Escape room: The Missing Exam
An escape room for teens: the exam papers vanished! A number sequence, a cipher, a clock angle and a logic grid reveal who took them.
The story
On exam morning the teacher opens his bag, and the exam papers are gone! Four students were seen in the corridor at break. Help the teacher find out who took the papers and where they are, before the bell rings.
Half the class hopes the papers stay lost. The other half actually studied.
5 story stations · online you can pick a level that adds more locks.
Run it at home or in class
What to prepare
- Printed station sheets
- A blank logic grid (4 students × 4 places)
- A wall clock or a drawn clock
- An envelope with a 4-digit code lock
Tips for the facilitator
- Print the logic grid large and let each team mark it with X and ✓.
- Hide the coded note in a clean bin in the classroom (with a few blank notes as decoys).
- Put a birthday card for the teacher inside the envelope in advance; it makes a lovely ending.
Difficulty level for “The Missing Exam”
The story clues stay the same on every level; harder levels add more locks in between. You can ask for a hint at every stage.
📝 The Missing Exam
On exam morning the teacher opens his bag, and the exam papers are gone! Four students were seen in the corridor at break. Help the teacher find out who took the papers and where they are, before the bell rings.
0 of 6 stages solved
Stage 1: The half-erased board
1/6A half-erased number sequence is left on the board: 3, 6, 11, 18, 27, …
Facilitator guide: 📝 The Missing Exam
What the room practises
Number sequences, a shift cipher, clock angles and a logic grid.
The 5 stations (without the answers)
- The half-erased board: What is the next number?
- The note in the bin: Which place is written on the note?
- The classroom clock: How many degrees are between the hands at 3:00?
- The suspect grid: Who took the exam papers?
- The locked envelope: What is the code?
Preparing and printing
On the easy level the printed kit has 7 pages: a facilitator sheet with the opening story, the setup list and every answer, plus an A4 card for each of the 6 stages. Besides printing, get ready: a blank logic grid (4 students × 4 places) and an envelope with a 4-digit code lock.
Most important: Print the logic grid large and let each team mark it with X and ✓.
Age and group size
Best with teams of 4–6 players. With more people, split into two teams racing the clock, each with its own kit.
Giving hints in this room
Online the hints open one at a time; in the printed kit they sit in the facilitator table next to each answer. Give the first hint after a couple of minutes of silence, not at the first wrong guess.
Frequently asked questions
What age is “The Missing Exam” for, and how long does it take?
It was written for teens 13+, at medium difficulty, and usually takes 30–40 minutes. It has 5 story stations, and online you can choose between three difficulty levels that add more locks.
What do I need to run “The Missing Exam”?
A printer and these props: Printed station sheets; A blank logic grid (4 students × 4 places); A wall clock or a drawn clock; An envelope with a 4-digit code lock. The printable kit includes a facilitator sheet with every answer and a card for each stage.
What if the players get stuck?
Every stage has graded hints. Online they open one at a time; in the printed kit they sit next to each answer on the facilitator sheet. The first hint never gives the answer away.
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