The Trials were a series of tests given to Umbrati recruits. There were four Perception trials which were very simple, followed by two research and two cryptography trials which were progressively harder.
The first research puzzle presented each applicant with eight of the 26 images below (different for each applicant) arranged in two rows of four. The task was to add the dates of the events represented in each row and subtract the second from the first to give a unique number.
These are:
A-F= Brazil (movie), Bikini ABomb test, XX (album), Sgt. Peppers (album), Miracle on Ice, XX (album)
G-L= Jim Morrison's grave, Patton (movie), Galveston Hurricane, Charles Lindberg, Bridge on the River Kwai (movie), XX
M-R= Kennedy Assasination, Iwo Jima, Hindenberg, Moon Landing, Bookends (album), XX
S-X= Titanic?, White Album (album), Sticky Fingers (album), Casablanca (movie), XX, XX
Y-Z= Oops, XX
The second research puzzle had five red and five blue circles around members of the picture below. The task was to subtract the dates of death (red) from the dates of birth (blue) The image is of the Fifth Solvay Conference in 1927.
The first Cryptgraphic puzzle was called Odd Man Out and gave answers of Peter, Micky, Michael, and Davy, which were The Monkees. This was used as a a vigenere key for the second Cryptographic puzzle.
Number two, with a vigenere key of monkees gives you Attack of the Phantom Empire and — Strangelove's recall and — phone homer's swap — OCEUFGHIMPPTUDWWDN. This was resolved to an Enigma cipher with rotors 215, start letters OPE, patchcords E&T to give William Shakespeare, the final solve.