Simple kids' maths question leaves adults divided and makes their 'head hurt'

A deceptively tricky maths question meant for kids is giving adults a tough time, proving that sometimes the simplest problems can be the most perplexing.

Admit it, our children's homework can often throw a curveball at us adults, leaving us scratching our heads over maths puzzles they breeze through. Perhaps it's because many of us don't use certain mathematical concepts on a daily basis, causing us to forget just how to apply them – resulting in looking quite the novice when we're faced with what seems like child's play.

The latest head-scratcher doing the rounds on social media, after being shared repeatedly, claims to be easy yet some assert it's so challenging it "hurt" their heads.

This puzzle was posted on X (formerly known as ) by a user @yawdmontweet, posing the simple question: "What is the closest time to midnight?" The children taking the quiz are offered four multiple choice options: "A. 11:55am, B. 12:06am, C. 11:50am, or D. 12:03am."

Even if you reckon the solution jumps out at you, the conversation beneath the original post reveals genuine confusion as users debate whether the closest time should be just before or after midnight.

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Consequently, several commenters thought the correct choice must be A, since it's the most recent time listed and thus the nearest time preceding the next midnight. As one commenter clearly put it: "It says closest 'To' midnight. And not 'From' Midnight. Stop overcomplicating everything. Answer is A."

One person pointed out: "It says closest TO midnight ... not after midnight. A."

Meanwhile, a third individual commented: "Would have to be A, time cannot go in reverse so the fact that B and D are after midnight, they couldn't be the answer."

Conversely, several exasperated social media users dismissed claims that A was correct, arguing the question simply asked for the time "closest" to midnight without regard for it being before or after, therefore the correct response would be D, 12:03am.

One frustrated commenter exclaimed: "Y'all are getting me f***ing mad now. If you call an airline and ask for the closest flight to midnight possible and they put you on an 11:55am flight instead of a few minutes past midnight, you would be frigging furious. Maths is supposed to be practical."

Corroborating this view, another added: "How y'all saying 'to' not 'after'. If you have to work at midnight and you're running late, and you tell the boss 'I'll get there as close to the time as possible' which of these is that?".

Furthermore, another user insisted: "The question speaks to proximity and not chronology, so the answer is D," while yet another remarked: "Clearly a lot of children have been left behind. The answer is D! ! !'To' just means closest to the time itself, not insinuating that it's necessarily before midnight."