Getting the questions right on University Challenge!

[Matt..]

So how many questions on University Challenge do you have to get to think you're being clever?

For me it's a low bar and even getting two or three is good

[Issi]

I was once told that the contestants get given a whole load of possible subjects to revise and then UC choose a randon selection of questions from that range.
Hence why a 19yr old Chemistry student can also answer questions on 17th C French art, rivers of the Amazon basin and heraldry of the early Prussian empire.

seems feasible to me.

[TheHeretic]

It's fake. No-one can possibly know the answers to those questions.



Either that or they are aliens



Or Gods




Or something.




I was chuffed when I got a question right on Blockbusters.

[anonymous-user]

I got 20 correct once. Never happened since

[NDA]

High score of 4. Normally 3. Sometimes 0.

I'm not sure I enjoy watching it as I'm hardly participating.

[alfa phil]

think the best i got was 8 but we had a couple of football questions and a 80,s music question.

[talkssense]

Watch the first 10 minutes while the mrs is washing the dishes, rewind, then watch together, say its too easy and boring and turn over.

[NDA]

talkssense said:

Watch the first 10 minutes while the mrs is washing the dishes, rewind, then watch together, say its too easy and boring and turn over.

A friend of mine did that with the lottery numbers once. His wife has never fully forgiven him.

[anonymous-user]

talkssense said:

Watch the first 10 minutes while the mrs is washing the dishes, rewind, then watch together, say its too easy and boring and turn over.

[Taita]

talkssense said:

Watch the first 10 minutes while the mrs is washing the dishes, rewind, then watch together, say its too easy and boring and turn over.

Hahah win!

[0000]

talkssense said:

Watch the first 10 minutes while the mrs is washing the dishes, rewind, then watch together, say its too easy and boring and turn over.

To TOWIE?

10 is a decent but rare run for me. Only short programmes so very subject-dependent.

[MX7]

I don't understand the questions.

I can't see how 20 somethings can have such a fantastic and broad knowledge. I just sit there in awe, sometimes with my cock out if there's a hottie.

[cpas]

I was watching it once when they were answering all sorts of complex questions - but then the picture round showed some really simple tools - hammer, spanner etc - and not one of the 8 contestants knew a single one!!

I did manage to answer a question correctly once before it was even asked - the theme was popular music in sport - I'd answered 'F1' even before they started playing 'The Chain'!!

[NightRunner]

I get about 1/4 of them correct, some really aren't hard.















Some of the Qs I don't even understand though!

[Faust66]

My record is 47 questions answered correctly...

Edit to add: that's in one episode, not over the 36 years of my life (that would be rather tragic!).

Edited by Faust66 on Monday 2nd January 21:42

[Gretchen]

I usually get a few right, half a dozen at least most weeks, 2 or 3 times that quite often. What pisses me off is when my 9 and 10 year old start answering correctly !!

[Matt..]

cpas said:

...but then the picture round showed some really simple tools - hammer, spanner etc...

Yes, some of the picture rounds are VERY simple!
There was one a few weeks ago with photos and they had to say what type of lens was used! If i remember correctly it was wide angle, fisheye, and tilt-shift. That is not hard when compared to the other questions.


I got 6 tonight, which i think is quite good!

[PaulG40]

It's the same as watching 'The Chase', surely the big bad boffin can't know the answers to very random questions. Surely they are not a master of all? But merely has researched subject matter that has been chosen beforehand?

[Simpo Two]

General knowledge and speed of access are wonderful things. And sometimes the right answer springs out from nowhere because you have enough peripheral knowledge to make the leap.

[AstonZagato]

Some people have a mind for trivia and bizarre facts. I'm not claiming to be brilliant but I do seem to retain odd information. I recall when Trivial Pursuit first came out, a mate opened the box and said "This is ridiculous. Look at this question. 'What exploded outside the Houses of Parliament in 1869 killing a policeman?'". I immediately answered "The first traffic light". Not sure how I knew. He looked at me like I was a mind reader. Not sure I've ever not won a game of Trivial Pursuit.

University Challenge is on a much higher level though - some of the science questions really need an undergraduate knowledge of the subject. Also, the subsidiary questions allow conferring, which improves your chances of getting some clues to trigger a memory.