The fan hummed loudly as sweat trickled down the necks of the 430 students trapped in the examination hall. Every tick of the clock made them more anxious. All they wanted was enough time to finish their Mathematics end-of-year paper.

As the minutes slipped away, Albert Edwards hurriedly wrote the final steps to the last question — a huge calculus problem worth 20 marks. He had filled seven pages with complex equations, numbers, and symbols that would make most people’s heads spin. Many students would have skipped such a difficult question, but not Albert.

Feeling proud, Albert confidently walked to the examiner’s desk and handed in his paper early. He made sure everyone saw him. Before leaving, he gave the other 429 students one last smug look and walked out of the hall.

On his way back to class to collect his quantum physics textbook, Albert bumped into his classmate, Liu Wei. Unlike Albert, who was always neat and well-prepared, Liu looked sleepy and had accidentally worn his shirt inside out. Albert assumed Liu had overslept and didn’t even realise there was an exam.

As Albert walked away, Liu suddenly called out,
“Eh, did you get 2 for the last question?”

Albert froze. Slowly, he turned around and nodded. Then he ran down the corridor in shock.

How could this be? he thought. Beaten by someone who barely stayed awake in class? Someone who struggled with basic physics?

Still upset, Albert turned back. He needed to know how Liu had solved the question.

He marched up to Liu and demanded an explanation. Liu looked confused.

“Wah, you thought that question was hard? It was just 1 + 1. I couldn’t do the rest of the paper, so I just did that one. Easy 20 marks. Just write 1 + 1 = 2.”

Albert burst out laughing, instantly relieved. Liu asked why he was laughing.

Albert explained that in mathematics exams, you must show your working. Since Liu had only written the final answer without any steps, his solution would likely be marked wrong.

With satisfaction, Albert described how strict exam marking could be — requiring detailed methods and full explanations. He had written pages upon pages of mind-bending equations to make sure he earned every mark.

Liu was left wondering whether he might at least get half a mark for writing his name.

Writer’s Note:
In reality, things may be even more intense. There are about 1600 Alberts gathered in one place — Raffles Institution.