| Host | |
| Jeff Foxworthy (2007-2011, 2015) John Cena (2019) | |
| Announcer | |
| Mark Thompson | |
| Broadcast | |
  MyNetworkTV: 9/29/2009 – 9/2011 CMT: 9/21/2009 - 5/20/2011   | |
| Packagers | |
| Mark Burnett Productions/One Three Media/Zoo Productions (2007-2011) United Artists Media Group (2015) Hard Knocks South Productions (2019) MGM Television (2019) | |
| Syndicated Distributor | |
| 20th Television | |
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? is a big money quiz show where contestants answered questions from school-related subjects, sometimes with the help of a 5th grade "classmate."
Gameplay (FOX Versions)[]
| Question # | Correct Answer Value |
|---|---|
| 1 | $1,000 |
| 2 | $2,000 |
| 3 | $5,000 |
| 4 | $10,000 |
| 5 | $25,000 |
| 6 | $50,000 |
| 7 | $100,000 |
| 8 | $175,000 |
| 9 | $300,000 |
| 10 | $500,000 |
| 11 | $1,000,000 |
| 1st Subject | 2nd Subject |
|---|---|
| Million Dollar Question | |
| 5th Grade | 5th Grade |
| 4th Grade | 4th Grade |
| 3rd Grade | 3rd Grade |
| 2nd Grade | 2nd Grade |
| 1st Grade | 1st Grade |
In each game, an adult contestant is asked a series of eleven (11) questions, spanning ten subjects (such as Gym, Spelling or Art) taken from textbooks for first through fifth grade students. Each question is associated with a grade level; there are two questions per grade, from first to fifth. The player can answer the questions in any order (locking in their answer turns the podium blue), and each correct answer (with their podium turning green) raises their cumulative amount of winnings to the next level (see table at right); after answering the fifth question correctly, they are guaranteed to leave with at least $25,000. If the player correctly answers the first ten questions, they are given the opportunity to answer a fifth-grade bonus question (sixth-grade in the 2015 revival) worth $1,000,000.
Five (5) students in the fifth grade (some of whom are also professional child actors) appear on each show and play along on stage – in general, each episode in a season has the same cast of children. Prior to the show, the children are provided with workbooks which contain a variety of material, some of which could be used in the questions asked in the game. During the credits at the end of the show, a disclaimer states: "Members of the class were provided with workbooks that covered grade school level material in a variety of subjects. Some of the material could have formed the basis of questions used by producers in the show." The player chooses one to be their "classmate," who stands at the adjacent podium and is called upon for assistance in choosing a subject; the others sit at desks off to the side. Each child may assist the contestant for a maximum of two (2) questions, which are done consecutively. After which, they must select someone else from those who have not yet played in that game. The podium next to the contestant closes after all the cheats have been used, or after all ten (10) main-game questions have been completed, whichever comes first.
Answer-Assistance Options[]
Contestants have three (3) different forms of answer-assistance options (two cheats and a save), each available for use once per game (when a contestant uses the two initial cheats, the light on their podium turns yellow):
- Peek – The player is shown their classmate's answer and may choose whether to go along with it or not, however, they must answer the question upon using this cheat. In the second season, the podium turns yellow rather than red when a contestant decided to use the Peek. Now, the podium for locked in answers is blue.
- Copy – The player is locked into using their classmate's answer, without being able to see it first. In the original run, this would be the answer first written by the classmates. In the 2015 revival, the other five (5) kids may have a brief conference to discuss what the correct answer may be, and the classmate in control has the option to keep their original answer or change it and write down a new one, hoping their move will help.
- Save – If the player answers incorrectly, but their classmate is correct, it will be counted as a correct answer and move the contestant up the money ladder. This feature is not invoked by the contestant; it is used automatically on the contestant's first incorrect response, and can only be used once.
Even if the cheats have been used up already, the kids still write their answers to the questions for dramatic effect.
If the contestant misses a question at any point in time, and is unable to be saved, they have officially "flunked out," and the game is over - no more questions. Should any contestant flunk out, they will lose everything unless they have reached the $25,000 threshold, ensuring that amount. In the case of a difficult question, the contestant may choose to "drop out" during any question except the last one, which entitles them to leave the game with any winnings they have accumulated to that point, so as to prevent a loss of money.
The rules change slightly for the final question - the Million Dollar Question. The player is told that it is a fifth-grade question in the original versions, and a sixth-grade question in the 2015 revival. They are also shown only shown the subject of the question before deciding if they will continue or "drop out" with their $500,000. However, if they make a final decision to see the question, they have automatically forfeited $475,000 and may only get it back, with an additional $500,000 (for a total of $1,000,000), upon a correct answer given with no assistance, of any type, from the classmates - any cheats that are unused will be automatically dropped. Failure to complete the question will send the contestant home with only $25,000. If they drop out with the $500,000, they will still be allowed to play out the question for fun to see whether or not they would have won.
