Ready for the ‘Jeopardy!’ test? Here’s some tips from GOAT Ken Jennings

Think you could be the next Ken Jennings? You can find out by taking the online “Jeopardy!” test, which is now available again.

The test, which typically comes only once or twice a year, runs Jan. 28-30 on jeopardy.com. 

Last year, Jennings — who is now officially “The Greatest of All Time” on “Jeopardy!” — gave the Deseret News tips for preparing for the online test — even though the legendary contestant, who won $2.5 million during his 74-game winning streak in 2004, never actually took the online test. 

But considering Jennings is the GOAT, it’s safe to say he knows a thing or two about the show. 

Here are some of Jennings’ tips: 

Know your U.S. presidents and world capitals

• “If you’ve watched the show, you realize which things you really have to know,” Jennings told the Deseret News last year. “There’s only 45 presidents; there’s no reason not to spend some time studying the presidents. Know their years, know their vice presidents, know their home states and first ladies. And world capitals, that’s kind of the other big one. Be able to know the capital for every country in the world. That’s the most bang for your buck.”

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• Other categories Jennings recommended studying: Shakespeare, opera, orchestra conductors, constitutional amendments and university towns. He also said to make flashcards that you can take everywhere with you to study during any downtime.

Speed-read the clue

• The online test goes by fast — you only have 15 seconds to answer each clue. 
• “Pick out the most relevant parts of the clue — the proper names, the place names, the dates, the titles,” Jennings previously told the Deseret News. “Pick those out as quick as you can, see if an idea pops into your head of who or what (the clue is) talking about and then plug that back into the clue and see if everything fits and works.”

Don’t give up

• Jennings encouraged aspiring “Jeopardy!” contestants not to get hung up on one question and, above all else, to not be discouraged if you don’t make it through. 
• “It’s super selective every year,” Jennings said. “I think by the numbers it’s 10 times harder to get on “Jeopardy!” than to get into Yale. I know a lot of really good players who failed the audition five times before they finally got on the show and did great. So don’t get down on yourself.”

To register for the test, create an account at jeopardy.com.

You don’t receive an official score after taking the test, but if you get 35 of the 50 questions right, your name is placed in a pool of potential contestants. Jennings received a call from “Jeopardy!” producers a year after taking the test. 

“I’d totally forgotten that I had ever tried out for ’Jeopardy!’ and then I panicked because I had not been studying,” Jennings said. 

Read here for more tips from Jennings.