Cote: Elite in Action

The Paper Shuffle Challenge

Weeks passed quickly, and with them came a new challenge.

—Hoshinomiya —he announced—, as I mentioned before, you will have a special exam very soon. Now I will distribute the sheets with the complete explanation.

Hoshinomiya began to hand out the sheets to all of us. When he handed me mine, I prepared to read it carefully.

Special Exam: "Paper Shuffle"
The Paper Shuffle is a crucial exam designed to assess not only academic knowledge but also students' ability to work as a team under pressure and face strategic challenges. This exam takes place over a period of two days, during which students must complete a total of 400 questions, covering eight key subjects. The exam combines elements of collaboration, competition, and an "attack and defense" structure between classes that tests their intellectual and strategic skills.

Exam Structure:

Duration: 2 days.

Subjects: 8 in total, including Mathematics, Language and Literature, History, Science, Economics, Philosophy, Languages, and Physical Education (theory).

Questions per subject: 50 questions per subject.

Total questions: 400 questions.

Pairings:

Before the final exam, each class must complete a 100-question quiz. The scores obtained on this quiz will determine the pairings for the exam, with the highest and lowest scoring students paired together to form balanced combinations. For example, if one student scores the maximum (100 points) and another the minimum (0 points), they will be paired to balance their abilities.

Failing Criteria:

Subject Fail: If the combined score of the pair in any of the eight subjects is below 60 points, both students will be expelled from the exam.

General Total Fail: Even if both students score above 30 points in each subject, if their combined total score does not meet the minimum standard set by the school, both will be eliminated. The survival of both students depends on their joint performance.

Guidelines: "Attack and Defense": The exam also includes an attack and defense mechanic between classes, adding a layer of competition and strategy to the process. Classes must not only demonstrate their individual knowledge but also participate in a system of "attacks" against each other.

Question Creation:
Each class must brainstorm and write their own questions for the final exam. However, these questions will not be used by their own class but will be used for one of the other three classes. This process creates a system in which classes must "attack" others with difficult questions, while the targeted classes must "defend" themselves.

Target Class Selection:
Each class must nominate another class to attack with the questions they have created.
If more than one class chooses to attack the same class, the class representatives will be called for a draw to decide who has the right to attack that class.
Grade Comparison:
The school will compare the overall scores of the classes facing off, and the class with the highest score will be declared the winner.
The winning class will receive 50 class points from the losing class.
In the case of a direct confrontation (where two classes attack each other), the stakes will be doubled, and the prize will be 100 class points instead of 50.
If the total scores result in a tie, there will be no change in class points.

The upcoming special exam seemed fairly straightforward. It would just require an intensive study routine and, of course, preparing the "attack." I felt calm about it; my classmates have higher grades compared to other classes, so I would leave the pairing to chance.