If the contestant leaves the game before completing all the questions, they must face the camera, state their name, and declare "I am not smarter than a 5th grader." However, if the contestant wins the million, they will have the opportunity to declare to the camera "I am smarter than a fifth grader!"
"Classroom Club" questions were introduced into the game at the beginning of the second season. These are chosen from questions written by elementary school students, submitted via the show's website. When one is used, the school of the student who wrote it receives a computer lab, courtesy of the show. "Field Trip" questions, introduced in the third season, feature a video clip of a National Geographic Channel correspondent asking the question from an appropriate location somewhere in the world.
In the 2015 revival, the classmates have a "profile page" that is shown on the main screen which shows the child's best subjects and some personal information (favorite celebrities, activities, etc.), similar to those found on social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. "Grade School Give Away" was introduced in the revival to salute elementary school staff and students across the US. This occurs when the contestant reaches the 4th question and if he/she answers it correctly, $10,000 will also be donated to a randomly selected elementary school.
Celebrity Shows[]
Occasionally, celebrities will be asked to play for charity on the show. The following celebrities have all appeared on the show to win money for charity, with the exception of former Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings and Nobel Prize winner George Smoot, both of whom were playing on their own behalf. Jennings's stint on the show, where he won $500,000 and passed on the opportunity to play for the million, helped propel him back into the lead for the most money won on game shows by one person in the United States. However, since he still saw the question afterwards and got it right, he would have been deemed "smarter than a 5th grader" if he chose to play on.
Season 2
| Celebrity | Amount Won |
|---|---|
| Clay Aiken | $300,000 |
| Regis Philbin | $175,000 |
| Tony Hawk | $175,000 |
| Billy Bush | $25,000 |
| Lauren Nelson | $175,000 |
| Kellie Pickler | $50,000 |
Season 3
| Celebrity | Amount Won |
|---|---|
| Kathy Ireland | $175,000 |
| Ken Jennings | $500,000 |
| Deborah Norville | $100,000 |
| Rick Fox | $25,000 |
| Jennie Garth | $100,000 |
| Gene Simmons | $500,000 |
| Joey Chestnut | $25,000 |
| Larry the Cable Guy | $300,000 |
| Jack Hanna | $25,000 |
| Star Jones | $25,000 |
| Sugar Ray Leonard | $50,000 |
| Bill Goldberg | $25,000 |
| Dean Cain | $25,000 |
| Bethany Hamilton | $25,000 |
| George Smoot | $1,000,000 |
Casting[]
Each season, a new group of children are cast to appear as the "classmates" on the show. Any child cast must be "smart, funny, and outgoing," and must actually be in grade 5 (age 9, 10, or 11) during the television season.
Contestants who make it through the auditioning process are required to sign a one-year contract stating that they will not tell anybody how much money they make, and that they will not release any information about the actual auditioning process, such as the number of screenings, the questions asked by the auditioners, and the actual criteria for being accepted onto the show. However, most of the children are already well established actors.
During every classmate's final appearance on the show (Graduation Night), each classmate receives a $25,000 savings bond.
Season 1's class (February 2007-August 2007)
| Seat # | Classmate |
|---|---|
| 1 | Laura Marano |
| 2 | Kyle Collier |
| 3 | Jacob Hays |
| 4 | Alana Ethridge |
| 5 | Spencer Martin |
| Fill-In | Marki Ann Meyer1 |
- Note 1: Meyer replaced Marano half-way through the season.
Season 2's class (September 2007-August 2008)
| Seat # | Classmate |
|---|---|
| 1 | Cody Lee |
| 2 | Mackenzie Holmes |
| 3 | Sierra McCormick |
| 4 | Nathan Lazarus |
| 5 | Olivia Glowacki |
| Fill-In | Chandler Chaffee1 |
| Mystery Desk | Brody Lee |
- Note 1: Chaffee subbed Glowacki for two episodes.
Season 3's class (September 2008–September 2009)
| Seat # | Classmate |
|---|---|
| 1 | Jonathan Cummings |
| 2 | Jenna Balk |
| 3 | Olivia Dellums |
| 4 | Bryce Cass |
| 5 | Francesca DeRosa |
| Fill-In | Kassidy Vo1 |
- Note 1: Vo filled in for Dellums in one episode.
