Jeopardy! Test: Have You Taken It?

[Ffiferoo]

I took the college test once about six years ago, and I remember it being similar to this time - I knew a bunch of answers but then blanked on a lot that I should have known.  Probably this is an indication that I would be terrible if I actually went on the show.

[Chip]

I was scheduled to take the online test last night and then forgot and went grocery shopping. This is why I can't have nice things.

[David T. Cole]

Are you talking about the online one (I watched Mark Blankenship take that once) or something in person?

I think Jeff Alexander (M. Giant) took a 'real' test once but I'm old and don't remember thing right a lot and I don't think he is here yet.

[Chip]

They had three days of online tests scheduled for last week, but you had a scheduled appointment to take it. 

[Ffiferoo]

Yeah, it was the online test - I registered for it in December.  It was 50 questions with 15 seconds per item.

[ManicMoxy]

I never took online test so not sure whether it's representative of the "in person" one. Took that twice -- first time while in LA for work, with tiny little monitors flashing the "answers" that made me realize I needed new glasses -- I simply couldn't read the screen and by Question 10 or so I was one or two behind and that was all she wrote.

Second time, with new glasses, in Washington DC at one of the "on the road" test events. The monitors were bigger and I made sure I got a front row seat to be safe. And I got lucky because I think about 10,000 people applied to get into the DC tests that year (there were, I think, two days of tests, two tests a day, 100 people per test so I had already won the lottery just by being there ... the LA tests are held at the studio and are much easier to get into). 

There were about 100 people in the room and about 15 passed in my group. Not sure if this was par for the course. Not sure what passing grade was ... I've heard rumors of 35 or 37, not sure if it varies based on test difficulty or location of testing or anything ... AND this was back in 2001.  So it's possible a lot has changed. 

Not sure what the other questions you had were :)

[Mini-Mart]

Took the online test last year.  Unbelievably stressful.  Clearly not ready for the show.

[formerlyfreedom]

I work with a woman who was on the show last year - she actually started her job two days before the taping, and got permission to be gone for the taping. She tried out a lot before - I think 7-9 times? She came in second, and now she can never be on Jeopardy again. With Alex Trebak, anyway.

[pithy]

I took the test last January (2013) and was brought in for an in-person "audition" in NYC in May. They never tell you what score you got on the online test. The "audition" was another test (this time, written) and a short test game with other auditionees that's clearly about seeing if you are a total deer in headlights. They do a little faux interview as well (a la the interview portion on the show).  After that, they just put you "in the pool" and you can be called for the show anytime in the next 18 months. They haven't called me yet, but I am holding out hope for the teacher tourney.

They clearly try to manage personalities and demographics, and given that there were a lot of ladies in glasses there, I don't think I'll be at the top of their list. 

[Tetraneutron]

I take it every year. It's always way harder than you think - hesitate for even a second and you'll run out of time even when you have the right answer.

[Iseut]

I was on the show this past year, up against the now infamous (in Jeopardy-geek circles, at least) Arthur Chu. My show aired Jan. 31. Final Jeopardy killed me (stupid Otis and his stupid safety rope for his stupid elevator!), and I came in 3rd.

Bitterness aside, it was an incredibly fun and exciting experience, and I'd recommend it to anyone. This was the third time I had tried out (once before in a mass pre-internet audition and twice in the online test era), and a lady at my audition was on her tenth try (not sure if she got The Call or not), so you never know!

I'm interested to see Arthur's next game(s?) after the college tournament is over, and whether everyone and their mother will start playing in his style.

[Rick Kitchen]

I was on the show back in the 80s.  I took the test there at the studios, it was helpful in a large number of cases when they gave the questions as "What is an ..." because that let me know that the right answer had to start with a vowel.  Unfortunately, I didn't win, one of the Double Jeopardy categories was "German Composers", and classical music is my downfall.  I came in second, won a bunch of crappy prizes (including women's clothes, which, surprise, I don't wear.  :) )  I did win a trip to Puerto Vallarta, though.

[Tigershark]

I took the test in January of 2013.  I had taken the test a couple of times before, but never got an audition until 2013.  I had an in-person interview in Los Angeles May.  Even though I knew almost every answer on the written test, I was so sure after the in-person audition that my odds of getting on the show were slim.  I know they like a balance of demographics, careers, personalities, etc. on the show, and half of the people at the LA audition were lawyers.  I wasn't a lawyer at the time of the audition, but the audition was nine days before I graduated from law school.  So I was shocked when I got The Call in February.  The episode has taped, and I won't say anything about the show itself until after it airs.  Most of the other contestants said they went to an audition around the same time I did, but one person I talked to said they went to an audition in December of 2012, so they really can call people anytime in that 18-month time frame.

