GCHQ launches annual Christmas puzzle to promote STEM learning and codebreaking skills

The UK’s intelligence agency GCHQ has launched its annual Christmas challenge, inviting the public to test their problem-solving skills with seven puzzles that draw upon codebreaking, mathematics, analysis, and lateral thinking. Developed by GCHQ’s in-house puzzle experts, the challenge aims to replicate the type of analytical abilities the agency uses daily to safeguard national security. For the first time, this edition includes additional puzzles created by three schoolchildren — Haoran, a Year 8 student from Wilson’s School in London; Mariia, a Year 10 student from the Henry Beaufort School in Winchester; and Amelie, a Year 12 student from South Wilts Grammar School in Salisbury. Their designs were selected from over 500 entries submitted to a national competition that asked children to depict what they imagine GCHQ looks like on Christmas Day, incorporating hidden codes within their artwork. GCHQ Director Anne Keast-Butler expressed hope that the challenge will inspire young people to explore science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects and consider careers in intelligence or cybersecurity. The puzzles, available for download on GCHQ’s official website, are described as demanding yet rewarding exercises in ingenuity and perseverance. Solutions to the challenge will be published by the agency at 9 p.m. on Wednesday, December 10.