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FORGET the fancy James Bond gadgets, do you have what it takes to be a real spy?
Intelligence agency GCHQ has launched its annual Christmas challenge to test the country’s codebreaking skills.
The seven puzzles, pictured here, have been sent on Christmas cards to schools up and down the country.
The answers each reveal a word which can follow the word ‘Christmas’.
So crack out a pen and paper and put your skills to the test.
If you get them right, tell GCHQ – you may just become their next secret agent.
The UK spy agency sent its Christmas card with the challenge to more than 1,000 secondary schools on Thursday.
It includes seven increasingly complex puzzles that test skills such as codebreaking, maths and analysis, and encourages pupils to work as a team to reveal the final festive message.
A maths-based bonus puzzle has also been included, which has been described as the toughest to date.
Bletchley Park was the wartime home of GCHQ and the featured image, taken in January 1940, was discovered in the personal family album of Joan Wingfield, who worked on breaking Italian naval codes.
Many of the world’s leading politicians gathered in Bletchley Park last month for a two-day summit on the safety of artificial intelligence (AI).
GCHQ director Anne Keast-Butler said: “Puzzles have been at the heart of GCHQ from the start.
“These skills represent our historic roots in cryptography and encryption and continue to be important to our modern-day mission to keep the country safe.
“GCHQ’s history at Bletchley Park is represented in this year’s Christmas card as a reminder of the role this historic place has played in our wartime efforts but also as home to this year’s AI Safety Summit.
“Our puzzlers have created a challenge which is designed for a mix of minds to solve. Whether you are an analyst, an engineer or a creative, there is a puzzle for everyone. This is one for classmates, family and friends to try to solve together.”
Now in its third year, the challenge, which is available on the agency’s website, aims to provide an insight into GCHQ’s work and inspire young people to study Stem subjects.
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Colin, chief puzzler at GCHQ, said: “Our mission relies on people thinking differently and finding inventive ways to approach challenges.
“Like the work at GCHQ, solving the puzzles on the card requires a mix of minds, and we want to show young people that thinking differently is a gift.”
Meanwhile, two other festive-themed brainteasers will also reveal if you have a sharp mind.
If you can spot the festive dessert in the image below the GCHQ quiz in less than five seconds, you may have 20/20 vision.
On average, it takes even the most eagle-eyed among us at least 20 seconds to locate it.
The challenge is simple: find the hidden Christmas pudding amid the delicious chaos on the table, before it’s too late.
The average person can locate it in 26 seconds, but only one in three can find it in less than five seconds.
Click here to find the answer.
If that’s too easy for you, then give the gingerbread-man hunt a try.
Can you spot all five hidden gingerbread men in the jolly Christmas dinner scene at the bottom of this story in less than 30 seconds?
Set a timer and avoid overlooking any important details in your search.
According to the creators, it takes an average of 67 seconds to hunt down all five elusive characters.
Here’s a hint: Try taking a closer look at the foods on the table.
The puzzle is more difficult than it seems at first glance.
If you still can’t find all five gingerbread men, click here for the solution.
