Quiz Bowl Questions

From Adviceopedia

Quiz bowl questions aren’t your typical trivia questions. They are usually questions about topics learned in school. Pop culture has recently been added to the mix because this topic can sometimes be just as challenging as expected topics, such as the 60th number in Pi. Quiz bowl questions are tournament level questions designed to challenge and stump you.

Contents 1 What Kind of Quiz Bowl Questions Can I Expect? 2 How Do I Write Questions? 2.1 What Types of Questions Should I Avoid Writing? 2.2 What Types of References Are Helpful For Question Writing? 3 How Do I Quiz Hard?

What Kind of Quiz Bowl Questions Can I Expect?

Below are some sample questions to give you an idea of difficulty you can encounter and what topics they can cover.

1. The term hybrid means what in the automotive industry? (Dual-fuel engine)
2. The Future Craftsmen of America was founded in what decade? (1920’s)
3. Who are the top three musical artists who have had the most number one hits ever? (The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Mariah Carey)
4. Who wrote The Grapes of Wrath? (John Steinbeck)
5. George Lucas created what universe? (Star Wars)
6. The NAACP supported what famous law case with their defense fund? (Brown vs. Board of Education)
7. What is another term for the Letterbox movie format? (Widescreen)
8. This children’s author wrote for Playboy before winning a Grammy. (Shel Siverstein)
9. Where was Jesus crucified? (Mount Calvary)
10. One cup is equal to how many tablespoons? (16)
11. Name the main vitamin in starch foods like pasta and bread. (B)
12. What does the acronym BASIC stand for? (Beginner’s All Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code)
13. In early America, Maine was unique because…? (It was created from another state, Massachusetts)
14. X-ray astronomy is used to detect what? (Black Holes)
15. William Penn wanted what? (Separation of Church and State)
16. What was the longest war the United States ever fought in? (Vietnam War)
17. Bolivia has how many capital cities? (3)
18. Who owns Greenland? (Denmark)
19. Nebraska has what kind of legislature? (Unicameral, or one-branch)

How Do I Write Questions?

If you are interested in writing professional quiz bowl questions there are some guidelines to follow. First, there should be a number of clues through the question. A pyramid format is typically used where obscure information is given at first and then more recognizable clues are revealed near the end of the questions. A quiz bowl question should run about five to seven lines in length. The last clue is called the ‘giveaway clue’ where it ties everything together in one easy question. Typically, the giveaway clue could have been used as the question itself, but then there wouldn’t be a chance to stump the contestants. The lead-in is the first clue. It should be as obscure as possible, but should let players know what type of answer they need to give, such as a book title or an author.

Try to write questions that don’t reward players for memorizing lists, like Oscar winners, or European leaders of the 1970’s or famous scientists. As with general writing, it's a good idea to write what you know. You will have to dig through relevant facts and obscure clues in order to make good questions. You don’t want to end up with questions that have a lot of facts that have nothing to do with the answers.

What Types of Questions Should I Avoid Writing?

• Yes or No questions. These types of questions are not appropriate for quiz bowls. Even people who have no clue of the answer have a 50-50 chance of guessing the right answer. These types of questions don’t really challenge anyone, and they certainly won’t contain clues worth the paper they are written on.
• Spelling questions. These types of questions are appropriate for spelling bees, but not for quiz bowls.
• Math questions. Questions that require contestants to calculate figures usually aren’t all that challenging, and don't really belong in quiz bowl events.

What Types of References Are Helpful For Question Writing?

• Encyclopedia. Current encyclopedias are the best source for all types of information from A to Z.
• Dictionary. The dictionary is a great resource for finding unique definitions, synonyms, and antonyms.
• Almanac. You can find all types of material in the almanac, such as interesting facts about science, how to do things, the stars, etc.
• Bartleby.com and Masterplots. These resources are great places to find out everything you might want to know about literature.
• The Internet. You can find all types of information on the Internet. Be careful that you are pulling information for your questions from reputable resources that can be relied upon for accuracy.

How Do I Quiz Hard?

Whether you are participating in quiz bowls or writing the questions, pay close attention to each clue. The answers aren't always hard, they're just often well hidden. The trick to these questions is paying attention to the clues and what are often obsure references. Good questions should not have obvious answers, but they shouldn't be so difficult that no one can figure them out.