The tiny detail is the whole trick.
Read the question you have, rather than the one you expect.
Ten questions, with the answers explained. Try them in your head, then open each answer when you're ready.
Play this quiz →QUESTION 1 / 10
You have four coins in one hand and none in the other. You move one coin between your hands. How many coins do you still have?
- Three
- Five
- Four
- One
Show answer & explanation+
Four
Moving a coin between your own hands does not change the total you hold.
QUESTION 2 / 10
A one-story house has blue walls and blue doors. What color are the stairs between floors?
- There are no stairs between floors
- Blue
- White
- Brown
Show answer & explanation+
There are no stairs between floors
A one-story house has no second floor to connect to. Exterior steps are a different matter.
QUESTION 3 / 10
A sign says no dogs except guide dogs. Is a guide dog allowed according to the sign?
- No
- Yes
- Only after dark
- Only if carried
Show answer & explanation+
Yes
The word except creates an explicit allowance for guide dogs.
QUESTION 4 / 10
A rooster is standing on a roof. Which side will its egg roll down?
- Left
- Neither: roosters do not lay eggs
- Right
- Whichever side is steeper
Show answer & explanation+
Neither: roosters do not lay eggs
A rooster is male and does not lay eggs.
QUESTION 5 / 10
You light five candles and blow two out. Later, the three burning candles melt away completely. How many unburned candles remain?
- Zero
- Two
- Five
- Three
Show answer & explanation+
Two
The two you extinguished remain. The others were specified to melt away.
QUESTION 6 / 10
A train is electric and has no combustion engine. Which way does its exhaust smoke blow?
- North
- Backward
- It has no combustion exhaust smoke
- South
Show answer & explanation+
It has no combustion exhaust smoke
The question describes an electric train without a combustion engine, so the assumed exhaust smoke is absent.
QUESTION 7 / 10
A shop has a sign saying open every day except Monday. It is Monday. Is the shop open according to the sign?
- Yes
- Only in the evening
- No
- Only in the morning
Show answer & explanation+
No
The exception explicitly excludes Monday.
QUESTION 8 / 10
You are asked to write the number after 99. What is it?
- 999
- 98
- 100
- 101
Show answer & explanation+
100
After 99 comes 100 in the ordinary counting sequence.
QUESTION 9 / 10
An empty bus has a driver. Three passengers board and one gets off. How many people are on the bus now?
- Three
- Two
- Four
- One
Show answer & explanation+
Three
Two passengers remain, plus the driver.
QUESTION 10 / 10
You enter a dark room with an unlit candle and an oil lamp. You have one match. What must you light first?
- The table
- The candle
- The lamp
- The match
Show answer & explanation+
The match
The match needs to be burning before it can light either object.