Approximation and Hedging Numbers
0 / 10 completed
1 / 10
An engineer presents performance metrics:
"Under normal load, the API responds in _____ 45 milliseconds."
Which approximation word is most natural when you are giving a measured value that varies slightly?
"Under normal load, the API responds in _____ 45 milliseconds."
Which approximation word is most natural when you are giving a measured value that varies slightly?
Roughly is correct. "Roughly 45 milliseconds" signals that the value is a rounded or representative figure — typical when reporting an average or median that varies under different conditions. This is the most natural approximation marker for measured technical values. Exactly implies precision to the last digit — appropriate only when quoting an exact measurement. At most sets an upper bound, not a typical value. No less than sets a lower bound.
2 / 10
A project manager estimates in a planning doc:
"The migration will take _____ three to four weeks."
Which approximation word is most appropriate for a project estimate?
"The migration will take _____ three to four weeks."
Which approximation word is most appropriate for a project estimate?
Approximately is correct. "Approximately three to four weeks" is the standard professional phrasing for project estimates. It signals that the range is an educated estimate, not a commitment. "Approximately" (like "roughly" and "around") hedges the number without implying a strict bound. Exactly removes the hedge — inappropriate for estimates. No more than sets an upper cap, which is a commitment. At least sets a lower bound — implying the project could take longer, which might be accurate but is a different kind of hedge.
3 / 10
An SRE writes in an SLA draft:
"The service must respond _____ 200 milliseconds for 99% of requests."
Which word expresses an upper bound requirement?
"The service must respond _____ 200 milliseconds for 99% of requests."
Which word expresses an upper bound requirement?
Within is correct. "Within 200 milliseconds" sets a strict upper bound — the response time must not exceed 200 ms. This is the standard preposition for SLA latency requirements. It is precise and contractual. Approximately, around, and roughly are approximation markers — they introduce imprecision, which is the opposite of what an SLA requires. In legal and contractual technical language, use "within", "not exceeding", or "no more than" for upper bounds.
4 / 10
A developer says in a Slack message:
"The build takes _____ 8 minutes on average — sometimes 6, sometimes 10."
Which approximation is most accurate given the described variation?
"The build takes _____ 8 minutes on average — sometimes 6, sometimes 10."
Which approximation is most accurate given the described variation?
Around is correct. "Around 8 minutes" naturally captures the sense of a central value with variation in both directions — sometimes less (6 min), sometimes more (10 min). "Around" implies a range centred on the stated number. Exactly contradicts "sometimes 6, sometimes 10". No more than would set an upper bound at 8, contradicting the "sometimes 10" example. At least would set a lower bound at 8, contradicting "sometimes 6".
5 / 10
A security engineer writes in a report:
"The vulnerability has been present in _____ 30% of scanned repositories."
Which approximation is most formal and appropriate for a security report?
"The vulnerability has been present in _____ 30% of scanned repositories."
Which approximation is most formal and appropriate for a security report?
Approximately is the most formal choice and is preferred in written reports, security assessments, and technical documentation. All four words mean roughly the same thing, but they differ in register: about and roughly are conversational, around is neutral, and approximately is formal. In a security report intended for management or auditors, "approximately 30%" is the appropriate choice.
6 / 10
A capacity planner writes:
"We need _____ 500 GB of additional storage to handle projected growth."
Which expression most accurately conveys a minimum requirement?
"We need _____ 500 GB of additional storage to handle projected growth."
Which expression most accurately conveys a minimum requirement?
At least is correct. "At least 500 GB" sets a minimum — the team needs 500 GB or more. This is the correct quantifier when expressing a lower bound requirement in capacity planning. Approximately and around hedge the estimate in both directions — they do not establish a minimum. Up to establishes an upper bound — the opposite of what is needed here.
7 / 10
A product manager writes in a feature spec:
"The feature should handle _____ 10,000 concurrent users without degradation."
Which expression most accurately conveys the performance target as a ceiling?
"The feature should handle _____ 10,000 concurrent users without degradation."
Which expression most accurately conveys the performance target as a ceiling?
Up to is correct. "Up to 10,000 concurrent users" sets the ceiling — the system should perform well at any load from 0 to 10,000. This is the standard expression for performance targets defined as maximum load. At least sets a minimum, not a ceiling. Approximately and around imply an average, not a bound — they would be appropriate if the question were about typical load, not maximum capacity.
8 / 10
Which sentence uses approximation language incorrectly in a technical context?
Option C is incorrect. "Exactly around 100 ms" combines two contradictory quantifiers: exactly implies precision to the digit, while around implies approximation. These cannot logically co-occur. The correct form would be either "exactly 100 ms" (for a strict requirement) or "around 100 ms" (for a guideline). Options A, B, and D all use approximation language correctly and consistently.
9 / 10
An engineer estimates technical debt in a planning meeting:
"We're looking at _____ 40 hours of refactoring work to clean this up."
Which phrase is most natural for a verbal estimate in a planning meeting?
"We're looking at _____ 40 hours of refactoring work to clean this up."
Which phrase is most natural for a verbal estimate in a planning meeting?
Roughly is most natural for spoken planning estimates. "Roughly 40 hours" is direct, professional, and appropriately hedged. In the order of is also correct but is more formal and typically written rather than spoken — "in the order of 40 hours" would sound slightly stilted in a meeting. No less than sets a lower bound, implying it could be much more — acceptable in risk communication but unusual for a typical estimate. Precisely removes the hedge entirely.
10 / 10
A DevOps engineer writes in a runbook:
"The container restart takes _____ 30 seconds — if it takes longer than 60 seconds, escalate to the on-call engineer."
Which approximation is most appropriate given the escalation threshold?
"The container restart takes _____ 30 seconds — if it takes longer than 60 seconds, escalate to the on-call engineer."
Which approximation is most appropriate given the escalation threshold?
Roughly is correct. The sentence gives a typical duration ("roughly 30 seconds") and separately states the escalation threshold ("longer than 60 seconds"). "Roughly" hedges the typical duration appropriately — 30 seconds is the norm, but small variations are expected. At most and no more than would imply the restart is guaranteed to finish within 30 seconds, which contradicts the need for the 60-second escalation rule. At least would set a lower bound of 30 seconds, which is also not intended.