Testing times: GCHQ releases annual festive puzzle

Eight-part problem has been sent to secondary schools and now released more widely for anyone to solve

GCHQ has released its annual Christmas puzzle aimed at secondary school children and curious adults ready to test their mathematical, code-breaking and analysis skills.

Puzzlers have to first answer seven questions, each of which has a one-word answer that can follow “Christmas”, before taking letters from the seven answers and placing them into a grid to produce a seasonal message.

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