Compare the rule with concrete cases
Fictional points model receives nonnegative integer raw points and limits awarded points to ten. Its original policy caps the output: fourteen raw awards ten. A different policy rejects raw values above ten. Neither follows from the vague phrase “maximum ten”. These points have no monetary value.
| Raw points | Capped-output policy | Reject-excess policy | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Award 6 | Accept 6 | No excess |
| 10 | Award 10 | Accept 10 | At limit |
| 14 | Award 10; retain raw 14 | Reject; no award | Different outcomes |
Work through the distinction
A cap can preserve the raw observation while producing a bounded output. Rejection produces no award. Name which field is limited so the raw input is not silently rewritten.
Raw points become twelve. What does the original policy store and award?
Show the worked answer
Store twelve raw and award ten. The two-point excess remains explainable rather than being erased from the input.
Acceptance wording to adapt
For a nonnegative integer raw_points, preserve raw_points and set awarded_points to the lesser of raw_points and 10. Above ten must cap the award rather than reject the valid raw input.