Adult Online Test: Apr 9, 10, 11

[Woof]

What we know is that somewhere around 100,000 people take the online test. Of those, 2500 to 3000 will audition in any given year. The only unknown is the “passing rate” but if we posit that 10% of the test takers get a “passing” score then there’s a pool of 10,000 to choose from. Truly random selection would mean that you have a 25% chance per year of getting an audition, so an 0/10 streak would occur only 6% of the time and the mean time between audition invitations would be 3, FWIW

I would agree with the 10% as I believe the Jeopardy test is harder to pass than other game shows; and for other shows, I've generally seen about a 15% passing rate. The only exception to the 15% passing rate would be WWTBAM when they give the test to the entire audience instead of only people in a room specifically to take a test.

I also know I couldn't win a random drawing if I was the only entrant.

I should also have mentioned that I've been taking the tests since 2008. I got an audition in 2010, but since then bupkis, so I'm now 1/12. We know that there are elements of non-randomness (rescheduled auditions, etc.) but our experiences (and John Boy's) would suggest that there's more at work than sheer randomness.

Why would there be more at work than sheer randomness? There is more than just the flat numbers to throw off expectations.

If a person only chooses New York every time for an audition city, their odds are more difficult to get an audition as there are more people from which to be randomly selected. If a person only chooses the south pole for an audition city..well the odds of being randomly selected for an audition would go way up because so few other people who also pass the test would be in the same drawing.

If we figure on 10,000 people passing the test, we should also figure on the northeast corridor being the most heavily represented in those 10,000 people. This is why I've chosen audition cities out of the way of that area, but places that aren't unreasonable for me to travel to. The strategy hasn't worked, but darn it, it should.

Remind me if I'm wrong about this, but until last year or the year before, they had no way of knowing who we were when we took the test as we only gave them an email address and a birthday (we didn't give them more information when we took the online test at that time, did we?)

Wayne, one thing that was pointed out to me is that places like NYC (and, I think, that trivia hotbed of DC) get more days of auditions than e.g. Nashville or Detroit, so it's not clear that your odds of getting an audition in one of those cities is any worse. I agree that everything I mentioned can be explained by random chance, yet I am a tad skeptical of whether it is totally random. For a start, the women on this board who have reported seem to get called more frequently than 1/4 tries for the most part. This makes perfect sense given the producers' desire for gender parity on the show, but does deviate from true randomness.

[billiej]

What we know is that somewhere around 100,000 people take the online test. Of those, 2500 to 3000 will audition in any given year. The only unknown is the “passing rate” but if we posit that 10% of the test takers get a “passing” score then there’s a pool of 10,000 to choose from. Truly random selection would mean that you have a 25% chance per year of getting an audition, so an 0/10 streak would occur only 6% of the time and the mean time between audition invitations would be 3, FWIW

I would agree with the 10% as I believe the Jeopardy test is harder to pass than other game shows; and for other shows, I've generally seen about a 15% passing rate. The only exception to the 15% passing rate would be WWTBAM when they give the test to the entire audience instead of only people in a room specifically to take a test.

I also know I couldn't win a random drawing if I was the only entrant.

I should also have mentioned that I've been taking the tests since 2008. I got an audition in 2010, but since then bupkis, so I'm now 1/12. We know that there are elements of non-randomness (rescheduled auditions, etc.) but our experiences (and John Boy's) would suggest that there's more at work than sheer randomness.

Why would there be more at work than sheer randomness? There is more than just the flat numbers to throw off expectations.

If a person only chooses New York every time for an audition city, their odds are more difficult to get an audition as there are more people from which to be randomly selected. If a person only chooses the south pole for an audition city..well the odds of being randomly selected for an audition would go way up because so few other people who also pass the test would be in the same drawing.

If we figure on 10,000 people passing the test, we should also figure on the northeast corridor being the most heavily represented in those 10,000 people. This is why I've chosen audition cities out of the way of that area, but places that aren't unreasonable for me to travel to. The strategy hasn't worked, but darn it, it should.

Remind me if I'm wrong about this, but until last year or the year before, they had no way of knowing who we were when we took the test as we only gave them an email address and a birthday (we didn't give them more information when we took the online test at that time, did we?)

Wayne, one thing that was pointed out to me is that places like NYC (and, I think, that trivia hotbed of DC) get more days of auditions than e.g. Nashville or Detroit, so it's not clear that your odds of getting an audition in one of those cities is any worse. I agree that everything I mentioned can be explained by random chance, yet I am a tad skeptical of whether it is totally random. For a start, the women on this board who have reported seem to get called more frequently than 1/4 tries for the most part. This makes perfect sense given the producers' desire for gender parity on the show, but does deviate from true randomness.

