As I said before, we will be scoring Challenge 8B in the same way as all the other challenges, though the time periods will be shorter. The schedule is given below. We will also be delaying feedback so that it does not arrive during the first time period, to reward those who manage to get an early correct solution without that additional assitance feedback provides.
Your scores for each part B round will be added as usual to give an overall score for the Championship. Ideally there will be a clear winner in terms of the scores, but that is unlikely so we will need to choose the three prize winners (for the IBM, GCHQ and Trinity prizes) from among those teams with the top overall score. The way we will do so is on the basis of the order in which the winners submitted their best answer to Challenge 8B. For those of you fighting for a top prize your performance (accuracy and speed) will be critical in the last round.
Points for Challenge 8B
Before 6pm 13th Dec: 86 marks
Before 9pm 13th Dec: 85 marks
Before Midnight 13th Dec: 84 marks
Before 9am 14th Dec: 83 marks
Before Noon 14th Dec: 82 marks
Before 3pm 14th Dec: 81 marks
Before 6pm 14th Dec: 80 marks
Before 9pm 14th Dec: 79 marks
Before Midnight 14th Dec: 78 marks
Before 9am 15th Dec: 77 marks
Before Noon 15th Dec: 76 marks
Before 3pm 15th Dec: 75 marks
Before 6pm 15th Dec: 74 marks
Before 9pm 15th Dec: 73 marks
Before Midnight 15th Dec: 72 marks
Before 9am 16th Dec: 71 marks
Before Noon 16th Dec: 70 marks
Before 3pm 16th Dec: 69 marks
Before 6pm 16th Dec: 68 marks
Before 9pm 16th Dec: 67 marks
Before Midnight 16th Dec: 66 marks
Before 9am 17th Dec: 65 marks
Before Noon 17th Dec: 64 marks
Before 3pm 17th Dec: 63 marks
Before 6pm 17th Dec: 62 marks
Before 9pm 17th Dec: 61 marks
Before Midnight 17th Dec: 60 marks
Before 9am 18th Dec: 59 marks
Before Noon 18th Dec: 58 marks
Before 3pm 18th Dec: 57 marks
Before 6pm 18th Dec: 56 marks
Before 9pm 18th Dec: 55 marks
Before Midnight 18th Dec: 54 marks
Before 9am 19th Dec: 53 marks
Before Noon 19th Dec: 52 marks
Before 3pm 19th Dec: 51 marks
Before 6pm 19th Dec: 50 marks
Before 9pm 19th Dec: 49 marks
Before Midnight 19th Dec: 48 marks
Before 9am 20th Dec: 47 marks
Before Noon 20th Dec: 46 marks
Before 3pm 20th Dec: 45 marks
Before 6pm 20th Dec: 44 marks
Before 9pm 20th Dec: 43 marks
Before Midnight 20th Dec: 42 marks
Before 9am 21st Dec: 41 marks
Before Noon 21st Dec: 40 marks
Before 3pm 21st Dec: 39 marks
Before 6pm 21st Dec: 38 marks
Before 9pm 21st Dec: 37 marks
Before Midnight 21st Dec: 36 marks
Before 9am 22nd Dec: 35 marks
Before Noon 22nd Dec: 34 marks
Before 3pm 22nd Dec: 33 marks
Before 6pm 22nd Dec: 32 marks
Before 9pm 22nd Dec: 31 marks
Before Midnight 22nd Dec: 30 marks
Before 9am 23rd Dec: 29 marks
Before Noon 23rd Dec: 28 marks
Before 3pm 23rd Dec: 27 marks
Before 6pm 23rd Dec: 26 marks
Before 9pm 23rd Dec: 25 marks
Before Midnight 23rd Dec: 24 marks
Before 9am 24th Dec: 23 marks
Before Noon 24th Dec: 22 marks
Before 3pm 24th Dec: 21 marks
Before 6pm 24th Dec: 20 marks
Before 9pm 24th Dec: 19 marks
Before Midnight 24th Dec: 18 marks
Before 9am 25th Dec: 17 marks
Before Noon 25th Dec: 16 marks
Before 3pm 25th Dec: 15 marks
Before 6pm 25th Dec: 14 marks
Before 9pm 25th Dec: 13 marks
Before Midnight 25th Dec: 12 marks
Before 9am 26th Dec: 11 marks
Before Noon 26th Dec: 10 marks
Before 3pm 26th Dec: 9 marks
Before 6pm 26th Dec: 8 marks
Before 9pm 26th Dec: 7 marks
Before Midnight 26th Dec: 6 marks
After Midnight 26th Dec and before Midnight 9th Jan 2008: 5 marks
Just in case you haven't worked it out yet, Challenge 7B is a Hill cipher. It is a pretty simple one using a nice simple 2x2 matrix, so you should be able to crack it fairly easily. Have fun!
