If 1 Jan 2024 is Monday, what is 1 Jan 2025?

Appeared in: NORCET 1 - 2020

Explanation

The year 2024 is a leap year because it is divisible by 4. This means it has 366 days.
The number of 'odd days' in a year determines the day shift for the next year. Odd days are the remainder after dividing the total days by 7.
For a leap year, 366 ÷ 7 equals 52 with a remainder of 2. So, there are 2 odd days.
This causes the day of the week to shift forward by two days for the same date in the following year.
Given that January 1, 2024, is a Monday, adding two days (Monday + 2) results in Wednesday for January 1, 2025.

Option A: This would be the correct answer if 2024 were a normal year with 365 days, which has only 1 odd day.
Option C: This results from an incorrect calculation, likely by adding 3 days instead of the correct 2 odd days for a leap year.
Option D: This results from an incorrect calculation, possibly by adding 4 days instead of 2.

Visual 1: Flowchart - A flowchart showing the steps: 1. Identify the year. 2. Check if it's divisible by 4. 3. If yes, it's a leap year (366 days, 2 odd days). 4. If no, it's a normal year (365 days, 1 odd day). 5. Add the odd days to the starting day of the week.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Calendar calculation involving a leap year and the concept of odd days as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
This question tests logical reasoning and calculation skills, which are fundamental for nurses.
Nurses use similar problem-solving skills for tasks like calculating medication dosages, scheduling patient care, and managing time-sensitive protocols.
What if? If the question asked for 1 Jan 2026, you would first calculate 1 Jan 2025 (Wednesday), then note that 2025 is a normal year (1 odd day), so 1 Jan 2026 would be Thursday (Wednesday + 1 day).

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the start date (1 Jan 2024, Monday) and the end date (1 Jan 2025).
The key is to determine the number of days in the year 2024.
Check if 2024 is a leap year. A year is a leap year if it is divisible by 4.
Since 2024 is divisible by 4, it is a leap year and has 366 days.
Calculate the number of 'odd days' by finding the remainder when 366 is divided by 7 (366 % 7 = 2).
Add the 2 odd days to the starting day of the week: Monday + 2 days = Wednesday.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Calendar calculation involving a leap year and the concept of odd days.
Stem keywords: 1 Jan 2024, Monday, 1 Jan 2025
Lead-in keywords: what is

Q5ggxAgC9L0ROpPBZaCmW7

Practise the full NORCET 1 - 2020

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.