Season 4's class (May 2015-September 2015)
- NOTE: For the 2015 revival, a regular set of 6 classmates was used, with their usage and positions at the five desks rotated for each episode.
| Classmates |
|---|
| Simmons "Tres" Allison III |
| Reagan Strange |
| Lauren Bullock |
| Mason Davis |
| Dontral "Dee" Dubois |
| Angela Azar |
Gameplay (Syndicated Version)[]
Payoffs[]
Season 1[]
| 1st Subject | 2nd Subject | Question Value |
|---|---|---|
| BONUS QUESTION | 10x Winnings | |
| 5th Grade | 5th Grade | $5,000 |
| 4th Grade | 4th Grade | $3,500 |
| 3rd Grade | 3rd Grade | $2,500 |
| 2nd Grade | 2nd Grade | $1,000 |
| 1st Grade | 1st Grade | $500 |
2nd Season
| 1st Subject | 2nd Subject | Question Value |
|---|---|---|
| BONUS QUESTION | 10x Winnings | |
| 4th Grade | 4th Grade | $7,500 |
| 3rd Grade | 3rd Grade | $3,500 |
| 2nd Grade | 2nd Grade | $1,000 |
| 1st Grade | 1st Grade | $500 |
Rules[]
The gameplay for this version of 5th Grader is the same as the above—games are played by a single contestant, who attempts to answer ten (10) questions—plus one final bonus question—with the assistance of one of three (3) 5th grade classmates (instead of five on the network show), who vary each week, and each child acts as the "classmate" for at most three questions (instead of two on the network show).
Contestants are required to answer all of the questions in the main game. If they get a question right, its value is added to the contestant's bank. A miss will result in a back-to-zero, but the contestant does not "flunk out." If a player has any money left after the main game has been completed, they are given the choice to either drop out with the money earned to that point (up to $25,000), or answer a fifth-grade bonus question which will serve as a 10x multiplier, which could result in a potential $250,000. The format for the syndicated version assigns dollar values per grade instead of for each correct question, regardless of grade. Naturally, the higher the grade, the higher the value, and thus, the harder the question. The money formatting is also somewhat similar to the shuffle format of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
If the contestant chooses to see the last question, they will lose their opportunity to drop out, and can only get their money if they give a correct answer without any help from the classmates. If they get the bonus question wrong, but have earned at least $2,500 in the main game, then they receive a consolation prize in the form of a $2,500 prepaid gift card. If they miss the last question and have earned less than $2,500, they receive a card worth $250. On celebrity episodes, the consolation prizes are cash donations (usually $2,500) to the celebrity's favorite charity.
If the contestant does not leave the game with the $250,000 top prize, the contestant must face the camera, state their name, and declare, "I am not smarter than a 5th grader." However, if the contestant does win $250,000, they state, "I am smarter than a 5th grader."
When season 2 premiered on September 20, 2010, the game has been shortened; the fifth grade questions are removed from the main game, and only used for the Bonus Question. To compensate, the fourth grade questions have increased to $7,500, as well as the 3rd grade questions increasing to $3,500. In addition, the "Save" has been removed. In addition, questions of higher grades will be locked until they have answered at least one question from the grade before.
Bonus Question 10x Winners[]
Michael Waltrip: $30,000 (MNT 10/6/09)
Meagan Sharp: $30,000 (CMT 10/7/09)
Gail DiCosta: $160,000 (SYN 9/23/10|CMT 1/14/11)
Joe Nicols: $125,000 (CMT 9/23/10)
Johnathan Lee Iverson: $75,000 (SYN 10/4/10)
Michele Williams: $125,000 (CMT 10/7/10)
Amber Morris: $15,000 (SYN 10/21/10)
Regina Waring: $50,000 (CMT 11/3/10)
$250,000 Winners[]
Elizabeth Miller (SYN 10/19/09)
Geoff Wolinetz (MNT 11/3/09|SYN 11/17/09)
Cast[]
| Season 1 | Season 2 |
|---|---|
| Annalise Basso | Terrell "TJ" Burnett |
| Zach Callison | Antonio Gutiérrez |
| Danielle Cohen | Jordan Jones |
| Pablo Garcia | Armaan Juneja |
| Khamani Griffin | Madison Leisle |
| Taylar Hender | Jenni Marer |
| Kevin Hong | Ty Panitz |
| Madison Pettis | Lauren Perez |
| Malachi Smith | Danielle Soibelman |
Gameplay (Nickelodeon Version)[]
The Nickelodeon version combines elements from the previous versions, with Peek & Copy as the cheats and a top prize of $100,000 ("The biggest prize in Nickelodeon history!").
