Are you up for the job? Three questions…
… to see if you are.
From the Daily Mail (no on-line source available):
A brief IQ test is said to distinguish the brightest candidates for a job within three minutes.
3,500 college students took the test as part of its development; only 17 per cent got them all right. A third got all three wrong. Men made up two-thirds of those who got all three correct while women made up two-thirds who got all three wrong.
Here are the three questions:
1. A bat and a ball costs £1.10. The bat costs £1 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?
2. If it takes five machines five minutes to make five widgets, how many minutes would it take 100 machines to make 100 widgets?
3. In a lake there is a patch of lily pads. Every day the patch doubles in size. If it takes 48 days for the patch to cover the entire lake, how many days would it take for the patch to cover half the lake?
To see the answers - after having given it careful thought yourself, of course - click on
Answers:
1. 5 pence
2. Five minutes
3. 47 days

I would say that it is just a test of mathematical aptitude. Its quite easy if your mind works in that particular way.
Comment by EU Serf — July 18, 2005 @ 11:14 am
The essence of the test I think is that patient people pass while the impatient fail. I got the first question wrong because I rushed it and didn’t test my result.
I got the next two correct because I gave them more thought.
My dream job interview is now one that is decided by my answers to those very three questions. I can be both quick and right…
GM
Comment by Administrator — July 18, 2005 @ 1:29 pm
ok ok, I got the second 2 but could somebody please explain the 1st one to me, my head just cannot figure it out, even though the answer is right in front of me.
Comment by Nick — July 20, 2005 @ 9:43 pm
Nick,
ball = x
bat = x+100p
therefore,
110p = x+(x+100p)
x = 5p
Comment by Marty — July 21, 2005 @ 6:57 pm
is their anymore questions like the bat and ball ect…? i love trying to solve problems such as them..
Comment by ange — July 23, 2005 @ 11:13 pm
These look very BBC Radio 1.
Comment by Andrew — August 16, 2005 @ 12:14 pm
still not seeing how the bat and ball one works. y would u add 1.10 onto the 10p? if its only £1 more? u got ur 10p ball then u add ur bat, which therefore must b £1
Comment by sera — August 16, 2005 @ 6:43 pm