有一位妇女在河边洗碗，过路人问她为什么洗这么多碗？她回答说：家中来了很多客人，他们每两人合用一只饭碗，每三人合用一只汤碗，每四人合用一只菜碗，共用了碗六十五只，问，她家来了多少客人？
这是一道九章算术里面的题，只要刻苦学习过这本算经，答出答案不存在太大难度，至于第二题则相对偏一些，出自《算法统宗》，问，甲牵一只肥羊走过来问牧羊人：“你赶的这群羊大概有一百只吧”，牧羊人答：“如果这群羊加上一倍，再加上原来这群羊的一半，又加上原来这群羊的四分之一，连你牵着的这只肥羊也算进去，才刚好凑满一百只。”算这位牧羊人赶的这群羊共有多少只？
算术题古往今来都是一样，学的好的可以举一反三，拿高分不费力，可学的差的，就算憋死也只能写一个‘解’字，杵哪里半分不得。
就好像现在的九座考场内的学子一样，会的学子连思考都不用提笔就在草稿之上面算，算好以后誉写到卷子上面，牛一点如张正卿这样的，连草稿都免了，直接在试卷上解题，至于算术差的除了紧锁眉头、咬牙切齿外，只能盯着卷子上的空白发呆……
一个半时辰算考结束，已然明显可以看出至少三成的考生愁眉苦脸，显然对于自己算考达到七十五分已经不抱任何希望，而算考没有七十五分，其余考的再好也无半点意义，后面的策论时事以及分类考就算参加也不可能金榜题名，也只有那些觉得自己算考成绩大概在七十五分上下的还抱有侥幸心理，开始准备下一场考试。
可以说科举新规人性化了很多，以前会试考生犹如被关禁闭似的困在一个小屋子里面，三天三夜甚至更久的时间内同时考经议、策论、时事，还要按照八股文的格式不能有一丝一毫的错漏，这对于一个人的心理素质考验极大，会试当中因为扛不住压力导致精神错乱疯掉的士子可不在少数。
此次新试四场，每场考试最长时间不超过一天，最短如算考只有一个半时辰，场与场之间还间隔数日，不但能最大程度上缓解考生的精神压力，还可以让学子有充裕的时间去备战下一科，并且可以让考生选择继续或者放弃，不能不说是自有科举以来最大的创新之一。
果然不出意料，十二月初七前来贡院参加第三场考试的考生锐减一千五百余人，也就是说二轮考试，还没阅卷，此番会试便已经淘汰了近两千人，而阅卷也是从算术开始，那些算术没过的考生，其它三门卷子自然没有阅卷的必要。
第三场考时事，不少考生稍稍有些意外，正如朱慈炯想的那样，不管是古代还是后世，只要考试就一定会有猜题，此番会试自然不会例外，不过算考结束以后，超过九成的考生都在备战策论。
何为策论，朝廷开科选士，策论一直都是重点，简单一点说，就是根据考题来回答问题，这个考题有可能是时政也有可能是农事或者民生，甚至可能考历代王朝的政事得失和亡国之因，考生用固定的格式阐述自己的见解，一般见解独道，文采飞扬者，便能被评为上佳。
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