Thanks for your email. Sorry you are not getting our replies. All the best, Harry
We will be scoring Challenge 8B in the same way as all the other challenges, though the time periods will be shorter. We have not finalised the length of the periods yet, but they are likely to be around three hours in length. We will also be delaying feedback so that it does not arrive during the first time period, to reward those who manage to get an early correct solution without that additional assitance feedback provides.
Your scores for each part B round will be added as usual to give an overall score for the Championship. Ideally there will be a clear winner in terms of the scores, but that is unlikely so we will need to choose the three prize winners (for the IBM, GCHQ and Trinity prizes) from among those teams with the top overall score. The way we will do so is on the basis of the order in which the winners submitted their best answer to Challenge 8B. For those of you fighting for a top prize your performance (accuracy and speed) will be critical in the last round. We are telling you this now so you can plan your attack! Good luck, you have all done extremely well so far.
Here is the marks scheme for Challenge 7. Time periods are reduced a little (quarter days, with two periods on day 1) but each day is worth two marks, so a fast response in this one could move you above some of your competitors.
Speed marks for Challenge 7 part B
Before 8pm 29th Nov: 54 mark
Before Midnight 29th Nov: 53 marks
Before 12pm 30th Nov: 52 marks
Before 4pm 30th Nov: 51 marks
Before 8pm 30th Nov: 50 marks
Before Midnight 30th Nov: 49 marks
Before 12pm 1st Dec: 48 marks
Before 4pm 1st Dec: 47 marks
Before 8pm 1st Dec: 46 marks
Before Midnight 1st Dec: 45 marks
Before 12pm 2nd Dec: 44 marks .................click below to see the rest of the mark scheme
Before 4pm 2nd Dec: 43 marks
Before 8pm 2nd Dec: 42 marks
Before Midnight 2nd Dec: 41 marks
Before 12pm 3rd Dec: 40 marks
Before 4pm 3rd Dec: 39 marks
Before 8pm 3rd Dec: 38 marks
Before Midnight 3rd Dec: 37 marks
Before 12pm 4th Dec: 36 marks
Before 4pm 4th Dec: 35 marks
Before 8pm 4th Dec: 34 marks
Before Midnight 4th Dec: 33 marks
Before 12pm 5th Dec: 32 marks
Before 4pm 5th Dec: 31 marks
Before 8pm 5th Dec: 30 marks
Before Midnight 5th Dec: 29 marks
Before 12pm 6th Dec: 28 marks
Before 4pm 6th Dec: 27 marks
Before 8pm 6th Dec: 26 marks
Before Midnight 6th Dec: 25 marks
Before 12pm 7th Dec: 24 marks
Before 4pm 7th Dec: 23 marks
Before 8pm 7th Dec: 22 marks
Before Midnight 7th Dec: 21 marks
Before 12pm 8th Dec: 20 marks
Before 4pm 8th Dec: 19 marks
Before 8pm 8th Dec: 18 marks
Before Midnight 8th Dec: 17 marks
Before 12pm 9th Dec: 16 marks
Before 4pm 9th Dec: 15 marks
Before 8pm 9th Dec: 14 marks
Before Midnight 9th Dec: 13 marks
Before 12pm 10th Dec: 12 marks
Before 4pm 10th Dec: 11 marks
Before 8pm 10th Dec: 10 marks
Before Midnight 10th Dec: 9 marks
Before 12pm 11th Dec: 8 marks
Before 4pm 11th Dec: 7 marks
Before 8pm 11th Dec: 6 marks
Before Midnight 11th Dec: 5 marks
Before 12pm 12th Dec: 4 marks
Before 4pm 12th Dec: 3 marks
Before 8pm 12th Dec: 2 marks
Before Midnight 12th Dec: 1 mark