Friday, January 15, 2010

2010 Census Counter Question

Last night I listened to a presentation from a woman representing the 2010 Census. In order to work and make money up to $16.25 an hour you have to pass certain requirements such as proof of U.S. citizenship. Also there is a “simple” test you must pass.

The following is the first question I read. After reading the possible answers where you had to choose the best one, I stated out loud, “I failed the test.”

The Statement: Each county is divided into a number of census tracts. The tracts are, in turn, subdivided into blocks. Groups of blocks within a tract are then combined into assignment areas (AA).

The Question: Which of the following best shows the four geographic units discussed above, in order of size, from largest to smaller?

(A) AA, block, tract, county
(B) County, block, tract, AA
(C) County, AA, tract, block
(D) County, tract, AA, block

The purpose of the question is to determine organizational skills and your ability to use logical reasoning and follow instructions. They didn't care if the census counter was "accurate" and on point, just that they got close. Why did they not give you an accurate answer from which to choose? The "best" answer seemed wrong.

It is too bad that Annabeth/Shauna were not in charge of writing the Q&A.

Note: A reader analyzed it and his logic seems correct. I failed the test. The key word here is "combined." I will leave the Census up to anyone else. :) Thanks, Tom.

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