Simple 'Maths' Question - What's The Confusion?

[barry1010]

This is a maths question aimed at 10 year olds but there is a lot of confusion about the correct answer, according to the DM. My only confusion is understanding how it is a maths question at all.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-12238089/Childrens-maths-question-simple-leaving-people-stumped.html

What do you think?

[bobbinwales]

I always use a : not a full stop whether it's 12 hr clock or 24 hrs

[Old_Geezer]

In any case, what has ended up being tested is the ability to interpret the question as intended, not whether those being tested can do the sum.

[bobbinwales]

It's possibly ambiguous as it doesn't specify which midnight...last midnight or next one.

[New Judge]

//I suppose the confusion could be if you told someone to be somewhere as close to 3pm as possible you wouldn't expect them to turn up after 3pm.//

You might if you knew they had an hourly bus service which arrived at five minutes past the hour. They would be unlikely to arrive at 2:05.

//they say 12:03 is 3 past midnight, that's 00:03 surely?//

Not on the twelve hour clock, tora. It’s 12:03am.

[ClareTG0ld]

Maybe they could get off a few stops early and walk the rest of the way?

[Tilly2]

I'll stick to Literature in the future and not go poking my nose in Maths questions.

[Peter Pedant]

he is just good at sums. Clever - and modest with it. :o)

won't be featuring on AB then