11/30/25, 8:59 PM Test
Science Olympiad — Northview Invitational, Dec 6,
2025
Names of participants: (Please print neatly)
School Name: Team Number: C
Check your team: ◻ Varsity ◻ JV1 ◻ JV2 ◻ JV3
Warning: Do not open this packet until given permission to do so.
Note: There are useful notes after this page.
Scoring: Time to solve first problem: ________________________________ (use to calculate Bonus below)
Question Value Incorrect letters Deduction Score
Timed 240
1 230
2 160
3 270
4 490
5 170
6 190
7 150
8 360 ≡
9★ 320 ★
10★ 180 ★
11 210
12 500
13 300
14★ 350 ★
15 200
16 260 ≡
17 380 ≡
18 220
19 280
20 250 ≡
21 235
22 255
23 650
Bonuses Timed: Special Bonus: ★ = 150; ★★ = 400; ★★★ = 750
Final Score
11/30/25, 8:59 PM Test
Northview Invitational, Dec 6, 2025 Team Number:_C_________
Timed Question [240 points] A quote by Garth Stein has been encoded using the Aristocrat Cipher for you to decode. What does it say? When
you have solved it, raise your hand so that the time can be recorded and the solution checked.
KYWCW JO BE ZJOYEBEC JB QEOJBU KYW CHSW. KYWCW JO
EBQM ZJOYEBEC JB BEK CHSJBU NWSHTOW MET HCW HGCHJZ
KE QEOW.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Frequency 9 8 11 1 6 9 5 2 1 7 3 3 2 2 10 5 3
Replacement
Page 1
11/30/25, 8:59 PM Test
Northview Invitational, Dec 6, 2025 Team Number:_C_________
1) [230 points] Decrypt the following cipher text that has been encoded using the Complete Columnar Cipher. The quote has STEADY
somewhere in it. What does it say?
BDEEY FAAED NOKSA LEUSY BCRLR XEDRI LTUFA GNOXE
YLROE TNROA UXTNO DROOE EIIWX AWDNI HCINI YRX
Answer: _______________________________________________
2) [160 points] A vending machine just dispensed a candy wrapper with this Aristocrat code by Soren Kierkegaard using a K1 alphabet. You
are told that the cipher contains TWO. What does it say?
AFVWV YWV AOS OYQU AS TV DSSJVC. SZV GU AS TVJGVXV
OFYA GUZ'A AWNV; AFV SAFVW GU AS WVDNUV AS TVJGVXV
OFYA GU AWNV.
K1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Frequency 13 1 2 5 6 3 3 4 1 9 3 6 18 6 2 4 2
Replacement
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11/30/25, 8:59 PM Test
Northview Invitational, Dec 6, 2025 Team Number:_C_________
3) [270 points] Solve this quote by Thomas A. Edison that has been encoded using the Checkerboard Cipher with a polybius key of
INDUSTRY. What does it say?
EN OA TD ON RH OA WA TN WH WY
WY TD TY TY TD RA RH WD WA WH
RH RN RY OA OH RD WD WY OA WH RH WY WN RA OA WY WY OA WN WH
WA TD EA OA RA RD TA TA WY RD WA WN TA TD TD TH WY TA WH TH
OA EN TD RA TH
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11/30/25, 8:59 PM Test
Northview Invitational, Dec 6, 2025 Team Number:_C_________
4) [490 points] The following quote in Spanish needs to be decoded with the Xenocrypt Cipher using a K1 alphabet. What does it say?
PO WOARPRO VN SMAM PO AFNRSO, OPQFLON LMÑON OPÑON,
OPQFLON LMÑON TOYON, CVEM NRVACEV VN FLO XVEAMNO
SOLSRML.
K1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N Ñ O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Frequency 5 2 3 4 7 7 11 3 18 6 2 5 4 1 6 1 1 1
Replacement
5) [170 points] A mysterious postcard arrives from an unknown sender. It contains a coded quote by Jack Kerouac, written in a Hill with a
keyword of HORN. Decode the message.
7 14
( )≡( )
H O
R N 17 13
X Y Q Q L A S F J D X Y W G A W E U A V
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11/30/25, 8:59 PM Test
Northview Invitational, Dec 6, 2025 Team Number:_C_________
6) [190 points] You receive an anonymous text message containing a coded passage. It's said to be a quote by Kalu Ndukwe Kalu, encrypted
with an Aristocrat using a K2 alphabet. You are told that the cipher contains YOU. What does it say?
JCX JCHEZG QNK WN YNF QNKFGXDY TFX ZNEX OCXE QNK TFX
ZNEX, UKJ JCX JCHEZG QNK WN YNF NJCXFG FXRTHE TG
QNKF DXZTVQ.