The game board is now this:
| 1st Grade | 2nd Grade | 3rd Grade | 4th Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Question | 2 Questions | ||
As with the previous FOX runs, a money ladder is utilized, with an incorrect answer removing the top value from it:
| Question # | Money Value |
| 6 | $10,000 |
| 5 | $5,000 |
| 4 | $2,500 |
| 3 | $1,000 |
| 2 | $500 |
| 1 | $250 |
Unlike the previous versions, the player no longer chooses a subject - they must play in the order given by the show. Questions will begin from the 1st grade, and progress all the way to the 4th grade. In addition, like most game shows that assign dollar values to questions: the higher the grade level, the higher the money, and the harder the question.
Final Exam[]
If the player has money when the game ends, they get a chance for 10x their earnings by answering five (5) fifth-grade questions within one minute (1:00). The last 5th grader will be called up for this round, because the player is given one "Final Cheat" during the round. Using that cheat will skip the question until the round is over - it will come back into play with help from the student at the podium.
Answers are revealed after either the clock hits zero (0:00) or if all the questions have been answered, whichever comes first. If the "Final Cheat" is used, both the player and the 5th grader can discuss the skipped question with each other. The player must give an answer after the discussion. For each correct answer, they will receive a multiplier of their main-game winnings, but if they get all five (5) questions right, the money gets a 10x multiplier. Based on the new format of the game, answering all eleven (11) questions correctly will win the player a total of $100,000.
As always, winning anything less than the top prize means the contestant must face the camera, state their name, and declare, "I am not smarter than a 5th grader." However, if the contestant does win $100,000, they state, "I am smarter than a 5th grader."
Cast[]
| Students |
|---|
| Chloe Casanova |
| Quinne Daniels |
| Nick D'Ambrosio |
| Patrick D'Amico |
| Colin Heintz |
| Amira Martin |
| Isabella Schmitt |
| Cooper Stutler |
| Mia Tillman |
| Tristan Tucker Jr. |
| Jamir Vega |
| Saya Watkins |
Music[]
David Vanacore
Theme Lyrics[]
Are you smarter than a 5th grader?
'Cause there's gonna be a test later.
Meet your teacher, now we're back in school,
Are you smarter than you used to be?
Are you smarter than a 5th grader?
Grab a pencil and a piece of paper.
Meet your teacher, now we're back in school,
So, are you smart enough for the 5th grade?
Studios[]
CBS Studio Center, Studio City, CA (Fox version, Season 1)
Manhattan Beach Studios, Manhattan Beach, CA (Fox version, Season 2)
CBS Television City, Hollywood, CA (Fox version, Seasons 3-4)
Hollywood Center Studios, Hollywood, CA (Syndicated version, Season 1)
Sony Pictures Studios, Culver City, CA (Syndicated version, Season 2)
Universal Studios Lot, Universal City, CA (Nickelodeon version)
Additional Pages[]
- Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?/Merchandise
- Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?/Quotes & Catchphrases
International Versions[]
The Countries that have done their own versions of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? include:
- Albania
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium (both Dutch & French languages)
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Canada (both English & French languages)
- Cambodia
- Chile
- China
- Colombia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- Iceland
- India
- Indonesia
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Malaysia
- Mexico
- Mongolia
- Myanmar
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Peru
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Russia
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- South Africa
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- Sweden
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom (as "Are You Smarter Than a 10 Year Old?")
- United States
- Vietnam
In popular culture[]
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? was given homage on Sesame Street as "Are You Smarter Than an Egg Layer?", hosted by Jeff Bawksworthy (parody of Jeff Foxworthy). Instead of students in the class, there are chickens in place of the human students. The contestant wins the grand prize, which she thinks is "one million bucks", however it turns out that she wins one million BAWKS. The cast of Sesame Street served as Jeff's co-host of the syndicated version of the show during the week of Sesame Street's 40th season premiere (November 9-13, 2009).
5th Grader was parodied on MAD TV as "Are You Smarter Than a Tranny Hooker?"
Mind of Mencia parodied 5th Grader as "Are You Smarter Than a Wetback?"
Robot Chicken episode "Hopefully Salt", 5th Grader was parodied in this episode from 2016.
Trivia[]
- Laura Marano and Sierra McCormick would later appear on Disney Channel as the co-stars of their respective shows (Austin & Ally and A.N.T. Farm). Madison Pettis was another Disney Channel star who appeared on the show.
- The 2015 revival of the series was a replacement for the short-lived 2014 reality series Utopia.
- Nickelodeon recently announced that they will produce a revival of 5th Grader.
Rating[]
Inventor[]
Mark Burnett
Links[]
FOX 2007-09 version (via Internet Archive)
Syndicated version (via Internet Archive)
FOX 2015 version (Official site)
Nickelodeon version