# Who Wants To Be A Millionaire Try-Outs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 21, 2006, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wants-to-be-a-millionaire-try-outs/377370 "2006-10-21T21:46:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2006, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wants-to-be-a-millionaire-try-outs/377370/1 "2006-10-21T21:46:14Z")
Ever do one? How was it? Thanks Q ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2006, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wants-to-be-a-millionaire-try-outs/377370/2 "2006-10-21T21:52:50Z")
Yes. Not that hard. Passed the test, failed to delight them in the personal interview – got the “thanks, you’re not in the pool” test. (As did the person I went with, who was also a successful _Jeopardy!_ alum.) ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2006, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wants-to-be-a-millionaire-try-outs/377370/3 "2006-10-22T07:03:17Z")
Yes, I did try out - after the faster finger phone thing, for the syndicated version with Meredith Viera. The test was not super difficult - I’d say it was medium difficulty, if you’re a trivia buff. The toughest test I’ve ever taken was the one for Win Ben Stein’s Money. I think Millionaire was slightly easier than Jeopardy!, but I think it’s shorter (30 questions, IIRC). If you pass they interview you with the staff at the test. You need to have a good story ready to go. After my interview with one guy, I met another a few minutes later - same deal, but I figured that was a good sign (or that the first interviewer thought I was borderline). I started to really get into the interview then. Both were less than 5 minutes. I got a postcard, then a call, and did the show in September '04. Lots of fun. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2006, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wants-to-be-a-millionaire-try-outs/377370/4 "2006-10-23T15:06:44Z")
Yeah I went about three months ago and tried out for both a movie week and general trivia. I passed both tests which was kind of uplifting, but I got the postcards a few weeks letter that said ‘thanks but no thanks’ unfortunately. There’s a longer version of the story on my MySpace page (check out my SDMB profile if you want to read it) ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2006, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wants-to-be-a-millionaire-try-outs/377370/5 "2006-10-23T17:22:50Z")
I tried out for the college edition, whenever I was in college, I dunno, 2000 or 2001? I got through the door (the hardest part - you wouldn’t believe!) and past the quiz, and they took an interview, and told me they’d call or not call on a specific day between these specific hours. They didn’t. I missed the hotness quotient, I imagine. Wasted a whole day of a holiday weekend sitting with my parents in my dorm room. ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2006, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wants-to-be-a-millionaire-try-outs/377370/6 "2006-10-23T18:33:39Z")
I tried out at the Naval Base in Norfolk when they had the tryouts there for active duty military (2002?). Pretty much the same tryout as above. I sat in an auditorium, watched a video featuring Regis, answered a battery of questions, and then found out I didn’t score high enough for the interview. But a friend of mine made it onto the air. And sat there the whole time during those special shows, never winning a Fastest Finger. I call him “Slow Hand” now.