[Gloworm]

I took the test this past January. Jeopardy is so much easier sitting on the sofa and yelling out the questions! Some questions were buried deep somewhere in my brain but wouldn't bubble to the surface in time. Maybe next time.

[Mountainair]

I'd like to take the test just to see how well I could do. I'd never want to be on the show though!

[tgrfan23]

I'd like to take the test just to see how well I could do. I'd never want to be on the show though!

You're allowed to take the online test for fun, but the contestant coordinators do not ever reveal actual scores, so any assessment of how well you did would be a ballpark, at best.

[shlbycindyk]

Tigershark please let us know when your episode is on.  I hope it's actually several episodes.  One of my friends had two in person auditions but he's never gotten the call.  We're still hoping though.

[illini1959]

I took the online test years ago then was called to one of the city tests (probably not the right phrase there) in Durham NC.

I went for the experience, but would have never gone on the show - way too scared to do that! It was interesting, the Clue Crew was there. I got a Jeopardy! pen.

[Rick Kitchen]

After taking the test, they called me in for a simulated game.  They gave us ball point pens to use instead of buzzers, and the person posing as Alex just randomly called people to answer.  One of the people I was doing the simulated game against was a minister, but I was better than him on Bible questions.  :)

[Prevailing Wind]

I think I might do well on the test, but come show-time, there's not enough imodium to keep me out of the ladies' room, if you get my drift.  If they don't tell you your score, there's no reason for me to even attempt the test.

[GreekGeek]

Pithy has described the process well. I took the test in January of 2008 and was called to audition in May 2008 in NYC. It was my second time taking the test. I was called in November 2009, which if you count is just about at 18 months. By a bittersweet coincidence, it was the day of my mother's funeral. I was sad that that she didn't live long enough to see me on the show after we had watched it together since the early Art Fleming days (though I didn't use that as one of my stories--they have you write three anecdotes, of which Alex chooses one to interview you about). My show aired in June 2010. I wasn't fast enough on the buzzer to beat the champ, who made it a runaway, but I was the only one of the three to get Final Jeopardy.

[rereader2]

Of course I've considered trying out, but the truth is I miss an awful lot of answers that the contestants breeze through, and I don't think the stress of competition would up my game.

Oddly, the ones I almost always get right are the one none of the contestants will take a crack at--the three of 'em will be standing there looking blank, and I'm yelling at the screen. But that's not a winning strategy!

[helpmerhonda]

I took the online test in January (for the fourth or fifth time) and just had an in-person audition in Chicago last week. It was actually must less stressful than I thought it would be. I just wish they would give people a better response than "We might call you some time in the next 18 months." I'd even prefer a "Thanks but no thanks" over that.

[Rick Kitchen]

Good luck, helpmerhonda, I hope they call you soon.  When they called me, it was because the had had a cancellation and they called me at work and said "Can you come in tomorrow?"

[Tigershark]

helpmerhonda, Good Luck!  I know it sucks that they tell you "We may call you in the next 18 months," but I think they are doing a ton of auditions right now, and it's really hard to gauge at this moment how many of those people they would be willing to put on the show.  When I went for the audition, they gave everyone Jeopardy pens, but asked us not to click them while people were playing a mock version of the game.  There was one guy seated in the first row who would not stop clicking the pen, and when he went to play the mock version of the game, he made little cute comments after every answer and took forever to pick a new category.  There is no way that guy will get on the show.  They probably have a file of people they are willing to cast and go from there.  But I do think things like demographics and types play a part in casting decisions.  Like I said, half of the people at the audition were lawyers, but when I went to the taping there was only one other lawyer of 12 potential contestants for that "week."

After the audition, I did ask one question.  I was already starting to freak out about the bar exam, and I specifically asked that I not be called before August.  Maggie, one of the contestant coordinators, told me not to worry because they don't start calling people who audition in the spring until August. 

[LittleVoice]

Good luck, helpmerhonda! Hope you make it! 

For those who've taken the test, someone usually posts a transcript from all of the online tests in the forums on the Jeopardy site. Your  memory of your actual answers probably won't be perfect, but it should give you some idea of how you did. I was also on the show a few years ago so I don't take the test anymore, but I sometimes go find those transcripts and see how many I can answer quickly, just to get a sense of whether I'd make the grade. Sometimes  yes, sometimes no. They try to give a good mix of questions, but there's still a lot of luck of the draw in there.

