STATE

DA VINCI DECATHLON 2021

CELEBRATING THE ACADEMIC GIFTS OF STUDENTS
IN YEARS 9, 10 & 11

CODE BREAKING SOLUTIONS

TEAM NUMBER _____________

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Total Rank
/5 /5 /5 /5 /5 /5 /5 /5 /10 /50

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 Task developed by Benjamin Bradshaw, St Paul’s College, University of Sydney, 2020

QUESTION 1
BINARY BONANZA! (5 MARKS)
With reference to the table, solve the equations to decrypt a message.

1101 110 100 0 10 111 1100 101

0 101 1011 1 1001 111 101 1000

1111 1010 110 101 0 1010 10 1110

110 11 100 10 1110 11 111 0

1 10 101 0 1111 10 1001 100

1011 101 1110 10 110 1 10 100

1001 10 110 1100 110 1011 0 1111

101 1 1011 1111 11 0 1 1010

E5 + B6 C2 – G3 A1 + G7 H1 x B8

B4 – D6 E8 x H5 E4 + A7 F2 – E7 A3 + H8 B2 + H3

C8 x A5 F42 E1 x C7 C3 x G6 C32 + D3

C1 x F8 + C5 F1 x F6 x B5 D4 x (H6 + G4) E2 + (F5 x B7)2

Students are to find the binary number associated with the given grid square, convert it into
a base 10 number and perform the calculation(s) given to find a number between 1 and 26.
These numbers are associated with a letter in the alphabet. Each line of equations forms a
word.

E.G. E5 + B6 = 1111 + 101 = 15 + 5 = 20 = T

2 marks for binary conversion, 1 mark for solving equations, 2 marks for answer.

ANSWER TIME ALWAYS KILLS ENVY

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 Task developed by Benjamin Bradshaw, St Paul’s College, University of Sydney, 2020

QUESTION 2
NOW YOU SEE ME… (5 MARKS)
Extract a message from the following visuals.

Hint: The two visuals on each of the 4 pages of this question decrypt a single word.

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Task developed by Benjamin Bradshaw, St Paul’s College, University of Sydney, 2020

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Task developed by Benjamin Bradshaw, St Paul’s College, University of Sydney, 2020

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 Task developed by Benjamin Bradshaw, St Paul’s College, University of Sydney, 2020

If the two visuals on each page are combined, the black pixels would align to spell a word.
Students may have realised this by inspection or could have coloured in squares to combine
the two visuals.

The overlayed versions of each visual cryptic are shown on the following pages.

2 marks for evidence of solving cryptic, 3 marks for answer.

ANSWER ACTIVE CHANGE HELPS ALWAYS

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Task developed by Benjamin Bradshaw, St Paul’s College, University of Sydney, 2020

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Task developed by Benjamin Bradshaw, St Paul’s College, University of Sydney, 2020

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 Task developed by Benjamin Bradshaw, St Paul’s College, University of Sydney, 2020

QUESTION 3
COLOURFUL CONUNDRUM (5 MARKS)
Use the image to decrypt a message. The question continues on the following page.

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P

H R N U Q X
G T

W B M S A F V E J K

I D Z L O Y C P

C O H W G X
P J

S I R E V L B K Y A

T Q
U F N M D Z

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 Task developed by Benjamin Bradshaw, St Paul’s College, University of Sydney, 2020

E Q C H Y K
A U

J I O N M V R T Z L

G S F D
P B X W

L K F V D U
J P

R G O M T W C E Q Y
N B
A X S I Z H

I9 O6 A8 E9

ANSWER NOTHING CAN EVER ATTAIN HOPE

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 Task developed by Benjamin Bradshaw, St Paul’s College, University of Sydney, 2020

Students must find which colour is present in the picture at the coordinates provided at the
top of the table. Then, that column of the table can be solved using the Pigpen Cipher of the
associated colour. Words are in order but not spaced correctly, so students must determine
the correct spacing between the letters to produce the message.

2 marks for evidence of correct cipher, 3 marks for answer.

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 Task developed by Benjamin Bradshaw, St Paul’s College, University of Sydney, 2020

QUESTION 4
LUCK BE A LADY! (5 MARKS)
The dice hold a secret message. Is luck on your side?

The total number of each group of dice is associated with a letter of the alphabet. Students
must then unscramble the letters to make a word. Each of the three larger groups is a
separate word.

2 marks for evidence of letter association, 1 mark for unscrambling, 2 marks for answer.

ANSWER DANCING SOMETIMES HELPS

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 Task developed by Benjamin Bradshaw, St Paul’s College, University of Sydney, 2020

QUESTION 5
THE VENICE MENACE (5 MARKS)
The map of Venice on the following page holds the secrets to Question 5. Study the map to
decrypt the secret message.

Note: Assume one grid square on the map has an equivalent side length of 500m.

