The Interesting Test
What is The Interesting Test?
The Interesting Test is a collection of mathematical problems, puzzles and brainteasers. The material is designed to be unfamiliar to almost all high school students; this is simply our way of making sure everyone is on an equal footing. Despite initial appearances, each problem has a simple, short, correct answer. At the end of this document, we include some questions and answers from past exams.

Students are permitted to bring/use calculators during the test.

What if I don't think I did so well?
If you had fun trying, please try again. Many of our students were not admitted on the first try.
Interesting Test Dates
There are multiple opportunities for you to take your hand (and mind) at the Interesting Test. Dates will be on weekends and even a few weeknights, as we hope to accommodate all your very busy schedules. Dates
Example Interesting Test Questions
Example 1
Name a body part that almost everyone on earth has an above average number of! Justify your answer.

Answer (no peeking until after you try!)


Example 2
A woman and her husband attended a party with four other couples. As is normal at parties, handshaking took place. Of course, no one shook their own hand or the hand of the person they came with. And not everyone shook everyone else's hand. But when the woman asked the other (9) people present how many different people's hands they had shaken they all gave a different answer. Question (this is NOT a trick!): How many different people's hands did the woman's husband shake?

Answer (hey! we said no peeking until after you try!)


Example 3
A man starts walking up a narrow mountain path at 6:00 a.m. He walks at different speeds, stopping to eat, sometimes going back a few steps to look at a flower, but never leaving the path. He eventually arrives at the top at 10:00 p.m. the same day. He camps out over night and starts down the same path at 6:00 a.m. the next day. After stopping to eat and so forth he arrives at the bottom at 10:00 p.m.

True or False? There is some point on the path that the man occupied at exactly the same time on the two different days. Explain your answer.

Answer (did you peek?)


We bet your brain is getting warmed up now....