Not this woman. But I've probably passed <5 times.

[boson]

Passed the test every time since the online version began - with a break for the 1~2 years where Canadians were discouraged from entering. My only audition in that span was in 2008. My wife cmp146 on this board got 3 auditions starting at the same time, and got on the show in 2015 from her last one.

I know that getting an audition is a crap shoot, but I believe there are two different games going on.

[morbeedo]

I looked at my audition invite email from June 2017 and noticed this paragraph:

Eligibility: You must not have been to an in-person audition (where you took a 50 question test) in the past 18 months. If we find that you have been at an in-person audition in the past 18 months, you will be deemed ineligible. You cannot appear on Jeopardy! if you have previously appeared on Jeopardy! from 1984-2017. You must not have done any other game shows in the past year or more than 2 in the past 5 years.

The line about the game show exclusion worries me. I appeared on Millionaire in Nov 2018, so the eligibility clock is already ticking down with 7 months to go. Suppose I get selected for an audition this spring. Would they tell me I can't audition? Doesn't make sense to me, since I'd have 18 months in the pool and would be eligible again as early as Nov this year. I suppose it's not worth speculating. I'll see if I get the audition invite first

I've all but given up hope on getting a second call later this year, without having to audition again, but hey! anything's possible

[triviawayne]

I looked at my audition invite email from June 2017 and noticed this paragraph:

Eligibility: You must not have been to an in-person audition (where you took a 50 question test) in the past 18 months. If we find that you have been at an in-person audition in the past 18 months, you will be deemed ineligible. You cannot appear on Jeopardy! if you have previously appeared on Jeopardy! from 1984-2017. You must not have done any other game shows in the past year or more than 2 in the past 5 years.

The line about the game show exclusion worries me. I appeared on Millionaire in Nov 2018, so the eligibility clock is already ticking down with 7 months to go. Suppose I get selected for an audition this spring. Would they tell me I can't audition? Doesn't make sense to me, since I'd have 18 months in the pool and would be eligible again as early as Nov this year. I suppose it's not worth speculating. I'll see if I get the audition invite first

As I've said many times, let them decide if you are not eligible. Absolutely bring up the situation (and in your case, how you were invited to be on the show) so you are covered for full disclosure; but let them interpret their rules instead of doing it for them.

[morbeedo]

As I've said many times, let them decide if you are not eligible. Absolutely bring up the situation (and in your case, how you were invited to be on the show) so you are covered for full disclosure; but let them interpret their rules instead of doing it for them.

We agree. I'm just anxiously waiting to hear like everyone else, with the aforementioned caveats. Is it too soon to be thinking about wardrobe choices?

[triviawayne]

As I've said many times, let them decide if you are not eligible. Absolutely bring up the situation (and in your case, how you were invited to be on the show) so you are covered for full disclosure; but let them interpret their rules instead of doing it for them.

We agree. I'm just anxiously waiting to hear like everyone else, with the aforementioned caveats. Is it too soon to be thinking about wardrobe choices?

it's never too soon...

[morbeedo]

As I've said many times, let them decide if you are not eligible. Absolutely bring up the situation (and in your case, how you were invited to be on the show) so you are covered for full disclosure; but let them interpret their rules instead of doing it for them.

We agree. I'm just anxiously waiting to hear like everyone else, with the aforementioned caveats. Is it too soon to be thinking about wardrobe choices?

it's never too soon...

True, but I should probably start thinking of how I'm going to top last year's clown look at the NYC marathon this November

[Pointer]

Last spring I missed an audition in Boston due to a canceled flight out of Newfoundland. Two weeks ago I emailed the contestant coordinator to subtly remind him that I had been invited last year, hoping he would maybe consider sticking me back on the audition list again. He replied that rescheduling can not always be arranged. He asked me to 'please do me a favour and take the test again'.
I don't know how to interpret this non-committal response except I'm most likely back to the end of the line again. That's fine with me, and only fair to everyone trying this time around, but a little part of me hopes that last year's invite counts for something. But I found the Tuesday evening test to be more difficult than usual so an invitation this time would be a VERY pleasant surprise.
Any thoughts?

[morbeedo]

Last spring I missed an audition in Boston due to a canceled flight out of Newfoundland. Two weeks ago I emailed the contestant coordinator to subtly remind him that I had been invited last year, hoping he would maybe consider sticking me back on the audition list again. He replied that rescheduling can not always be arranged. He asked me to 'please do me a favour and take the test again'.
I don't know how to interpret this non-committal response except I'm most likely back to the end of the line again. That's fine with me, and only fair to everyone trying this time around, but a little part of me hopes that last year's invite counts for something. But I found the Tuesday evening test to be more difficult than usual so an invitation this time would be a VERY pleasant surprise.
Any thoughts?

