Many pub quizzes fails because of the way in which the questions are written and the topics that are chosen. Some quizzes fail because they focus far too much on one particular topic, others because the questions are not challenging enough. Of course you don’t want to have to have a PhD in the topics to even be close to being able to answer the questions so get a good balance.
Below is a quick guide on what the quiz master should be looking for on quality questions and answers.
Most pub quizzes have a spread out age groups from different walks of life so be sure to accommodate the majority when setting your questions and answers.
Topics and Subjects. Most quizzes have general knowledge, handout and specialist topics rounds in them. General knowledge should be a wide variety of topics that covers general every day things and events. Picking the questions from different eras and topics in an even split is the best way. Look for History, Geography, Music, TV and Films and Science as a good grounding but also try to get some local themed questions as well. Questions of a particular subject should be kept set similar always taking into account where possible a difference of age group and interests. You should try and avoid the same people answering and enable the rest of team member to answer questions.
Difficulty of Questions. This is very important but generally the easiest way is make several questions that are easy, quite difficult and more tasking questions that way you get a nice selections within the quiz. When compiling the actual pub quiz split these up evenly in to general knowledge rounds. If doing a specialist topic then split the mix of question difficulty levels within the round.
Quality question and answers – Making questions enjoyable isn’t that difficult but you need to follow some simple rules.
Pub quiz teams should be able to discuss, argue and throw answers out to each other, they can be challenging but not impossible to guess. Make sure that when compiling questions you look at ways to make them chance of guessing when possible.
The question has to hold their interest if it doesn’t then the team members will more than likely not have a clue about the answer. If the team gets the answer wrong they will want to be able to go away with something new. Something they can quiz their friends with the next day or so.
Keep the questions in the public domain with seldom going into the realms of obscure. The more bizarre the questions the more likely you are to put quiz goers off coming again. Not to say you can’t have a couple spread about the quiz.
Hopefully this quick guide will help you compiling questions and answers for your pub quiz.
