Examinees taking China's National Judicial Exam were faced the difficult choice between saving their mothers or their girlfriends from a fire, a Nanjing-based newspaper reported.

This tricky question was raised during the National Judicial Exam, which is designed to assess whether the examinee is qualified to practice law in China or not. The question went like this: If a person is capable of saving his mother but saves his girlfriend instead, is he committing a crime of non-action?

While the exam has replaced water with a fire, the question is very similar to the hypothetical question about choosing between saving a drowning mother or a girlfriend - a question often asked by girlfriends that ends up putting guys in an awkward dilemma. 

The Ministry of Justice later published the answer on September 24, saying that the man would be committing a crime of non-action if he chose his girlfriend over his mother. According to the law in China, a son is obligated to save his mother, not his girlfriend. 

The question has sparked discussion on social media. Some netizens agreed with the answer, saying that it would be heartless to leave their mother in danger. 

"I would definitely save my mother first. Apart from legal reasons, my mother raised me. Plus my girlfriend is younger, which means she has a better chance of escaping the fire on her own," one netizen reasoned. 

Others hold a different opinion, feeling that the law is unjust. 

"People's lives are equal, they should be treated equally by the law. I have no idea why giving up your mom is a crime, while giving up your girlfriend is not." 

Some even cracked jokes about the question, claiming that putting out the fire first would be the best move.