Exam 2009

Eight talented candidates have reached the final stage of selection to join the ranks of a mysterious and powerful corporation. Entering a windowless room, an Invigilator gives them eighty minutes to answer one simple question. He outlines three rules they must obey or be disqualified: dont talk to him or the armed guard by the door, dont spoil their papers and dont leave the room. He starts the clock and leaves. The candidates turn over their question papers, only to find theyre completely blank. After the initial confusion has subsided, one frustrated candidate writes I believe I deserve..., and is promptly ejected for spoiling. The remaining candidates soon figure out theyre permitted to talk to each other, and they agree to cooperate in order to figure out the question: then they can compete to answer it. At first they suspect the question may be hidden in their papers like a security marker in a credit card, and they figure out ways to change their environment to expose ...