Do you think are you smarter than a 5th grader? We have a quiz for you to test your knowledge. Compare yourself to a 5th grader and see how you score! Give it your best and prove you are more clever than a 5th grader.
Do you believe you will pass the test with flying colors? That’s what the contestants of the game show were thinking as well! However, some of the questions turned out to be quite challenging.
“Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?” is a game show quiz where contestants answered questions from school-related subjects, sometimes with the help of a 5th-grade “classmate”. Adult contestants answered questions as if they came from an elementary grade school quiz.
The contestant is presented with a list of subjects and grade level question topics that they can order in any order they want, with one or two subjects for each grade level. Each question is presented as a multiple choice question with three answers, a true-or-false question, or a short-answered question that must be answered correctly for the contestant to move on to the next question.
Throughout the game, the contestant has the option to “drop out of school” and leave with the current accumulated winnings. If the contestant gets it wrong, he or she “flunks out,” and the contestant leaves the game with either nothing or the amount of money from the last threshold level they passed.
There are three forms of answer-assistance options the contestants can use. Each is available once per game.
The first one is Peek. The player is shown their classmate’s answer and can choose whether or not to accept it; however, if they use this cheat, they must answer the question. When a contestant uses the Peek in the second season, the podium turns yellow rather than red. The podium for locked-in answers is now blue.
The second one is Copy. The contestant has to use their classmate’s answer without first seeing it. This would be the first answer written by the classmates in the original run. In the 2015 revival, the five classmates hold a brief meeting to discuss what the correct answer might be, and the classmate in charge has the option of keeping their original answer or changing it and writing down a new one.
The third one is Save. If the player’s answer is incorrect, but a classmate answers correctly, the player is given credit for the correct answer. The contestant cannot use the save; it is used automatically after the contestant’s first incorrect response.
If a player drops out or flunks out during the game, they must address the camera, say their name, and declare, “I am not smarter than a fifth grader.” If the contestant wins the million dollars, they will be able to state to the camera, “I am smarter than a fifth grader!”
If the contestant has money at the end of the game, they can get it back by replying to five fifth-grade questions in one minute. Because the player is given one “Final Cheat,” the last 5th grader will be used for this round. Using that cheat will skip the question, but it will reappear with the assistance of a 5th grader.
After the timer runs out, the answers are revealed; if the “Final Cheat” is used, both the player and the 5th grader can consult the skipped question with each other. Following the discussion, the player must respond. A correct answer doubles the money, then triples it, quadruples it, quintuples it, and then tenfolds it. The player wins $100,000 if they play a perfect game.
Any prize less than the grand prize requires the contestant to turn to the camera, state their name, and say, “I am not smarter than a fifth grader.” If the contestant wins $100,000, they will declare, “I am smarter than a fifth grader.”
The Nickelodeon version combines elements from the previous versions, with Peek & Copy as the cheats and a top prize of $100,000, the biggest prize in Nickelodeon history. Unlike the previous versions, the player no longer can choose a subject. Questions will begin from 1st grade and progress to 4th grade. Like most game shows that assign dollar values to questions, the higher the grade level, the higher the money, and the trickier the question.
Many countries produced their own version of the show, including Albania, Australia, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Poland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam.
Are you smarter than a 5th grader? was renamed “Are You Smarter Than an Egg Layer?” and hosted by Jeff Bawksworthy on Sesame Street (parody of Jeff Foxworthy). In the class, instead of students, there are chickens in place of human students. The contestant wins the grand prize, which she believes is “one million dollars,” but it turns out to be one million BAWKS. During one week of shows, the Sesame Street cast served as Jeff’s co-host.
Are you smarter than a 5th grader? Answer these tricky questions we prepared for you, and find out once and for all! Have fun and good luck!
