Life is A Test 2: Test Harder (Quite A Bit Harder)

by Brony_of_Brody

Never Sit In A Restaurant Five Minutes Before it Closes

Dragging the last of the ingredients back to Sugarcube Corner the very next morning, Pinkie chats with Mr and Mrs Cake about her leave of absence, and gets back to business as usual, but not before asking you to come back at closing time so you can work on the cake together.

After a seemingly uneventful day around Ponyville, which only ended with one arrest on your part, you decide to show up a little early to see how Pinkie is doing. As it happens, she seems just as eager to start, but before she can start daydreaming how such a harmless-sounding cake such as the forbidden and mysterious Cake of Diablos would even taste, three ponies walk into Sugarcube Corner, asking for some of Pinkie's specially frosted sponge cakes.

With Mr and Mrs Cake having gone out ten minutes before closing, Pinkie realises that she's going to have to work overtime just to get all three cakes ready for the customers, until suddenly she spots you. Oh dear, the gleam in her eye tells you everything you need to know, and Quelle surprise, you've suddenly found yourself as an unpaid volunteer worker for the next three customers.

Thankfully, one of your jobs back in Canterlot has left you not unfamiliar on how to frost a cake, and you reckon that you should be able to keep pace with Pinkie at her best: one minute to prep the frosting for each sponge-cake, and another three to frost it over: a four minute job. Unfortunately, Pinkie isn't fond of overtime (or at least she isn't today), and with only eight minutes before Sugarcube Corner closes, she does sort of want the job done as fast as possible. Working together with Pinkie, can the pair of you frost three cakes with enough time left over to close up at precisely 8pm?

Author's Note:

Because seriously, that's kind of rude.

1. Three cakes to frost.
2. To ice, you prep the frosting, which takes a minute, then apply it, which takes three minutes.
3. You and Pinkie have eight minutes to frost all three cakes.

PUZZLE: How can you frost all three and still close up shop in time?

Comments

[Eris Dis Harmonia]

The answer to the picture should be at or about 17.

[Eclipse_Nova]

Do PInkie and us work on the same thing at the same time or can they work separately?

[Fluxxdog]

Minute 1: You prep frosting 1
Minute 2: You prep frosting 2, Pinkie starts frosting cake 1
Minute 3: You prep frosting 3
Minute 4: You start frosting cake 2
Minute 5: Pinkie finishes frosting cake 1, Pinkie starts frosting cake 3
Minute 6: You're both still frosting
Minute 7: You finish frosting cake 2
Minute 8: Pinkie finishes frosting cake 3

That's if you want to get fancy though. You can also just each prep a frosting and frost a cake, taking 4 minutes each, them someone works on the last frosting and cake alone. Still only takes a total of 8 minutes.

[Arbanis]

Minute 1:
You prep frosting 1, Pinkie preps frosting 2
Minute 2:
You prep frosting 3, Pinkie frosts cake 2 (1/3)
Minute 3:
You frost cake 1 (1/3), Pinkie frosts cake 2 (2/3)
Minute 4:
You frost cake 1 (2/3), Pinkie frosts cake 2 (3/3)
Minute 5:
You frost cake 1 (3/3), Pinkie frosts cake 3 (1/3)
Minute 6:
Pinkie frosts cake 3 (2/3)
Minute 7:
Pinkie frosts cake 3 (3/3)
Minute 8:
Close up!



The key here is to make sure that you're both working as soon as possible.

[Brony_of_Brody]

9337651
Not that many, I'm afraid. It's still a lot though