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The word calendar is derived from the Latin word “calendae”, which literally means “first day.” The primary function of a calendar is to establish a system for naming and organizing days, weeks, months, seasons and years.
What are calendar questions?
To understand what is meant by calendar questions, one must first study the functions of calendars. For our purposes here, let us consider the most basic function of a calendar: to establish a system for naming and organizing days. “What days are up?” “What days do I have?” These are very basic questions. They can be answered by observing the motion of the sun or moon between two or more days. Observing these motions codifies a system of name and labels these days officially; they are called calendar dates. In this way, an arbitrary grouping of dates can be named.
All calendars are designed to accomplish this task, but how they do so varies widely across the entire spectrum of human history and culture. The grouping of dates and their names is based upon the motion of celestial objects. However, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to accomplishing this task, nor is there a universal calendar for all people on earth. There are many different calendars in use in our world today, and human societies have developed many varied ways of establishing names for days and organizing them into a system.
Calendar questions are in two categories:
(a) calendar reasoning questions; and (b) calendar aptitude questions.
What is the difference between a calendar reasoning question and a calendar aptitude question?
A calendar reasoning question requires you to think about the function of a calendar in terms of its general usefulness. An example would be: “What days does the writer have to write on?” or “Does the writer have to write on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday?”
A calendar aptitude question requires you to think about how a particular calendar works and those functions it serves in various people’s lives.
What are some examples of questions that fall into both categories?
Calendar reasoning questions can be distinguished from calendar aptitude questions with respect to the types of calendars they require. The questions in the first category can be answered without any specific knowledge of how a calendar works; one must simply know what function it serves. The second category requires that you know something about how a particular calendar works. Here are some examples of each kind:
(a) “How many days does the writer have to write on?”—an existential question: can be answered without any specific knowledge of how a calendar works;
(b) “What days does the writer have to write on?”—a functional question: you have to know how that calendar works in order to answer it correctly.
Calendar questions
Q1: Today is Monday. After 61 days, it will be:
- Tuesday
- Monday
- Sunday
- Saturday
Answer: D
Q2: Today is Monday. After 52 days, it will be:
- Tuesday
- Monday
- Sunday
- Saturday
Answer: B
Q3: Today is Monday. After 31 days, it will be:
- Tuesday
- Monday
- Sunday
- Saturday
Answer: C
Q4: Today is Monday. After 31 days, it will be:
- Tuesday
- Monday
- Sunday
- Saturday
Answer: A
Q5: Today is Monday, and the writer has 61 days to write the article for the magazine, before the deadline of the 3rd of March. After 61 days, what will have to happen for him to be able to write it?
(a) he must finish writing on Tuesday;
(b) he must finish writing on Wednesday; or
(c) he must finish writing on Friday.
Answer: (c)
Q6: Today is Monday. After 31 days, it will be:
- Tuesday
- Monday
- Sunday
- Saturday
Answer: D
Q7: Today is Monday, and the writer has 31 days to write the article for the magazine, before the deadline of the 3rd of March. After 31 days, what will have to happen for him to be able to write it? (a) he must finish writing on Friday; (b) he must finish writing on Monday; or (c) he must finish writing on Wednesday.
Answer: (b)
Q8: Today is Monday. After 31 days, it will be:
- Tuesday
- Monday
- Sunday
- Saturday
Answer: B (or C) (alternate answer)
Q9: Today is Tuesday. After 61 days, it will be:
- Wednesday
- Tuesday
- Sunday
- Saturday
Answer: C
Q10: Today is Wednesday, and the writer has 52 days to write the article for the magazine, before the deadline of the 3rd of March. After 52 days, what will have to happen for him to be able to write it?
(a) he must finish writing on Thursday;
(b) he must finish writing on Friday; or
(c) he must finish writing on Monday.
Answer: (a)
Conclusion:
When you’re taking a calendar test you should be thinking about the function of a calendar and not just the words. Calendar reasoning questions are important from exam point of view.
