachers to assign complex puzzles to encourage critical thinking and problem-solving skills, but this one seems to have a lot going on. Here are a few thoughts on its appropriateness and how he might approach it:
Appropriateness: While advanced logic puzzles can be great for fostering skills, the complexity of this puzzle might be a bit overwhelming for a freshman, especially if they haven’t had much practice with similar problems. It could be considered more suitable for older students or those specifically interested in logic or problem-solving.
Approach: Since your son has already spent significant time on it, a structured approach might help. Creating a table or grid to organize the information is a smart move. He can list the students and their potential associations (drinks, favorite classes, friends) and then use the clues to eliminate impossible combinations.
Collaborative Problem Solving: Sometimes taking a break and discussing the problem with someone else can lead to new insights or approaches. If it’s frustrating, trying to work together might lighten the mood and help him see things differently.
Encouragement of Persistence: While it’s important to balance frustration with encouragement, it’s also helpful for him to recognize when to step back. Remind him that it’s okay to take a break and come back to it later with a fresh perspective.
Where the Teacher Comes From: Teachers often enjoy challenging their students and pushing them outside their comfort zones. The puzzle may not be AI-generated; it could be from educational resources or logic puzzle books that some teachers might utilize for fun or rigor.
Ultimately, it’s a great experience for him to work through the challenge, and whether he solves it or not, the skills he’s developing in reasoning and logic are invaluable. If he’s interested, perhaps you could explore simpler puzzles together to build his confidence before tackling more complex ones! Good luck to him!