How to Become a Contestant on Jeopardy

"Jeopardy!" is the most difficult game show on television because very little is left to chance or luck. The longevity of "Jeopardy!" has everything to do with the fact that contestants are remarkable for the width and breadth of their knowledge. If you have been watching from the sidelines, convinced that you can do better, then try out to be a contestant on the show and test your mettle.

Instructions

Schedule Your Audition and Test

1. Call "Jeopardy!" at [phone] between 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time to schedule an appointment for your audition. Be sure to plan ahead knowing that generally, potential contestants will have about one month to wait before their audition.

2. Register to take the test online by going to the "Jeopardy!" website. This is one way to audition without having to travel to California. Many people have taken the test online as a way to get at least the first phase of the entry process out of the way. The one catch is that testing online is sporadic and not always offered as it depends on the need for contestants.

3. Wait to hear from "Jeopardy!" The show representatives will eventually call with a date for your audition. Expect to wait anywhere from one month to one year. Sony Pictures holds "Jeopardy!" auditions at its studios in Culver City, California year-round, with most of the auditions taking place four times a week. If you don't live in California, the costs associated with traveling there are all yours.

4. Go to the "Jeopardy!" website and look for the "Jeopardy Across America" link. This alternative method of scheduling an audition gives people around the country a chance without having to travel to California. Click on the map icon and then click on your state if it is tan (meaning there are "active events" taking place). This will give you a list of "Jeopardy" events scheduled for your state, including contestant searches.

Survive the Audition

1. Answer the 50-question test that "Jeopardy!" gives to potential contestants, whether you're doing this online or in person at Sony Studios. From all accounts, the test is difficult because "Jeopardy!" wants to weed out individuals who just won't cut it as contestants.

2. Undergo the "Jeopardy!" interviews and play a mock game with other survivors of the 50-question test. That's correct. You might have been smart enough to pass the knowledge test with a minimum score of 35 right, but now you must convince the "Jeopardy! staff that you have personality, can speak loudly and clearly and display general poise in front of the camera.

3. Wait to hear back from "Jeopardy!" After undergoing all that testing, you won't have an answer from "Jeopardy!" They will send you away with only the promise that if you got in, they will eventually call. That call can take many months, so be patient. If you don't hear within one year, you are free to audition again.

Tips & Warnings

• When all else fails, go to the "Jeopardy!" website and order tickets to be in the studio audience, especially if you are planning a trip to California. Watching the show from the inside will only provide you with a perspective that many other would-be contestants don't have.

• You must be 18 or older to appear on the adult "Jeopardy!" game show, although they do have the teen and college events for younger contestants.

• You are not eligible if you have taken the Jeopardy! contestant test in the last year, or if you have appeared on any version of the show, including the Kids, Teen and College tournaments, hosted by Alex Trebek.