Replacement
K2 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Frequency 6 2 6 8 5 3 6 6 12 1 6 1 5 1 1 2 11 3 5
7) [150 points] Someone passed you a piece of paper with this Porta encoded quote by Mark Twain using a keyword of BREVITY. What does
it say?
G P T R D V Z A J P Z V Q Z F G L V H F B R J T X P U M R N
U O T K U I Z H O R G C A V L N C Q Z G Q D V R L S U L T H
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11/30/25, 8:59 PM Test
Northview Invitational, Dec 6, 2025 Team Number:_C_________
8) [360 points] A riddle is discovered taped under a chemistry lab bench. It's a quote by Marie Curie, encrypted as an Aristocrat using a K3
alphabet. What was the K3 Keyword used to encode it?
Enter the Keyword here
Cipher:
REXMORS OR UOKC OF XE HC KCGWCL, OX OF ERUI XE HC
BRLCWFXEEL. REZ OF XMC XOQC XE BRLCWFXGRL QEWC, FE
XMGX ZC QGI KCGW UCFF.
K3 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Frequency 2 13 10 8 5 2 2 3 5 3 8 3 8 1 3 5 11 2
Replacement
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11/30/25, 8:59 PM Test
Northview Invitational, Dec 6, 2025 Team Number:_C_________
★(Special Bonus Question) 9) [320 points] A coded message is discovered inside a fortune cookie. It turns out to be a quote by Gautama
Buddha, written in a Baconian, what does it say?
★(Special Bonus Question) 10) [180 points] Decode a quote by famous sensei which has been encoded using the Complete Columnar
Cipher. You are told that the quote has MIND somewhere in it.
NCDED NNDSN QAEYA RUHNR IRIUN REMGL SMTEW IACUB
NXEOT IUDAT NOELE X
Answer: _______________________________________________
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11/30/25, 8:59 PM Test
Northview Invitational, Dec 6, 2025 Team Number:_C_________
11) [210 points] Someone left a paper with the message below on the copy machine in the office. It's a quote by Douglas Adams, encoded as
a Nihilist Substitution with a keyword of CAPSULE and polybius key of UNIVERSAL. What does it say?
44 47 87 36 26 56 30 1 2 3 4 5
54 55 68 35 23 39 37 4
44 47 87 36 26 75 50 46 75 79 65 54 46 50 44 35 78 34 54 37 37
46 74 79 37 65 66 38 72 38 67 44 62 59 30 85 57 87 47 65
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11/30/25, 8:59 PM Test
Northview Invitational, Dec 6, 2025 Team Number:_C_________
12) [500 points] A mysterious app update added this Fractionated Morse lock screen—it's actually a Lemony Snicket quote. You are told that
the quote starts with JUST. What does it say?
U I L S X V E T C N M I E O
B J H P Z E G V Z
Y L D R Q C M T N V V O E K
R W I M T O K H A J O E K E S V Z
Y E G
Replacement
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● – – – – – – – – – × × × × × × × ×
Morse
● ● ● – – – × × × ● ● ● – – – × × × ● ● ● – – – × ×
fraction
● – × ● – × ● – × ● – × ● – × ● – × ● – × ● – × ● –
13) [300 points] A weathered note is found inside an old science textbook. The writing appears to be a quote by Benjamin Franklin encoded
as an Aristocrat. What does it say?
GCNOV TCN TNDUP IFAV DE VOOVJGFMU UFXVHGS GN
EDHRCMOV M UFGGUV GVQENHMHS OMLVGS PVOVHAV JVFGCVH
UFXVHGS JNH OMLVGS
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Frequency 2 4 3 3 6 11 8 1 3 2 6 6 7 2 1 1 5 2 6 16 2
Replacement
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11/30/25, 8:59 PM Test
Northview Invitational, Dec 6, 2025 Team Number:_C_________
★(Special Bonus Question) 14) [350 points] A note falls out of a borrowed library book. The message is a quote by Charles Dickens, encoded
using a Checkerboard Cipher with a polybius key of CAROLINE. What does it say?
LN UI OI CI OI OP LI OO CN LN
UI OP OO UO OP OO LN UI OI DO
CN CI CT OT LI CN OP CI CI OI LI OP LI LN OP ON CT DN CP CN
OO LN CO UO OP CN LT LI CO LI CT CO LT UO UI LN OI CI CO OO
OT UO CN CN OT UI LT UT CN CI
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11/30/25, 8:59 PM Test
Northview Invitational, Dec 6, 2025 Team Number:_C_________
15) [200 points] Here is a quote by Michael Crichton, encoded using an Aristocrat using a K1 alphabet. What does it say?
