How can you answer the question given the conditions in Exam?

Question

Spoilers ahead.

In the 2009 movie Exam, the contestants have to answer a simple question, but the problem is they don't outright know what that question is even though it was directly presented to them at the start.

Now I am willing to overlook the fact that chances are someone would have said "Yes" to the question at the start, as in, "Yes I have a question (blah) (blah)". However, the invigilator said that the candidates can't communicate with him so how are they supposed to give him the answer before time runs out? Saying "Yes" or "No" is communicating, is it not?

Answer 1

Saying "Yes" or "No" is communicating, is it not?

Yes of course, it is communicating.

The examiner/invigilator needs an answer to the question, that's all. However, he never mentioned that he needed that answer within the given time.

However, the invigilator said that you can't communicate with him so how are you supposed to give him the answer before time runs out?

The thing is, first of all the candidates needed to know what the question actually is. They needed to know that " any questions? " was the only question they needed to answer which they wouldn't know if they could not find it in the paper. If they answered to his "any questions" at the first place, they would have disqualified then and there because of the rule. So, this rule you can't talk with me or the guard was set to see if the candidates were attentive and careful about what they are doing.

The can't write on paper or leave the room, so how they are supposed to give the answer ? Of course after the exam ends, when the rules are over they have to answer the question face to face like in normal scenario.

Answer 2

Spectra has a good answer which got me thinking.

We must assume that you cannot communicate with either him or the guard but we don't know for how long as Spectra pointed out. The clock can be shifted forward or backward allowing for infinite time to figure out the question. But even so, when the clock runs out, that doesn't necessarily mean the game is over as pointed out by the ambiguous ending:

1. We never see the clock hit 0 (implied that it ends at 1)
2. Blonde directly addresses the founder not the invigilator

Hence the only conclusion I could draw was that the rules are still in effect indefinitely until a candidate gives the answer to the founder, thereby not violating the rules set forth.

Presumably if White didn't make Deaf (the founder) spoil his paper and be removed, Deaf would have left by his own devices only to return later, being the only "candidate" to do so, making it clear that he is both involved with the game, and the one to give the answer to.