Jeremy Paxman hosted University Challenge (Image: BBC)
Are you ready to challenge your intellect with a real brain teaser? Then brace yourself for the kind of question that has stumped many on the British quiz show .
This is famed for pitting the nation’s sharpest minds against each other in a battle of wits to determine which university reigns supreme in intelligence.
The contestants face a barrage of incredibly difficult questions, often leaving viewers at home utterly baffled.
University Challenge is notorious for its rigorous questioning, demanding not just memory recall but also a broad and deep education to stand a chance at answering correctly. Jeremy Paxman, who served as the formidable host from 1994 until May 2023, holds the record as the UK’s longest-standing quizmaster.
Below, we’ve shared one of the toughest questions he ever posed on the show, as reported by .
Jeremy Paxman shared the BBC show’s ‘hardest’ question (Image: Getty)
After an impressive tenure spanning nearly three decades, Paxman hung up his quizzing hat. His decision to retire followed a Parkinson’s diagnosis, prompting him to reflect: “I’ve had a blast hosting this wonderful series for nearly 29 years”.
Known for his unrelenting style, the 73 year old consistently challenged the intellect of his guests. Now, it’s your turn to tackle one of his most perplexing questions.
Q: With sulfur’s atomic number being 16, can you calculate the combined atomic numbers of the four elements whose symbols form the word ‘snob’?
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This question is considered one of the most challenging from the show, and it’s easy to see why. If you need a moment to ponder over it, we completely understand – it’s a real brain teaser.
But brace yourself, as the answer is about to be revealed. So if you’re still mulling it over, avoid scrolling down too quickly.
Jeremy posed this question during the final showdown between Wolfson College, Cambridge and Balliol College, Oxford, in series 46 of University Challenge, pushing the contestants’ mental arithmetic skills to the limit. Goldman, representing Balliol, Oxford, ventured with an answer of 37, while Yang from Wolfson, Cambridge suggested it might be 31.
However, the correct answer is: 36, derived from the individual atomic numbers 16, seven, eight and five.
Did you manage to crack the answer? Share your experience in the comments section below.