Use “Save as PDF” in the print dialog for best results

SeniorBrainGames.org

Concentration Quiz

Name:

Date:

Instructions: Pay close attention! These tricky questions test your focus, attention to detail, and careful reading skills.

1.
A farmer has 17 sheep. All but 9 run away. How many sheep does the farmer have left?
A
17
B
9
C
0
D
8
2.
How many months in a year have 28 days?
A
2
B
6
C
12
D
1
3.
If you're running a race and you pass the person in 2nd place, what place are you in now?
A
2nd place
B
It depends
C
3rd place
D
1st place
4.
A doctor gives you 3 pills and tells you to take one every 30 minutes. How many minutes will it take to finish all the pills?
A
60 minutes
B
120 minutes
C
30 minutes
D
90 minutes
5.
Which is heavier: a pound of feathers or a pound of gold?
A
Feathers
B
They weigh the same
C
Depends on the feathers
D
Gold
6.
If there are 6 apples in a basket and you take away 4, how many apples do YOU have?
A
0
B
2
C
4
D
6
7.
Some months have 30 days, some have 31 days. How many months have exactly 30 days?
A
5
B
7
C
6
D
4
8.
Is it legal for a man to marry his widow's sister?
A
He can't — he's dead
B
No, never
C
Yes, always
D
Only in some states
9.
Before Mount Everest was discovered, what was the tallest mountain in the world?
A
Kangchenjunga
B
It was unknown
C
Mount Everest
D
K2
10.
What word is spelled incorrectly in every dictionary?
A
Mischievous
B
Pneumonia
C
Accommodate
D
Incorrectly
11.
If a red house is made of red bricks and a blue house is made of blue bricks, what is a greenhouse made of?
A
Recycled materials
B
Green bricks
C
Glass
D
Green wood
12.
Two fathers and two sons go fishing. Each catches one fish. They bring home exactly 3 fish. How is that possible?
A
They're lying
B
One fish escaped
C
One is grandfather, father, and son
D
Two fish were the same
13.
How many times can you subtract 5 from 25?
A
1 time
B
4 times
C
Infinite times
D
5 times
14.
Which weighs more: 100 pounds of rocks or 100 pounds of cotton?
A
Depends on the type of rock
B
Cotton
C
They weigh the same
D
Rocks
15.
If you have a bowl with six oranges and you take away two, how many oranges do you have?
A
Two
B
Four
C
Six
D
None
16.
What gets wetter the more it dries?
A
A towel
B
The ground
C
A sponge
D
Hair
17.
A plane crashes exactly on the border of the United States and Canada. Where do they bury the survivors?
A
Canada
B
You don't bury survivors
C
Both countries
D
United States
18.
If it takes 5 machines 5 minutes to make 5 widgets, how many minutes does it take 100 machines to make 100 widgets?
A
20 minutes
B
500 minutes
C
5 minutes
D
100 minutes
19.
How many animals of each kind did Moses take on the Ark?
A
7
B
2
C
1
D
It was Noah, not Moses
20.
A clerk at a butcher shop stands five feet ten inches tall and wears size 13 sneakers. What does he weigh?
A
200 pounds
B
Meat
C
180 pounds
D
220 pounds

Answer Key

Question 1

B. 9

'All but 9' means 9 remain. It's easy to instinctively subtract 9 from 17, but read carefully!

Question 2

C. 12

All 12 months have at least 28 days! The question doesn't ask which months have exactly 28 days.

Question 3

A. 2nd place

If you pass the person in 2nd place, you take their position — so you're now in 2nd place, not 1st.

Question 4

A. 60 minutes

You take the first pill immediately (0 min), the second at 30 minutes, and the third at 60 minutes. Total: 60 minutes.

Question 5

B. They weigh the same

A pound is a pound! Both weigh exactly one pound, regardless of the material.

Question 6

C. 4

You took 4 apples, so you have 4. The question asks how many you have, not how many are left in the basket.

Question 7

D. 4

Exactly 4 months have 30 days: April, June, September, and November.

Question 8

A. He can't — he's dead

If a man has a widow, that means he has passed away. A deceased person cannot marry anyone!

Question 9

C. Mount Everest

Mount Everest was still the tallest mountain — it just hadn't been discovered yet! The discovery didn't change the mountain's height.

Question 10

D. Incorrectly

The word 'incorrectly' is always spelled I-N-C-O-R-R-E-C-T-L-Y — which is, by definition, 'incorrectly'!

Question 11

C. Glass

A greenhouse is made of glass! It's not actually green — it's a structure for growing plants.

Question 12

C. One is grandfather, father, and son

There are only 3 people: a grandfather, his son (who is also a father), and his grandson. Two fathers + two sons = 3 people.

Question 13

A. 1 time

Only once! After you subtract 5 from 25 the first time, you have 20 — and you're no longer subtracting from 25.

Question 14

C. They weigh the same

100 pounds is 100 pounds, regardless of what material it is. They weigh exactly the same!

Question 15

A. Two

You took two oranges, so you have two oranges. The bowl still has four, but you have two.

Question 16

A. A towel

A towel gets wetter as it dries other things. The more you use it to dry, the wetter it becomes!

Question 17

B. You don't bury survivors

You don't bury survivors — they're still alive! The question is designed to make you focus on the border detail.

Question 18

C. 5 minutes

Each machine makes one widget in 5 minutes. So 100 machines working simultaneously would make 100 widgets in 5 minutes.

Question 19

D. It was Noah, not Moses

It was Noah who built the Ark, not Moses! This is a classic attention trick — many people answer '2' without catching the name swap.

Question 20

B. Meat

He works at a butcher shop — he weighs meat! The question is about what he weighs (as in his job), not how much he weighs.

Find more free puzzles and brain games at www.SeniorBrainGames.org