[Gentian root]

I took the test in DC back in the 19__'s, just like Moxy.  The written test was 50, then a quick round with little hotel desk bells to ring in.  The personality interview was deplorable, people trying to be outrageous and memorable (I remember one woman to this day because she repeated the previous woman's joke).  I got called to fly west twice, had to pass the first time because of my stupid brother-in-law's stupid wedding, and by the second call, I had joined SAG and was therefore ineligible.  I guess I'll have to wait for Celebrity Jeopardy.

[HelenBaby]

I was a contestant in 97. They had the contestant search in Atlanta. You took the test in person and they did tell us you had to get 75% correct answers. They kept those of us that did and we then played the mock game. They took our pictures and only told us they would call 1 month before taping if we were chosen as contestants. I took the test in May and they called in October for taping in November. My show aired January 1998.

I was lucky because I was a woman in my forties with a pink collar type office job. My brother didn't even get invited to take the test.

[ManicMoxy]

BTW, if it helps at all ... I took the test in late June and got the call in late January, so I think ... seven months? (Math class is hard, said Teen Barbie ... words, sadly, I uttered on air as well and the damned close-captioner caught it). 

 

I taped in February 2002 and it aired in June 2002. A really high-scoring second place (24,600) but second is second. I pooched the math trying to do it in my head when I got the final Daily Double with the last clue on the board in a topic I was NOT confident on ... got it right, but didn't bet enough to be in a winning position heading into FJ. I got FJ right but so did the leader. Not that I relive it in my mind all the time or anything (I mean, seriously, what's $44,000 between friends?)

 

PS With the winnings ($2000 ... really wish I had been grandfathered into the vacation-for-two runner-up prize) I bought a SONY VAIO laptop and three weeks later sneezed a mouthful of red wine onto the keys and fried the motherboard. Fitting but sad epitaph.

[Biosynth]

I've tried the online test a few times, but I always seem to get a lot of sports questions, which is my weak spot (that and math).  Meh, I'll keep trying.  Perhaps some day.

[LittleVoice]

Definitely keep trying, Biosynth. I took the test several times before getting an invitation to an in-person test, and the same was true for most of the people I met at my audition and taping.

Edited May 9, 2014 by LittleVoice

[Red Bridey]

I took the online test in January 2013.  I missed three questions, so believed I had no chance of being called.  I had taken the test before in 2003 maybe, when Jeopardy! was on the road, and missed three questions and did not progress to the test game.  So I promptly forgot about it and said, "Wait until next year!"  However, I got an email in May 2013 inviting me to a contestant try-out in Toronto in July.  I have friends all around that area, so used it as an opportunity to reconnect with old friends and see Niagara Falls.  I was very very nervous, so my memory of the test is hazy, but they give you another 50 question test, an interview, and you participate in a mock game.  They give you pointers, and I presume if you don't follow directions, you are off the list.  For instance, these soft spoken girls were asked *twice* to speak up and didn't.  Buh-bye.  We were told that more than 100,000 people take the test, 2,000 people are asked to try out, and only 400 people make the list, and you are on the list for 18 months.  Several people in my group had tried out two or three times already (I mean the contestant try-out, not just the online test).  We were told the calls would start in late August or September.  I was prepared to cross the tryout off my bucket list, but I got a call in early September to invite me to LA for the show.  I went, came in second, and now figure I don't have to remember a damn thing for the rest of my life.  Unless I get a second chance...with better categories and a worse champ...when Alex retires.  Call me, Jeopardy!

[sunsheyen]

Not my experience, but my kid's. She did the test at the end of October 2012 and got a callback in November. We went up to NYC for auditions in early Dec, and by the second week in Feb they were taping. She is a quiet kid, but can "turn it on" when necessary. Like the post above, they stressed speaking up. Per her comments, they kind of stopped interacting with the kids that they had to keep telling that. The big thing I got from talking to the contestant coordinator with whom I was in correspondence was personality. Even if you are a quiet smartie, you have to broadcast some sort of oomph, and this goes for adults even more so than with kids. I haven't taken the test, don't want that Jeopardy jinx that happens when Alex mentions a friend/relative who has been on the show as well. 

 

They recently sent an email about Sports Jeopardy!, a smaller show, that I posted on TWOP. Not sure if anyone from here has tried out, but if so, let us know. Maggie, the very nice cc who handled the Kids Week, is also very open to referrals. If you have been on, and know someone who took the test, you can kind of vouch for them in a call/email to her. If they passed the test, she will make sure they at least make it to auditions. 

