Logged in, eady to go - now that I have read everything you guys posted I know I am going to tank…
sigh
Any chance the questions will all be pop culture, bible and Canadian cities?
I SUCK!!!
sobs
Wow. I completely sucked at that!
I decided at the last minute to take it. I totally blew it.
Hopefully my husband rocked it.
I bombed that. I’d have to see a transcript but I doubt I got more than 20.
I did a respectable 35 last year.
Well, I just tanked the West Coast one. that was the suck! I totally blanked on some that I totally knew. I’m waiting for a transcript of this one so i can kick myself even more.
Man I feel like an idiot now! That West Coast one sucked! Although now seeing that at least everyone who chimed in before me felt the same way makes me feel a bit better.
I kept blanking on ones that I know I knew, and then the second the question was up I would remember.
I have no F-in’ idea. I could barely keep up, with muh slow wits and slower fingers, let alone take notes. When the transcript gets posted, maybe I’ll have a clue. I certainly felt stupid, though.
Looks like I pulled off a 29 on the Wed test. I’m hitting myself over some.
Camels! Reciprocal! Psalms! Grrr.
Took the Pacific TZ test this evening. Was extremely disappointed in myself. This test was much more difficult than the in person test I took in Jan. '05. That one I think I got around 42; I went over tonight’s test when it was posted on the Sony message board, and I seem to have gotten a 36 (maybe worse if my spelling cost me an answer or two). I was kicking myself, too, but after reading through this thread, I’m actually feeling pretty good about my results; if this many Dopers feel they blew it, I can’t feel that bad about my score.
On the other message board, there seemed to be a consensus that the Central/Mountain test was easier than the tests for the coasts. Don’t know if it’s true–I only reviewed the transcript for tonight’s test–but I wonder if it was purposefully that way, or just luck of the draw.
That 15 seconds sure did blow by way too fast. It was much more disconcerting than the in person test. And I found the buzzer sound when time ran out confusing. At first I thought it was telling me I was wrong, or that I did something wrong with the applet. It took me a while to get it into my head that it just meant ‘time’s up’. It was distracting enough to fluster me at first.
Whoever mentioned that there seemed to be a ‘recent bias’ in the questions may be on to something. The producers must want to skew younger pretty badly. I mean, look at all those ads for fiber supplements and such that run during the show. It wouldn’t surprise me if they’re thinking about getting a younger crowd.
All in all, a weird and disheartening experience, but who knows? Maybe everyone in the country had brain drain the last few nights, too.
I just took over the transcripts for fun and I ended up with 22 on both the Tuesday and the Thursday tests. That sucks.
Last year, I got at least 28.
I agree with this. I took the ET one, and reviewed the other two (imposing the 15-second limit on myself the best I could). I’m confident I would have gotten 5 or more additional ones on the CT test over the other two. Probably something like 33/38/31. Of course, YMMV.
I agree with the younger skewing also (fortunately I’m only 27…). They must want to get Wilford Brimley off of their ad books.
My understanding is that there’s not a set number you have to get right so much as a best X% (meaning that if 20% answered 30 right or only 20% answered 10 or 40 right, that’s what they go with).
I haven’t looked at the transcript but it sounds like Thursday was the hardest day.
More grist for the mill that they were “dumbing it down” for the flyover people. Not sure what advantage that would be to the show, but it’s possible.
As for the age thing, I’m convinced (mostly from the commercials the show runs) that about 70% of the Jeopardy! audience watches the show while lying in coffins that have been propped up in their living rooms. Really a one foot in the grave crowd.
**
Sampiro,** you may be the first one I’ve seen suggest that they grade on a curve. Is that from previous experience with the testing process, or other sources of info? Everyone else seems to believe there’s a cutoff somewhere in the absolute range. Just curious.
I took the “Pacific Time Zone” test yesterday (Thursday), and it was definitely much harder than the “Central / Mountain” TZ test that I took back in March 2006.
Two years ago, it felt like I was zipping through the clues, often hitting “submit” before the 15 seconds were up, and I’m pretty sure I got about 43 right (and ended up making the audition and the contestant pool). This time, I took the maximum time for almost all of the clues, and by my count ended up with 39 correct (if they accept a couple of minor misspellings that don’t change pronunciation). Immediately after yesterday’s test was over, I though I’d done badly, but felt somewhat better after checking the relevant Sony message board thread. I had a lucky guess that worked out for me, and blew three or four ones that I should have known (and would have thought of if I’d had more time), but the rest came up blank.
Maybe there’s no “year” bias or “time zone” bias – perhaps I’m just getting older and stupider!
It would seem rather silly of them to make the Central / Mountain test easier than the others, since there doesn’t seem to be anything forcing one to take the test on the night that matches one’s home geography (at least there wasn’t back in 2006 when I pulled the geographic switcheroo because I already had plans for the “Pacific” night). If one time zone gets a reputation for being “easier” than others, they risk skewing the test applicant demographics for no good reason.
The impression that I’ve had from previous threads (containing links to reliable sources) was that 35 was a “hard cutoff”, but with possible further pre-audition winnowing if too many people scored above 35.
I passed the Jeopardy test/audition 4 or 5 times, but each time, the full season came and went without my ever getting a call.
What can I say? They have no shortage of nerdy middle-aged white guys!
I hadn’t auditioned in almost 10 years, but took the online test in Central time on the 30th. It was NOT dumbed down! It was the hardest Jeopardy test I’ve taken yet. I KNOW I get 5 wrong, which is more than I ever botched before. I still got 40+ right for sure.
My biggest problem is that I’m 46 and I’ve fallen out of touch with current pop culture.