All of the Below

Some days ago I took a mostly unremarkable test. So unremarkable that I can’t at the moment recall what subject it was on, yet one point has kept me thinking. Somewhere in the multiple-choice section of this test I was offered the possible answer

a. All of the below are correct

This is a new one by me. Aside from the initial shock, I’ve decided that my issue is that I haven’t yet read ‘the below,’ so how can I determine if any, let alone all, of them are correct? In any case, this must be causing an uproar in some conference room somewhere. We have conventions for these things. Namely,

d. All of the above are correct

I suppose that a works just as well as d. Nevertheless, I have to object because I feel that, if left unchecked, this will eventually lead to the inclusion of the awkward responses

b. The one above and two below are correct

And

c. The two above and one below are correct

Let’s run with this. We can imagine that if b and c become routine multiple choice answers, then, some day in the future, one might be posed with a question – the nature of which is unimportant – with the possible answer set:

a. All of the below are correct

b. The one above and two below are correct

c. The two above and one below are correct

d. All of the above are correct

This is an interesting question. Think about it: If a is correct, then b, c, and d must also be correct, creating a web of mutual correctitude that in turn supports a as the correct response. Naturally, the same argument can be posed beginning with any of the other three responses, so they are all equally correct. On the other hand, if a is false, then one of b, c, or d must be false. But since each of these answers include the clause that a is correct, they must all be false. Therefore, no answer is sufficient. Applying common test taking skills and the famed process of elimination, this latter can not be the case. Thus, a, b, c, and d must all be correct answers.

Perfect. This should bring those MEAP scores up…