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        riddles >> hard >> PAC Assesment
        
(Message started by: JiNbOtAk on Apr 29^th, 2008, 3:06am)

Title: PAC Assesment
Post by JiNbOtAk on Apr 29^th, 2008, 3:06am

Guys,

Just wanna share something, I went for a PAC Assessment over the weekend, which is an assessment to go into civil service here in Malaysia. The assessment covers a wide range of modules, among them intellectual discourse, public speaking, mock meetings, not to mention running 2.4km under a specified time. It was during the intelectual discourse that I've discovered the values of the debates and discussion that we've had in the forum (mostly under the truth and general section); I've actually used some of your views as a basis of my opinion. ( Sir Col's stand (http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~wwu/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=riddles_general;action=display;num=1177455356;start=11#11) on grades in education is one example) For that, I would like to thank everyone here.

Aside from that, for the IQ module, there's this one question that I'm still puzzled over. Our group is given 9 hoops, with the instruction to construct 10 straight lines, with each line having exactly 3 hoops. Needless to say, we didn't get the answer, but then, neither did the rest of the groups. The best that we could come up with is 8 lines. Anyone has any idea how ?

Title: Re: PAC Assesment
Post by Qaster Qof Qeverything Q42 on Apr 29^th, 2008, 4:16am

I dont undetrstand how you got 8 lines with hoops, but i think the hoops are circlular, so please, could you explain how you got the 8?

Title: Re: PAC Assesment
Post by mikedagr8 on Apr 29^th, 2008, 4:29am

Yes, I also get 8 lines. First idea I thouhgt of would be a 3*3 square? Is that what you got? I'll have another think if I'm on the right track. Pex has drawn it nicely.

Title: Re: PAC Assesment
Post by pex on Apr 29^th, 2008, 4:34am

Eight is obvious; I do not see a way to extend it...

Title: Re: PAC Assesment
Post by towr on Apr 29^th, 2008, 4:52am

I can get 9 lines with three hoops each..
[hide]Three groups of three parallel lines going through three hoops each.[/hide]

Title: Re: PAC Assesment
Post by rmsgrey on Apr 29^th, 2008, 6:53am

It's an old problem (I first encountered it through Martin Gardner).

[hide]Instead of the two hoops on the ends of the middle rows, draw lines connecting the middle hoop of the top row to the ends of the bottom row, and the middle-bottom to the ends of the top. Those 4 lines will intersect in 2 points, each of which is still on the middle row.

That way, you lose 2 vertical lines, and gain 4 diagonals.[/hide]

Title: Re: PAC Assesment
Post by Qaster Qof Qeverything Q42 on Apr 29^th, 2008, 3:50pm

Thanks for pointing the other 2 diagnols, i missed that, anyways, i got the 10 too.

Title: Re: PAC Assesment
Post by JiNbOtAk on May 1^st, 2008, 6:20pm

on 04/29/08 at 06:53:34, rmsgrey wrote:

Mind showing it diagrammatically ? I've tried doing it like you said, just could not seem to get it.

Title: Re: PAC Assesment
Post by pex on May 1^st, 2008, 9:42pm

on 05/01/08 at 18:20:01, JiNbOtAk wrote:

Mind showing it diagrammatically ?

Based on rmsgrey's description:

Title: Re: PAC Assesment
Post by Sir Col on May 2^nd, 2008, 12:18am

on 04/29/08 at 03:06:59, JiNbOtAk wrote:

Guys,

Just wanna share something, I went for a PAC Assessment over the weekend... not to mention running 2.4km under a specified time.

Wow! In fact, it sounds more like the type of assessment you'd undergo for special forces/secret service or something like that. Hmm... ? 8) <= JiNbOtAk

When do you get the results?

Title: Re: PAC Assesment
Post by JiNbOtAk on May 2^nd, 2008, 8:22pm

on 05/01/08 at 21:42:09, pex wrote:

Based on rmsgrey's description:

(smack!) Thanks pex !! And rmsgrey too. Now I can finally sleep. ;D

on 05/02/08 at 00:18:07, Sir Col wrote:

Wow! In fact, it sounds more like the type of assessment you'd undergo for special forces/secret service or something like that. Hmm... ? 8) <= JiNbOtAk

When do you get the results?

Umm, maybe I'm missing something, but do special forces/secret service have to undergo public speaking and mock meeting modules ? ( or is that an MI5 thing ? ) The only physical assessment that we had was the running bit, and even that is not actually a stringent assessment, more of a gentle reminder for those with BMI approaching 30, as well as the active smokers among the participants. :P

Like I said, hanging out with you guy these past few years had given me the confidence ( some might say temerity ) to play the Devil's Advocate in almost all of our discussions / meetings / discourse. Not sure if that's what the assessors are looking for, but hey, at least it was fun !! ;D

Since we are the first of four groups, the results would be out sometime in middle of June. All I can do now is wait.

Title: Re: PAC Assesment
Post by JiNbOtAk on Jul 22^nd, 2008, 5:15am

Guys, just an update, I got the job !! 8)

Thanks again, to everyone here !!

Title: Re: PAC Assesment
Post by towr on Jul 22^nd, 2008, 6:01am

on 07/22/08 at 05:15:52, JiNbOtAk wrote:

Guys, just an update, I got the job !! 8)

Congratulations. Now let's hope that in a year or so, you will still have wanted it in hindsight ;)

Title: Re: PAC Assesment
Post by JiNbOtAk on Jul 22^nd, 2008, 6:28pm

on 07/22/08 at 06:01:11, towr wrote:

Congratulations. Now let's hope that in a year or so, you will still have wanted it in hindsight ;)

Now that's a little optimistic. I'm just aiming for 6 months. :P

Anyway, having changed jobs a couple of times, I believe this is still a good opportunity for me. Let's just see how things go, worse come to worse, I could always hang around here to let some steam off. ;D