Wait and see. I can only imagine they don’t want to make any promises to anyone, but I’m sure they keep track of some people in exceptional scenarios. You did the right thing by emailing. Now you have to respect the “don’t call us, we’ll call you” rule. Good luck and do report back. I’m in a similar situation.

[mahatma]

I know that getting an audition is a crap shoot, but I believe there are two different games going on.

I try to remember that while Jeopardy! the show is a competition, Jeopardy! the contestant search is a casting process for a TV show. In my limited experience with quiz shows, it is an exceptionally humane and respectful casting process.

[Pointer]

Wait and see. I can only imagine they don’t want to make any promises to anyone, but I’m sure they keep track of some people in exceptional scenarios. You did the right thing by emailing. Now you have to respect the “don’t call us, we’ll call you” rule. Good luck and do report back. I’m in a similar situation.

Thanks once again, Morbeedo. I was following your advice by emailing them. I feel it was the right thing to do.
Good luck to you, too!

[akrites]

Is jeopardy the only major quiz show even casting right now?

It seems that neither WWTBAM nor the Chase are.

[morbeedo]

Is jeopardy the only major quiz show even casting right now?

It seems that neither WWTBAM nor the Chase are.

$100,000 pyramid was casting earlier this year

I think The Chase isn’t around anymore

Unclear if Millionaire will be renewed for another season, but keep your eyes open

There was also a call for the Press Your Luck reboot

You should follow @buzzerblog on Twitter

ETA: Match Game is casting!

[AlphaDummy]

I know that getting an audition is a crap shoot, but I believe there are two different games going on.

I try to remember that while Jeopardy! the show is a competition, Jeopardy! the contestant search is a casting process for a TV show. In my limited experience with quiz shows, it is an exceptionally humane and respectful casting process.

What you said. In particular, there is one show for which I have tried out numerous times where, on both the group and individual level, the producers have been somewhat economical with the truth over the years...there were times where the spin left me dizzy. (And, putting it bluntly, in one particular case I was flat-out lied to during the one-on-one interview.) My experience with the J auditions, on the other hand, have never been anything less than a good time. Yeah, I know the realities...but it always seems as though the J staff goes out of its way to make everyone feel good about the process.

[akrites]

Is jeopardy the only major quiz show even casting right now?

It seems that neither WWTBAM nor the Chase are.

$100,000 pyramid was casting earlier this year

I think The Chase isn’t around anymore

Unclear if Millionaire will be renewed for another season, but keep your eyes open

There was also a call for the Press Your Luck reboot

You should follow @buzzerblog on Twitter

ETA: Match Game is casting!

Thanks for the tips!

[morbeedo]

Wait and see. I can only imagine they don’t want to make any promises to anyone, but I’m sure they keep track of some people in exceptional scenarios. You did the right thing by emailing. Now you have to respect the “don’t call us, we’ll call you” rule. Good luck and do report back. I’m in a similar situation.

Thanks once again, Morbeedo. I was following your advice by emailing them. I feel it was the right thing to do.
Good luck to you, too!

Any news about Boston?

[Pointer]

Wait and see. I can only imagine they don’t want to make any promises to anyone, but I’m sure they keep track of some people in exceptional scenarios. You did the right thing by emailing. Now you have to respect the “don’t call us, we’ll call you” rule. Good luck and do report back. I’m in a similar situation.

Thanks once again, Morbeedo. I was following your advice by emailing them. I feel it was the right thing to do.
Good luck to you, too!

Any news about Boston?

No word yet

[ChexMix]

Wait and see. I can only imagine they don’t want to make any promises to anyone, but I’m sure they keep track of some people in exceptional scenarios. You did the right thing by emailing. Now you have to respect the “don’t call us, we’ll call you” rule. Good luck and do report back. I’m in a similar situation.

Thanks once again, Morbeedo. I was following your advice by emailing them. I feel it was the right thing to do.
Good luck to you, too!

Any news about Boston?

No word yet

Immaf in the other thread reported on getting an email for an audition. So possibly?

[immaf]

Wait and see. I can only imagine they don’t want to make any promises to anyone, but I’m sure they keep track of some people in exceptional scenarios. You did the right thing by emailing. Now you have to respect the “don’t call us, we’ll call you” rule. Good luck and do report back. I’m in a similar situation.

Thanks once again, Morbeedo. I was following your advice by emailing them. I feel it was the right thing to do.
Good luck to you, too!

Any news about Boston?

No word yet

Immaf in the other thread reported on getting an email for an audition. So possibly?

My invitation got caught by my spam filter, even though the Jeopardy emails usually get through.