A test question has the following statement: “A Plumbing Company is a business which engages in plumbing work.” In the book which comes with the test it is stated under “Definitions” this way: “Plumbing Company - A person, as defined in these Rules, who engages in the plumbing business.” The question is either true or false. Obviously the answer is “false”, since it says “Company”, while the book says “person”. I’m not looking for an answer, just opinions on this kind of answer. Tricky or stupid?
I’m going with stupid. What sort of “test” is this from?
Believe it or not, it’s from a Plumber’s Continuing Education Course. I guess if you have to write a test every year you run out of good questions fairly fast.
I think maybe the answer would be “false,” because a plumbing “company” could conceivably be an individual person and not a business? Also the phrase “A person, as defined in these Rules” is worrisome; how is “person” defined in the rules?
In U.S. law, a “person” is defined so as to include corporations; could that be what they’re going for?
Without knowing more about the test, I don’t think we can give a good answer; do the answers rely on fine points of diction, or is it pretty straightforward?
Hmmm. From the book: “Person - For the purposes of these Rules only, a person means an individual, patrnership, corporation,limited liability company, association, government subdivision or public or private organization of any character other than an agancy.”
Tricky more than stupid, I guess. :smack:
Lots of tests are not peer reviewed, nor even spell checked.
When I was a student I would also get trapped by subtle distinctions.
Once the prof gave us the value of pi to 10 places. Most people wrote it down.
I memorized it and was sure I could show off some time. On the quiz he asked for pi to 9 places. So I, and almost all the class, dutifly put down just 9. One C student didn’t follow instructions and put down 10 digits. The prof, I suppose forgetting he had given us 10, thought that was worth mentioning to the class and he got extra credit. Everyone else groaned and the prof never knew why.