Are You Smarter Than an 8th Grader:

ARE YOU SMARTER THAN AN 8TH GRADER?

PART ONE: THE BIRTHDAY PROBLEM

I encourage parents and 8th graders to sit down and attempt to solve the viral math problem from Singapore that is presented in this article (I never knew that math problems could go viral). Don’t worry, parents, the "Birthday problem" doesn’t require 8th grade math skills. Rather, the problem is a test of logical reasoning and analytical skills. The article goes on to talk about how math education in Singapore focuses on critical thinking and problem solving, resulting in 40% of Singapore students testing as “top performers” in the math portion of the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment). Give the problem a try!

This Viral Math Problem Shows What American Schools Could Learn From Singapore

NOTE: The answer to the Birthday problem is embedded in the article. So, if you truly want to try to solve the problem, read up to the problem and don’t read any further until you’ve attempted the problem.