KEY

0 – 200 LI 1001 – 1500 EAN

201 – 400 OF 1501 – 2000 OC

401 – 600 AN 2001 – 2500 ST

601 – 800 TAR 2501 – 3000 TI

801 – 1000 ME 3001 – 4000 GHT

1) Chiesa di San Giorgio Maggiore – Scuola Grand di San Rocco

2) Palazzo Grassi – Basilica di San Marco

3) Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Miracoli – Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo

4) Chiesa della Madonna dell’Orto – Arsenale della Biennale di Venezia

5) Sucola Grande di San Rocco – Chiesa di San Sebastiao

Students must find the distance between the locations indicated above, then use the table to
find the letters that are associated with that distance. Students must then combine the letters
to determine the 3 word phrase that is the answer.
1 mark for finding map distance, 2 marks for conversion to real distance, 2 marks for answer.

ANSWER OCEAN OF TIME

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Task developed by Benjamin Bradshaw, St Paul’s College, University of Sydney, 2020

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 Task developed by Benjamin Bradshaw, St Paul’s College, University of Sydney, 2020

QUESTION 6
HERE’S A TWIST! (5 MARKS)
Decrypt the 5 word message.

7 > (MVYLP)

9 > (WDEHQ)

5 < (YRPDC)

11 > (ELAJP)

4 < (GZWSD)

This code uses a simple Caesar Shift Cipher. The numbers and greater/less than signs
before the brackets indicate the number of letters the alphabet has been shifted by and in
which direction. After determining the correct letters, the student must amalgamate the
spacing to solve the problem.

2 marks for evidence of Caesar Cipher, 3 marks for solution.

ANSWER FOREIGN ORANGES RIPEN TO HEAL

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 Task developed by Benjamin Bradshaw, St Paul’s College, University of Sydney, 2020

QUESTION 7
TIME TO HURRY! (5 MARKS)
Decrypt the secret message hidden in the clocks.

KEY KEY KEY KEY

2.08 At 27.08 Ocean 52.08 Light 77.08 Some

4.17 Door 29.17 Water 54.17 Send 79.17 Pencil

6.25 Book 31.25 Car 56.25 Hat 81.25 Live

8.33 Phone 33.33 Sand 58.33 Read 83.33 Dog

10.42 Gone 35.42 Write 60.42 Mark 85.42 The

12.50 Monday 37.50 It 62.50 Ball 87.50 Gun

14.58 Goose 39.58 On 64.58 Ant 89.58 Stick

16.67 Music 41.67 Kidney 66.67 After 91.67 Pig

18.75 Hide 43.75 Photo 68.75 And 93.75 Page

20.83 Pen 45.83 Trap 70.83 Boat 95.83 Tree

22.92 Charge 47.92 Night 72.92 Cart 97.92 Love

25.00 Every 50.00 Rat 75.00 Hen 100.00 Hand

Students must find the value of the smaller angle between the two clock hands and convert it
into a percentage. Finding this percentage on the table will indicate a word. Combining the 5
words from the 5 clock faces will give the solution.

1 mark for finding angles, 1 mark for percentage conversion, 3 marks for answer.

ANSWER EVERY MONDAY ON OCEAN NEST

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 Task developed by Benjamin Bradshaw, St Paul’s College, University of Sydney, 2020

QUESTION 8
ALL TOGETHER NOW! (5 MARKS)
By now, you should have 7 answers to the previous questions. While these phrases might
seem like gibberish, they culminate to reveal a secret message. Find the hidden message in
these words.

Transcribe your answers onto the lines below to study the words.

If the words are kept in order, students should notice the first letter of every word spell out a
phrase.

1 mark for any evidence of word manipulation, 4 marks for answer.

ANSWER TAKE A CHANCE AND SHOOT FOR THE MOON

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 Task developed by Benjamin Bradshaw, St Paul’s College, University of Sydney, 2020

QUESTION 9
SHOW US WHAT YOU’VE GOT… (10 MARKS)
Combine any of the encryption methods used in questions 1 – 7 with an encryption method
of your own choosing to encrypt the message “fortune favours the bold”. Then, explain the
decryption process required to solve your encryption. Essentially, pretend you are writing a
question for a da Vinci Decathlon Code Breaking paper and then explaining the solution.

Any number of approaches are valid assuming TWO encryption methods are combined.
Marker should solve their code to ensure their encryption works as they explained.

6 marks for encryption: -1 for any minor mistakes, -4 for only using only ONE encryption
method, -3 for using TWO encryption methods from question 1-7, -3 for using TWO
encryption methods of own choosing.

4 marks for explanation: -1 mark for poor/confusing explanation, -2 marks for poor process.

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 Task developed by Benjamin Bradshaw, St Paul’s College, University of Sydney, 2020

Question 8 working space continued:

END OF PAPER

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