NSW State Election: Year 7 maths question stumps everyone

It’s a question Aussie year 7 students are being assessed on, but it has left two senior politicians scratching their heads.

Pears cost $4 a kilogram.

Ben buys 4.15kg of pears.

How much does Ben pay for the pears?

Take a minute …

Have the answer? Don’t worry – all will be revealed at the end of the article.

The question above was presented to NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell and her opponent vying for her portfolio in the upcoming NSW State Election, Labor’s Prue Car.

2GB’s Ben Fordham gave the Year 7 NAPLAN test numeracy question to the pair live on air after a heated pre-election debate between the two.

“Who wants to wrap up this debate with a little game?” Fordham proposed menacingly, to which they both sheepishly accepted.

The pair were given about a minute to solve the question.

Deputy Leader of the Opposition Prue Car. Picture: Wolter Peeters

Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell. Picture: Gaye Gerard

Ms Car incorrectly answered $4.15, while Ms Mitchell took her time and got it right.

“Can I just say English was my strong point,” Ms Car said.

“So was it mine, Prue,” Ms Mitchell responded.

While the incumbent education Minister and her challenger were worrying about pears, schools across the nation were sweating bullets as the results of the 2022 NAPLAN tests were released, revealing that migrant students outperformed their peers.

Regarding Year 9 reading, students with a language other than English (LOTE) background outshone their English-speaking peers, with 7.3 per cent achieving a top band result compared to a mere 4.6 per cent.

And it wasn’t just reading where LOTE students excelled. In Year 9 numeracy, a whopping 11.2 per cent of LOTE students aced the top band result, with just 4 per cent of their peers doing the same.

ICYMI | Sarah Mitchell and Prue Car were asked a non-calculator question from the Year 7 NAPLAN exam.

“Pears cost $4 per kilogram. Ben buys 4.15 kilograms of pears. How much does Ben pay for the pears?”

Only ONE knew the answer.

LISTEN: https://t.co/OaZjpmG3DNpic.twitter.com/07E2M45LfZ

— Ben Fordham Live (@BenFordhamLive) February 22, 2023

And if you’ve made it this far without working it out – Ben’s paying $16.60 for those pears.