The ability to follow instructions carefully is vital in all
walks of life.
To pass this course, simply follow the instructions available in
the oral exam at:
web.mit.edu/puzzle/directions.aiff
In the event of an internet catastrophe, a copy of this exam can
be picked up at the Enigmatology office
Archivist's note: The audio was
incredibly noisy; it sounded like they had recorded it ourdoors
on a windy day. A noise-reduced
version is available. The packet of archive material also
included a transcript of this audio, presented below, which I
assume was the alternate version mentioned above.
In this puzzle, we'll be testing your ability to follow
directions. First, let me introduce you to four friends of mine.
For now, everything they say is true, so be sure to listen to
them.
Hi, I'm Lydia. When the puzzle begins, do what I tell you only if I give you an even numbered instruction.
Hellow, I'm Beth. Once we get started, do what I tell you only if I read an odd numbered instruction.
Greetings, my name is Andrew. Only follow my instructions if you just performed the previous instruction.
And last, but not least, I'm Rich. You should only follow one of my instructions if you did not follow the previous instruction.
You will now hear a series of instructions. Each consists of a
number, followed by a command. When deciding whether or not to
perform an instruction, follow the rules you were just told.
Ready? Begin.
| (Lydia) |
0. |
Write the phrase "Change of Pace" on a piece
of paper. |
| (Rich) |
1. |
Delete the "f". |
| (Rich) |
2. |
Move the second letter to the position fourth
from the end. |
| (Andrew) |
3. |
Put a "u" between the third and fourth
letters. |
| (Rich) |
4. |
Change the "g" to an "o". |
| (Beth) |
5. |
Double the fourth consonant. |
| (Andrew) |
6. |
Shift the second consonant two back in the
alphabet, so "d" would go to "b", for example. |
| (Lydia) |
7. |
Reverse the middle three letters. |
| (Lydia) |
8. |
Swap the first two vowels. |
| (Andrew) |
9. |
Swap the second consonant with the second
consonant from the end. |
| (Beth) |
10. |
Remove the "h". |
| (Andrew) |
11. |
Put the "l" before the second "e". |
| (Lydia) |
12. |
Change the third consonant to an "m". |
| (Rich) |
13. |
Delete every fourth letter starting with the
second. |
| (Beth) |
14. |
Duplicate any substring that is the name of a
playing card. |
| (Beth) |
15. |
Change the "h" to a "t". |
| (Rich) |
16. |
Swap the fifth consonant with the second
vowel. |
| (Andrew) |
17. |
Remove the middle two letters. |
| (Beth) |
18. |
Place a "b" after the "c". |
| (Lydia) |
19. |
Swap the first and last letters. |
| (Rich) |
20. |
Drop the first "a". |
| (Andrew) |
21. |
Swap the fourth and fifth letters. |
You can stop now.