My Computer Teacher Marked My Correct Answer Wrong — So I Investigated It
A few days before my Class 9 annual exams, something happened during a computer science test that I still remember.
It wasn't a huge incident. It was just one MCQ worth one mark.
But that one mark taught me something much more valuable: being a student doesn't mean you should stop questioning an answer when you have evidence that something is wrong.
Note: This story is completely unrelated to my PasteDB project. It is a personal experience from my Class 9 computer science test.
The 19/20
It was March, a few days before our Class 9 annual examinations.
Our computer science teacher conducted a 20-mark test containing 20 multiple-choice questions.
A few days later, we received our papers.
I got 19/20.
Everything looked normal until I reached Question 8.
The question was:
Which of the following is not a limitation of a mobile phone?
There were four options. I don't remember options A and B exactly, but the two relevant options were:
C. Memory
D. Network
I had selected D. Network.
But my answer had been marked wrong.
According to the answer key, C. Memory was considered correct.
I immediately wondered:
How could network not be a limitation of a mobile phone?
I decided to ask about it.
Going to the Staff Room
I took my computer paper and went to the staff room with two of my friends.
There were two teachers there — my computer teacher and my maths teacher.
One of my friends had come to discuss his maths paper. After his discussion was finished, he left.
My other friend stayed with me.
I showed my computer teacher Question 8 and asked whether my mark could be reconsidered.
Initially, she didn't change it.
Instead, she opened the textbook to check the topic.
She was looking through one chapter, but I remembered that the relevant topic was actually in another chapter. I pointed that out.
Eventually, she found the question in the textbook exercise.
And that's where the real discussion started.
The Debate
My teacher believed that Memory was the answer.
I explained why I believed Network was the correct answer.
My reasoning was simple:
A mobile phone depends on network connectivity for many communication-related functions. Lack of network connectivity can therefore be a limitation.
Meanwhile, I didn't understand how memory itself could be considered the answer to a question asking what is not a limitation.
We went back and forth for quite some time.
I wasn't trying to disrespect my teacher.
I simply couldn't make the explanation fit with what I understood from the textbook.
Eventually, after the discussion had gone on for quite a while, my teacher increased my mark.
So I got my 20/20.
I thought that was the end of it.
It wasn't.
My Friend Had the Same Answer
The next working day, my friend came to me.
He had also selected D. Network.
He told me that he should receive the mark too.
I agreed.
But I suggested something slightly different.
Instead of simply asking the teacher to give him the mark, I told him to ask:
"If this exact question appears in the annual examination, which option should we select?"
That question mattered.
Because getting one mark back was one thing.
Knowing the correct answer for the actual examination was much more important.
My friend asked the teacher about it.
The answer he got was still C. Memory.
And I couldn't understand it.
If the question appeared in our annual exam, I didn't want to knowingly select an answer I believed was technically incorrect.
Taking the Question to the Principal
It was examination time, so teachers were busy with invigilation and other responsibilities.
My friend's paper wasn't resolved immediately.
So I decided to ask someone else.
I went to the principal during dispersal.
I explained that I had a doubt regarding a previous computer science unit test.
At first, the principal was understandably annoyed because it was exam time and I was bringing up an old test.
But once I explained the actual issue, she said that it would be clarified.
I went home.
And instead of just thinking about the argument, I did something more useful.
I started looking for evidence.
I Went Back to the Textbook
I searched through the textbook again.
This time, I wasn't looking for something that would simply prove me right.
I was looking for the actual explanation of the concept.
And then I found it.
There was a line in the textbook that supported my interpretation of the question.
That was important.
Now I wasn't relying only on my memory or opinion.
I had a source.
The Next Day
When I came to class the next day, my class teacher asked me about the situation.
She knew that I had taken the question to the principal.
I explained what had happened.
Then she checked the question independently.
The answer she got was:
D. Network.
I also showed her the relevant line from the textbook.
At that point, there was evidence from the textbook supporting my answer as well.
The issue was finally clear.
The original answer I had been marked wrong for was actually the answer I should have received credit for.
What I Learned From One Mark
Looking back, the most important part of this story isn't that I got one additional mark.
It's what happened while trying to resolve the disagreement.
I learned that authority doesn't automatically make an answer correct.
A teacher can know far more about a subject than a student and still make an occasional mistake.
A textbook can contain an unclear question.
An answer key can be wrong.
And a student can misunderstand something.
That's why evidence matters.
Don't Argue Just to Prove Yourself Right
There's an important distinction here.
I'm not saying students should challenge teachers about everything.
And I'm definitely not saying that students should assume their teachers are wrong.
Instead:
If you believe something is technically incorrect, investigate it.
Don't just say:
"I'm right."
Ask:
"What does the textbook say?"
"What does the documentation say?"
"Can I find another reliable source?"
"Can I explain why I believe this answer is correct?"
That changes an argument into an investigation.
The Internet Makes This Even More Important
As someone who enjoys computer science and software development, I've started noticing this even more.
In technology, you can't always rely on someone's authority.
A person might confidently tell you that an API works one way.
The documentation might say otherwise.
Someone might tell you a programming concept is impossible.
You might test it and discover that it isn't.
Someone might tell you that a particular piece of code is correct.
Running it might prove otherwise.
That's why one of the most valuable skills for a developer is learning to verify information.
What Would You Have Done?
If you were in my situation, what would you have done?
Would you have:
Accepted the answer and moved on?
Asked the teacher again?
Checked the textbook?
Looked for another reliable source?
Asked another teacher?
Taken the issue to the principal?
For me, the biggest lesson wasn't getting 20/20.
It was learning that asking questions respectfully and finding evidence can be more powerful than simply arguing.
And sometimes, the answer really is worth investigating.
Top comments (5)
Nice, I gave you a like, but... sometimes you cannot do it respectfully.
People who are financially incentivized to hold their beliefs don't give in so easily.
For example, I'd like many bright eyed younglings in the Securities and Exchange Commission, instead of the current lazy people just catching some Zs.
Two comments seem to be hidden or deleted, so I'm missing some context here.
But about the article itself, I think I would've done the same thing. Not because I desperately wanted 20/20, but because if I knew my answer was correct, I'd want to understand why it was marked wrong. And if the explanation didn't make sense, I'd probably keep asking too.
Questioning something doesn't necessarily mean disrespecting the person you're questioning.
Some comments may only be visible to logged-in visitors. Sign in to view all comments.