A little background. I haven't been around for all years this has been around so don't know if it's always been this case. But the last two years, have basically been the same. The Knockout round is a computer that has three questions and basically anyone is allowed to take the test as many times as possible. This allows for a person to know exactly what the question will be and be prepared to place the exact diagram objects down to complete it. Thus allowing people to finish in under 30 seconds per question. While, the finals round, people don't know the question ahead of time. Thus they need to think about it and try many different thought patterns to solve it. Thus explains why this round it seemed to take 3-5 minutes on average per question. It also suggests that it's very different knowledge and thinking patterns between the two.
So, I guess it gets to my question. why so different? Wouldn't it make more sense to have similar test structure between the knockouts and the finals? That way, people are playing on the same fair ground for knockouts and finals.
We could make it so the finalists know the questions ahead of time. If we did that, though the contest in front of the audience will be less entertaining. It also may be unbalanced as some are busy in their booth or presenting or otherwise unable to read the questions and formulate a result. Personally, I don't think this should be the approach.
The other method is to eliminate the possibility of a person knowing the questions ahead of time when they perform the knockouts questions. This may be a little more difficult, but can be possible.
What are your thoughts?
"I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them." John Bernard Books