Jeopardy! champion Nikhil Joshi revealed behind-the-scenes information about the audition process for the beloved game show, including the Anytime Test. Nikhil, a veterinarian originally from Montville, New Jersey, is now a two-day Jeopardy! champion, after defeating Brian O'Heron, a graduate student from St. Louis, Missouri, and Elizabeth Hawkins, a software engineer from Oakland, California on the June 6 episode of the show.

Jeopardy! champion Nikhil Joshi revealed behind-the-scenes information about the audition process for the beloved game show, including the Anytime Test.

In an interview with his alma mater, the University of Maryland, Nikhil shared that it was always his dream to be a Jeopardy! contestant. He shared, "My brother and I would watch Jeopardy! pretty much every night growing up. We'd always talk about getting on the show, but I never thought it would happen. It was always one of these dreams I never thought would come true."

However, Nikhil's dream did come true two years ago, when he ed the online Jeopardy! Anytime Test after trying multiple times to score high enough to earn a place on the show. Nikhil gave some inside information about how the test works, stating, "Anybody can take the test online. They show you the category and then they'll flash the answer on the screen and then you have to type in the question, and I think they give you eight seconds to type it in."

Nikhil then revealed that he was notified online that he'd ed the Anytime Test, writing, "After I took the test, I got an email that said that I had qualified for the next round." In February, Nikhil advanced through a second round of questions, and then ed an on-camera Zoom audition, and then was happy, but also scared, to find out that he'd been selected to be a Jeopardy! contestant.

Nikhil shared that the Jeopardy! producer ed him, extending an invitation to the show, but his impostor syndrome caused him a lot of stress. He explained, "The producer called me, and he said, 'Would you like to be on the show?' I said, 'Sure,' but, honestly, I was extremely nervous when I got the call and even considered dropping out. I was that stressed; maybe it was impostor syndrome. I thought maybe they made a mistake, or they flipped my test scores with somebody else. I went through all those emotions."

Nikhil then began studying, sharing, "I knew that with my background in science, I would have an advantage there, knowing the basics of chemistry and biology and physics, and I was pretty sure those things would come up during the game. I was hoping I would be strong in some non-science categories like sports and geography, too."

Nikhil also continuously played mock Jeopardy! games to prepare for his appearance on the show. He shared, "I trained by watching the show nightly, standing up, pretending to buzz in and making wagers—and in that sense, the show didn't actually seem that fast to me. As far as the categories, I tried not to overreact to each category; rather, I just responded to each individual clue."

Anybody can take the test online. They show you the category and then they'll flash the answer on the screen and then you have to type in the question, and I think they give you eight seconds to type it in.

What Nikhil's Inside Information About The Jeopardy! Audition Process Means

The Anytime Test Is A Challenging First Step

Nikhil's details about the Jeopardy! Anytime Test prove how challenging it really is to qualify to be on the show. It's very inspiring that he took the test multiple times in order to earn his spot, and that he didn't give up until he achieved his dream. His details about the process of taking the test, including the extremely short window of time to answer the questions is useful for people who are considering taking the next step to become a Jeopardy! contestant.

Our Take On Nikhil's Behind-The-Scenes Information About Jeopardy! Auditions

Nikhil Gave Some New Insights About Trying Out For The Show

I found it very interesting that the Jeopardy! Anytime Test is just the first of many steps to becoming a contestant on the game show. Nikhil's revelations about his audition experience could help others like him who want to try out for the show, but who don't know if it's an achievable dream. His story could encourage others to believe in themselves enough to try taking the Anytime Test, and hopefully start the process of advancing to the next round of the auditions.

I always wondered what exactly it was like to audition for Jeopardy!, and I really enjoyed learning more about it through Nikhil's story. He's been a fantastic Jeopardy! contestant so far, and I hope that he continues his streak. I'd love to see Nikhil qualify and return for the 2026 Tournament of Champions.

Jeopardy! airs weeknights. Please check your local listings for time and channel.

Source: University of Maryland