The Exam

Pauls Tikmanis

11. C

4.12.2010

Book report

The exam

      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. Throughout the book the story develops and each contender is disqualified there remains only one person who stood out of all the other contenders and realized that there was only one question asked and which required the most simplest answer.
      For the beneficial job interview were outlined the 8 best contenders which have applied for it. After all the contenders had entered the room and sat down in their desks the Invigilator gave them three simple rules which they had to obey or they would be disqualified: don't talk to him or the armed guard by the door, don't spoil their papers and don't leave the room. He starts the clock and leaves. The candidates turn over their question papers, only to find they're completely blank. After the initial confusion has subsided, one frustrated candidate writes 'I believe you should hire me because...,' and is promptly ejected for spoiling. The remaining candidates soon figure out they're 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. None of the contenders wanted to give their real names so they decided to use nicknames: Dark, Chinese, Blonde, Deaf, Black, White, Brunette and Brown. 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 the hidden words. But light, liquids and other plans all come to naught. Soon enough, the candidates begin to uncover each other's background, prejudices and hidden agendas. Tensions rise as the clock steadily descends towards zero, and each candidate must decide how far they are willing to go to...