Ah, so you read through, and choose what steps you'd like to follow.

Please tell me you're not a programmer. You don't "choose what steps you'd like to follow", you follow the instructions...

The reason he is a programmer is EXACTLY why he thinks like that. "Lay people" would just read all, read 25, smile and write their name, because they are so smart.

I'm with him, I would behave like a robot... I follow the instructions 1, 2, 3...

Step [1] says "read all steps before performing any of them". Ok, I'll read them. Done. I've read them. (I'm of course not executing any of them, I'm just reading them, choosing any arbitrary instruction to read and execute would be a very non-robot thing to do). I mean, there's a reason these are called STEPS.

Step [2] "Draw circles around all of the even numbers." Ok, I'm drawing circles...

....

Step [25]. "Do not perform steps 2 through 24". Ok, I'm not performing them (wasn't gonna anyway, I'm on [25]). Silly human, do you think I do not know how to follow instructions?!.

So, yeah, I'm with DifferentName on this one. I would be the asshole arguing about a the proper way to read this test.

I concur; I had one of these tests in grade-school. Got it correct (ie. read through, signed name, handed it in) and it left a bad taste in my mouth.

Kinda like 'riddles': here's a set of constraints... ok here's an answer that fulfills those constraints... but thats not the answer... well it is one answer.

IMO these silly games are a very poor test of intelligence, or whatever they're trying to test for.

There's no reason to put steps 2-24 in their own script instead of performing them

You mean apart from the instructions that explicitly tell you that?

A computer program follows steps in order, and there's nothing in step 1 telling you that steps 2-24 should only be performed if another instruction tells you to, or that you should skip ahead to step 25.

Yes, there is. The first line says "read all steps before performing any of them".

In the real world, we get these things called specifications, and it's up to us to translate the specifications into code.

You can pull this bullshit all you want, but the client has already fired you because you couldn't understand their request.

IMO these silly games are a very poor test of intelligence, or whatever they're trying to test for.

The intended effect of the test is to increase awareness, analysis and critical thinking - not to reach a single correct answer. The amount of discussion over different interpretations indicates that this effect has been achieved!

You didn't follow directions 2-24, so technically, I wouldn't call that following directions completely.

The directions are there so that direction 25 can refer to them to not be performed?

read all steps before performing any of them

"any" can also mean "pick one"
So: "read all steps, and then choose one to perform"

Thats why people picked 25th step

IMO these silly games are a very poor test of intelligence, or whatever they're trying to test for.

They may give valuable lessons for life (which many people neglect nevertheless) though.

I remember such a thing from school:

5 workers with shovels need 7 days to dig out a trench 8 meters long and 10 meters deep. Boss says it nees to be done earlier. How long will 2,500 workers need?

This is not just a test for practical intelligence, but also a typical example of what Fred Brooks coined in the 1970s, and what still happens in industry almost every week (although Brooks' preconditions are different, the effect is the same).

The first line says "read all steps before performing any of them".

You seriously still don't understand my point? Just because you read step 25 doesn't mean you should perform it next.

Step [1] says "read all steps before performing any of them". Ok, I'll read them. Done. I've read them. (I'm of course not executing any of them, I'm just reading them, choosing any arbitrary instruction to read and execute would be a very non-robot thing to do). I mean, there's a reason these are called STEPS.

Step [2] "Draw circles around all of the even numbers." Ok, I'm drawing circles...

....

Step [25]. "Do not perform steps 2 through 24". Ok, I'm not performing them (wasn't gonna anyway, I'm on [25]).

I remember such a thing from school:

5 workers with shovels need 7 days to dig out a trench 8 meters long and 10 meters deep. Boss says it nees to be done earlier. How long will 2,500 workers need?

It definitely be less than 7 days. Unless there's a restriction we're unaware of.

The first line says "read all steps before performing any of them".

You seriously still don't understand my point? Just because you read step 25 doesn't mean you should perform it next.

Step [1] says "read all steps before performing any of them". Ok, I'll read them. Done. I've read them. (I'm of course not executing any of them, I'm just reading them, choosing any arbitrary instruction to read and execute would be a very non-robot thing to do). I mean, there's a reason these are called STEPS.

Step [2] "Draw circles around all of the even numbers." Ok, I'm drawing circles...

....

Step [25]. "Do not perform steps 2 through 24". Ok, I'm not performing them (wasn't gonna anyway, I'm on [25]).

What are you going on about? What client? I understand the test perfectly well, and can follow the spirit of a request with the understanding that their request was worded poorly. But for a test that's about paying close attention to the wording, I can go a step beyond and point out that the test maker technically got it wrong (Except for the word "any", which could be interpreted so you can choose a step to perform, but you called that bullshit too).

It definitely be less than 7 days. Unless there's a restriction we're unaware of.

You think so? How do you fit 2,500 workers into a trench 8 meters long? Even 5 workers have to pay attention not to hit each other with their shovels.

Rotate the workers until it's done. Round the clock working. Coordinate. Of course you can't fit 2,500 in roughly 25 feet of space. You can maximize the hell out of your manpower and time alloted.