[sisterfive]

Pithy described it well. The most important thing I can add is that they videotape the tryouts. They can tell how you'll look on TV. I took the online test January 2012, had my in-person test April 2012, and they didn't call me to appear until February 2013. I taped my episode in March and it wasn't broadcast until July 2013. SO there's quite a time lag. I was up against one of the biiig money winners, so I only appeared once. But it was a life-list event for me, so I can't complain. I had a blast!

[mojoween]

I got an email today to go to NYC for the Sports Jeopardy audition and I could not be more excited.

[Dionysa]

I want to do this and reading all your stories makes it sound so exciting, but daunting. I'm not discouraged, though. I've wanted to do this as long as I can remember. :)

[Hpmec]

I attended an audition many years ago in LA. I passed but was not called to be on the show. When my daughter started Kindergarten a few years later, the mom of a boy in her class was a Jeopardy producer. That disqualified everyone she came in contact with including me. If a staffer knows or even recognizes you, you cannot be on the show.

Edited October 1, 2014 by Hpmec

[dcalley]

That stinks. Has it been more than 5 years? Try again if so! From the FAQ:

 

You may not be eligible to play on Jeopardy! if you are employed by, related to, or within the last five years known anyone who works for Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc., Sony Pictures Television Inc., Quadra Productions, Inc., CBS Television Distribution, Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy! prize suppliers, or any TV station (including advertisers and related radio stations) broadcasting Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy!

Bold is mine. The "may" sounds like there could be some wiggle room. The advertisers part is harsh. Let's say Dennis Duffy, Beeper King, has bought late-night ads for his beeper business on the TV station that shows Jeopardy in NYC. Anyone who knows him is ineligible, if I'm understanding this correctly.

[3 is enough]

I have taken the online test twice. I really think my problem is that I do not type fast enough.  15 seconds to read the clue and type the answer is not a lot of time.  Of course I got some clues wrong, but I missed a lot simply because I ran out of time.

[Totale]

Anyone know why (apparently) no test this year?  It usually comes up in January.

[dcalley]

Sony hack, most likely.

[Miss Chevious]

Years ago, Jeopardy went on the road and conducted contestant tryouts in Miami. . Over three thousand people showed up. The first step was to complete a paper questionnaire. That really cleared out the room, only 10% passed. Those that passed were taken into another room and Alex was shown on a large TV monitor asking questions to which you had about 6 seconds to respond for each question. Those that passed that section (about 100 people) got to do the last step which was to play a mock game with two other contestants, using a clicker instead of a buzzer. They checked to see how photogenic you were, how outgoing you were in order to be a good fit for TV, because sometimes people just freeze up when they know cameras are on them. After all that, they selected four people to be contestants on the show. I was lucky enough to be one of them. We were told our names would be put into a contestant pool and we would be called at some point in the future to go to LA and be on the show. This was in May. They called me the following January and my show was taped in February but didn't actually air until 10 weeks later in May. So it took a year but it was definitely worth it. I still have my Jeopardy pencil, my Jeopardy game and my picture with Alex. It was a fun experience and I enjoyed every minute of it.

 

ETA: The only downside was that I had to pay taxes on my winnings.

Edited March 1, 2015 by Miss Chevious

[Skittl1321]

ETA: The only downside was that I had to pay taxes on my winnings.

Wouldn't the bigger downside be to have no winnings to pay taxes on?

Jeopardy doesn't pay for flights and hotels right? So in theory, could it cost money to go out there if you don't win enough to cover it?

[Jesse]

Yes -- back in olden days, I had to pay my own way to be on Jeopardy, and then I won a tv (3rd place), which was taxed at the highest possible value. It was worth it, though. 

[opus]

Wouldn't the bigger downside be to have no winnings to pay taxes on?

Jeopardy doesn't pay for flights and hotels right? So in theory, could it cost money to go out there if you don't win enough to cover it?

The minimum (3rd place) winnings is $1000, right? Any accountants out there know how much of that you would actually keep?

[Prevailing Wind]

It probably depends on your adjusted gross income at the end of the year.  I know if you win big in the lottery, in Georgia they withhold 34% - 28 for the Feds & 6 for the state.

[AndreaK1041]

Wouldn't $1000 fall below the necessary reporting amount? I have seen lots of $1199 casino prizes because $1200 triggers tax forms. Maybe Sony issues forms for all amounts just to avoid trouble.

[chessiegal]

I do consulting work, and I always get an earnings statements from the contractor that is reported to the IRS no matter what the amount, lowest was $500.

[Miss Chevious]

Jeopardy does not pay for contestant's travel, hotel or rental car expenses. It's all on you, baby. 

[opus]

Jeopardy does not pay for contestant's travel, hotel or rental car expenses. It's all on you, baby.

Do they at least provide snacks?