SO MFI XFE'V BEFK USRVFQM, VUWE MFI XFE'V BEFK
PEMVUSET. MFI PQW P CWPO VUPV XFWRE'V BEFK SV SR
GPQV FO P VQWW.
K1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Frequency 3 1 9 11 1 3 3 5 3 7 4 3 5 1 4 11 6 3
Replacement
16) [260 points] This string of symbols appears on the display of a malfunctioning calculator. It hides a quote, encoded as a Cryptarithm. What
do the values 1074 68035 decode to?
Values to decode for solution 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1 0 7 4 6 8 0 3 5 A
I
Cryptarithm formula
L
H O N O R
N
W O R L D
+ O
R
W A N D
+ W
W I Z A R D Z
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11/30/25, 8:59 PM Test
Northview Invitational, Dec 6, 2025 Team Number:_C_________
17) [380 points] Emery Lord offers us some advice that has been encoded as an Aristocrat using a K2 alphabet. What was the K2 Keyword
used to encode it?
Enter the Keyword here
Cipher:
DWNLIMUJ PUUDK DFEU CNJ PDCMWMFCB ZUOFYU -- FM QCB'M
GNDD NK CNM CP MIU KMCJA, XNM FM AFLIM YWJJS NK
MIJCNLI, FP QU YWB TNKM IWBL CB.
Replacement
K2 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Frequency 2 5 9 6 1 7 1 6 6 5 4 13 9 1 4 2 1 1 8 5 1 3 1
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11/30/25, 8:59 PM Test
Northview Invitational, Dec 6, 2025 Team Number:_C_________
18) [220 points] A fragment of text is discovered in a time capsule from 1965. It's a quote by T.S. Eliot encrypted as a Nihilist Substitution with
a keyword of HEART and polybius key of GRACIOUS. What does it say?
56 52 54 43 90 48 72 1 2 3 4 5
44 35 90 66 46 55 23 4
68 57 62 27 33 86 64 74 34 35 68 48 55 48 43 60 65 83 44 64 58
75 76 58 45 76 74 55 26 37 76 75 52 35 23 78
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11/30/25, 8:59 PM Test
Northview Invitational, Dec 6, 2025 Team Number:_C_________
19) [280 points] Hidden in the margin of a library book on black holes: decode this Baconian version of Winston S. Churchill. You are told that
the cipher text WHEEL CHESS ARROW WEIRD decodes to be KIND. What does it say?
EARTH ALIAS BACON BEEPS AFTER BASIC BANDS BONUS EXAMS
STUDY WHALE QUEEN MONEY WHEEL CHESS ARROW WEIRD PIANO
ORBIT SPORT MINUS MARCH URBAN PAGES CREEK EDGES OLLIE
FIONA KATIE STRAW SKIRT FOOLS ORDER FIRES JOKES CLOCK
FISTS KILOS CLAIM FACTS
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Replacement
20) [250 points] Your graphing calculator won’t stop displaying this Cryptarithm puzzle. What do the values 712605 659237 decode to?
Values to decode for solution 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
C
7 1 2 6 0 5 6 5 9 2 3 7
E
L
Cryptarithm formula M
S I L L Y O
M U S I C
+
R
S
M E M E S
+ U
M E M O R Y Y
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11/30/25, 8:59 PM Test
Northview Invitational, Dec 6, 2025 Team Number:_C_________
21) [235 points] A phrase by George Washington has been encoded as a Baconian. What does it say?
22) [255 points] This code is found written in chalk on the sidewalk outside the science building. It's a quote by Alan Alda, written in an
Aristocrat. You are told that the cipher contains SCRUB. What does it say?
PTMO UIIMLYKETGI UOS PTMO ZEGATZI TG KQS ZTODA.
IXOMH KQSL TBB SNSOP TGXS EG U ZQEDS, TO KQS DEJQK
ZTG'K XTLS EG.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Frequency 2 2 3 6 7 1 5 1 6 3 4 1 7 3 5 9 11 3 3 1 5
Replacement
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11/30/25, 8:59 PM Test
Northview Invitational, Dec 6, 2025 Team Number:_C_________
23) [650 points] During a field trip, you notice these strange markings on a metal plaque. They represent a quote by Abraham Lincoln,
encoded using a Patristocrat using a K2 alphabet. What does it say?
SEZPR DGRIP JDRYS PGIDS EZGRI PJDRG KDUIK SEZPR
DGRIP JDRNI HHKKJ GIDSE ZGRIP JDRXS TKIOD RYQED
XSMQD SQETK
Replacement
K2 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Frequency 12 6 7 2 9 5 6 1 1 1 7 3 11 8 2 1 2 2 4
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