A simple looking maths question meant for children is now the center of a viral debate, with even grown adults throwing up their hands in confusion.
The question in question asks something that, at first glance, seems ridiculously easy. But once you dig in, it becomes clear that this innocent school-level quiz has sparked a storm of uncertainty, interpretation battles, and even a plea to artificial intelligence for help.
Let’s be honest many of us haven’t looked at a multiple choice maths question since school. But one post on social media brought all those childhood nerves rushing back.
Shared by @yawdmontweet, the question shows a short and seemingly harmless prompt:
“What is the closest time to midnight?”
The four options are:
A. 11:55 am
B. 12:06 am
C. 11:50 am
D. 12:03 am
At first glance, you might shrug and assume it’s a trick question or perhaps even a typo. But that’s where the chaos begins.
“Jah know start diss a hurt mi head”, the user posted alongside the image — and they weren’t alone in feeling that headache come on.
Some insisted the correct answer is A because it’s the closest to midnight before the day flips over. Others confidently said it had to be D, because 12:03 am is literally just three minutes past midnight — what could possibly be closer?
One user summed up the logic pretty clearly, saying “The answer is D. ‘To’ means closest to the time, not necessarily before it.”
Another person echoed this, adding “The question speaks to proximity and not chronology, so the answer is D.”
But the debate didn’t stop with people arguing in the comments. One user decided to turn to technology and asked ChatGPT for its verdict.
The response?
“The closest time to midnight would be D. 12:03 am.”
Still, that wasn’t enough to settle things for everyone. Some readers were stuck on whether ‘to’ meant before or simply near. Others were convinced the entire question was a test in how much you overthink.
But what makes this more fascinating is the fact that it’s not even the first time a children’s exam question has stumped adults this year.
Another test from a Grade 5 maths book made waves online when it asked students to calculate the total pages in a book based on how much someone read each day. That question too had people muttering under their breath and questioning if they’d ever really understood fractions.
In the end, the midnight question may seem simple, but it revealed something a little more complicated — that even adults can get thrown off by basic logic when it’s disguised as child’s play.
So what’s the final answer?
It’s D. 12:03 am. Case closed.
Unless, of course, you want to overthink it again.
Feature Image Credit: Twitter/@yawdmontweet
