Jeopardy! has one door in for everyone: a free online test. What follows is the whole process, step by step, as the show’s own contestant FAQ describes it. Jeopardy!’s contestant FAQ sets one basic rule: you “must be 18+ and a resident of the United States or Canada to apply.”

Step 1: The Anytime Test

Take it at jeopardy.com/be-on-j, whenever suits you.

  • You need a free MyJeopardy! account with the extended contestant registration filled in, and you must be logged in before the test starts.
  • The test has 50 categories and 50 clues, with 15 seconds to respond to each; it takes about 13 minutes, and you cannot restart it.
  • You can submit one Anytime Test (plus one JeoparDAY! test) in any 12-month period, with a limited number of attempts. Closing the window part-way through does not count as a submission, but once the countdown starts it counts as an attempt.
  • Jeopardy! never reveals scores; only passing scores are considered. A confirmation email arrives within 24 hours.

Step 2: The Audition

  • Audition places are limited, and invitations go to a random selection of people who passed. If you pass and qualify, the contestant department may contact you any time within a year of your test.
  • Auditions are held in two parts, both by video conference. First, a 50-question test in the same format as the Anytime Test. Then, if you pass and are again selected at random (again, any time within a year), a gameplay audition: a short tutorial, a mock game in groups of three, and a chance to tell the coordinators about yourself, as in the show’s interview. It lasts about an hour.
  • For the gameplay audition you need reliable internet and a webcam or a phone or tablet camera; the Zoom link arrives about 30 minutes before. Your signed application must be in at least a day before.
  • Invitations come by email from the “spe.sony.com” domain, not jeopardy.com. The FAQ asks you to add Jeopardy_contestants@spe.sony.com and Jeopardy_contestant_search@spe.sony.com to your contacts.

Step 3: The Contestant Pool

If you do well at the audition, you go into the contestant pool for 24 months from your audition date. Being in the pool does not guarantee an invitation; those who are chosen are usually told about a month before their tape date. Jeopardy! tapes at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California.

What Season 43 Changes (2026–27)

Two things are different for anyone applying now. First, the postseason qualification window no longer rolls across seasons: champions who win in Season 43 (premiering September 14, 2026) are playing for the following year’s Tournament of Champions, and the field will be known by season’s end. Second, the bar for a memorable run has moved. Jamie Ding, a New Jersey policy analyst, won 31 straight games and $882,605 in the spring of 2026, the fifth-longest streak in the show’s history, then won $1 million with Ben Affleck on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. The Anytime Test is still the only way in.

ESPN Jeopardy! Is Casting Sports Fans

The sports spinoff ESPN Jeopardy! is casting everyday sports fans for its second season, announced September 28, 2026, and it has its own test and rules. You must be 18 or older and live in the U.S. or Canada, and a past appearance on, or application to, another version of Jeopardy! does not rule you out. The tournament plays for a $300,000 grand prize. Start with the separate ESPN Jeopardy! Anytime Test (50 clues, about 15 minutes); applying for one show does not enter you for the other. Our ESPN Jeopardy! Season 2 guide has the full process.

How to Prepare

The show’s site has an Anytime Test prep center and a practice test. The test gives 15 seconds a clue, so speed matters as much as knowledge: play along with the show, and work through old games on fan archives such as J! Archive. Our how-to-play guide covers the rules, including wagering.

Sources (checked October 2026): Jeopardy!, contestant FAQ; Jeopardy!, Be on J!; Jeopardy!, ESPN Jeopardy! test