[The Entrance Exam

An entrance exam challenge room in Escape Academy with a 15-minute time limit. Completing this room rewards the 'Entrance Examined' achievement.

Verification: Human verified

The Entrance Exam is the first real challenge room you face in Escape Academy, taken on after your introduction to the campus. The premise is simple: Headmaster Salange has sealed you in a room that is slowly filling with memory-erasing gas, and you have a 15-minute time limit to escape before you forget the academy entirely [src-2c17f7b0c2]. Escaping the room rewards the "Entrance Examined" achievement [src-f825a4961b].

Getting to [The Entrance Exam

Before the exam begins, you're introduced to a new character and then brought to a campus map. Click near the top of the map to travel to the headmaster's office, then talk to the girl waiting there and skip the conversation. From there, click on the door to begin the entrance exam and spawn into the puzzle room [src-cc415a0c9f]. In co-op, one player can hand items to the other as you work [src-3c4a331aa3].

How the Room Works

Once inside, the headmaster speaks to you through a security camera and explains the stakes: the room is filling with gas, and you have roughly 15 minutes to escape [src-2c17f7b0c2]. A timer confirms the limit — you'll see it counting down (one co-op playthrough showed 12 minutes remaining after the opening cutscene) [src-3c4a331aa3]. The central question the room poses is a single one: "What is my name?" [src-3c4a331aa3].

The room contains several interlocking elements you'll need to investigate:

• A locked briefcase bearing a clue (described in one playthrough as "clock flower") [src-3c4a331aa3].
• A padlocked desk drawer — using a key on it yields a screwdriver and a photo [src-3c4a331aa3].
• A keypad on a phone, where the name solution is ultimately entered [src-3c4a331aa3].
• A bookshelf puzzle with books labeled by country names [src-3c4a331aa3].
• An ATM near the vault door, which requires the correct name [src-cc415a0c9f].

You'll need the headmaster's first, middle, and last name (she holds a PhD) to satisfy the name entry [src-3c4a331aa3]. Clues scattered through the room — the clocks (both reading midnight), potted plants, and a crawl space with a clue on the wall — feed into deducing it [src-3c4a331aa3].

Step-by-Step Walkthrough

1. Pick up the newspaper. Look down to your left, next to the orange couch on the floor, and click the newspaper to read it (clicking twice is safe) [src-cc415a0c9f]. This also counts toward the "Extra, Extra!" achievement, since the paper sits in the first room on the floor next to some couches [src-f825a4961b].
2. Search the room for clues. Check the briefcase clue, the clocks, the potted plants, and the loose vent — the vent's screws come off, opening a crawl space with a clue on the wall [src-3c4a331aa3].
3. Open the desk drawer. Use the key on the padlocked drawer to obtain the screwdriver and a photo [src-3c4a331aa3].
4. Solve the bookshelf (optional secret). Interact with the bookshelf and click the books in this order: Egypt, Japan, Greece. This opens a secret room behind the bookshelf [src-cc415a0c9f] [src-f825a4961b]. This is not required to escape, but it's needed for the "Musical Prodigy" achievement.
5. Play the piano (optional secret). Inside the hidden room, play "Mary Had a Little Lamb" on the piano using the sequence: EDC DEEE DDD EGG EDC DEEE EDDE DC [src-f825a4961b]. Mistakes are fine — you have the full 15 minutes, and you can retry the level if needed [src-cc415a0c9f]. Press B to back away from the piano afterward [src-cc415a0c9f].
6. Enter the name. Once you've deduced the headmaster's full name from the clues, input it at the ATM near the vault door [src-cc415a0c9f] (or the phone keypad) [src-3c4a331aa3].
7. Escape before the gas fills the room. Beating the clock completes the exam and unlocks "Entrance Examined" [src-f825a4961b].

Tips

• Do the newspaper and bookshelf early. Both are easy to miss in the rush, and the bookshelf secret is described as "probably going to be the rarest" achievement in the game [src-cc415a0c9f].
• Don't panic about the piano. The 15-minute limit is generous for the optional music puzzle, and failures aren't permanent [src-cc415a0c9f].
• Split duties in co-op. One player can explore the crawl space while the other works the locks and name puzzle [src-3c4a331aa3].
• For an A+ rank, finish within the time limit without using hints [src-f825a4961b].

Rewards

Escaping "The Entrance Exam" unlocks the Entrance Examined achievement [src-f825a4961b]. Completing the optional bookshelf-and-piano secret unlocks Musical Prodigy [src-f825a4961b], and reading the room's newspaper progresses Extra, Extra! [src-f825a4961b]. On success, the headmaster congratulates you and confirms you've qualified to enroll at the academy [src-2c17f7b0c2].

Details

time_limit

15 minutes

achievement

Entrance Examined

term

Main Game

Sources

• Escape Academy | Become the Ultimate Escapist!
• Escape Academy - The Co-op Mode
• Escape Academy Complete Walkthrough
• Escape Academy - All Achievements/Trophies Walkthrough - 100% Puzzle Solution Guide (Xbox Game Pass)
• 100% Achievement Guide - Escape Academy