Workshop on Quizzing

Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar March 25, 2009

by

Rahul Jayanti

Quizzing

What is Quizzing?

The 'untrue' history of the word

In 1791 a Dublin theater owner named James Daly made a bet that he could introduce a word into the language within twenty-four hours. He then went out and hired a group of street urchins to write the word "quiz", which was a nonsense word, on walls around the city of Dublin. Within a day, the word was common currency and had acquired a meaning (since no one knew what it meant, everyone thought it was some sort of test) and Daly had some extra cash in his pocket. However, there is no evidence to support the story, and the term was already in use before the alleged bet in 1791.

Quizzing is . . .

Showcasing you Knowledge

Applying Your Knowledge

Thinking Laterally

Benefits of Quizzing

Makes for a great pastime

Helps improve your Knowledgebase

The Thrill of working out an answer

Types of QuestionsDry Questions

Visual Questions

Audio Questions

Video Questions

Connect Questions

What makes a question Good?The style of framing the question

Has just the right number of clues

Teases the person attempting it

Isn't a plain Know / Don't Know affair

So a Bad question is . . .Poorly framed in an uninteresting manner

Vague, ambiguous and/or uninteresting fact

Long, rambling and tough to deduce

Lacking sufficient clues

exempli gratiabad

What is the name of Michael Jackson's Python?

In which country can you find the largest number of buses?

So how does one frame a question?

Give clues linking to the answer

Choose the clues such that the answer is more prominent or heard of than the clues

Order the clues to build up to the answer

exempli gratiagood

Initially known as the Viceroy's house, it was a total of 340 rooms. It was designed by the British architect Edwin Lutyens. How do we know it today?

exempli gratiagood

Initially known as the Viceroy's house, it was a total of 340 rooms. It was designed by the British architect Edwin Lutyens. How do we know it today?

A. Rashtrapati Bhawan

Quizzing Formats

Team BasedGroups of two, three or four

Lone Wolf (Solo)Mastermind, KBC et al

Team Based QuizzingThe Sum of parts is greater than the whole

Team-mates should be able to latch on to each other's ideas

Minimum overlap should be ensured

Egos are to be left outside the quiz venue

Words from the WiseRead. A lot.

Use Newspapers, Magazines, Internet etc

Maintain a Diary. With frequent revision.

Concentrate on your areas on interest

A few big names . . .Business Quizzes

Tata CrucibleBrand Equity

General QuizzesLandmark QuizOdyssey Quiz

TV ShowsBBC MastermindKaun Banega Crorepati

Types of QuizzesBusiness and Management

General

Theme BasedSportsMoviesHistoryNature, etc

Quizzing ClubsKarnataka Quizzers Association – KQA

Bangalore

Quiz Foundation of India – QFIChennai

Bombay Quiz Club – BQCMumbai

EOF : End Of Fundamentals

Let's have a proper quiz now, shall we?

1.

How do we better know ShantaramKudalkar and Ramprasad Sharma?

Think Bollywood

1.

How do we better know ShantaramKudalkar and Ramprasad Sharma?

Think Bollywood

A. Laxmikant Pyarelal

2.Connect the two pictures shown alongside

2.Connect the two pictures shown alongside

A.The Moon

Neil Armstrong – First man on the moon

Selenium – Named after Selena, Greek goddess of Moon

3.

What does the Scoville Scale measure?

Think food

3.

What does the Scoville Scale measure?

Think food

A. Hotness of a Chilli PepperMeasured in Scoville Heat Units (SHU)

Named after scientist Wilbur Scoville

4.

What are Sindh, Sahib and Sultan?

4.

What are Sindh, Sahib and Sultan?

A. These are the names of the steam locomotives that powered the first train between Bombay and Thane in 1853.

5.

In an Indian election,at exactly whatpoint of time does campaigning end?

5.

In an Indian election,at exactly whatpoint of time does campaigning end?

A.Forty eight hours before the time ofcompletion of polling

6.Identify

6.Identify

A. Dr.Pattabhi Sitaramayya, freedom fighter and founder of Andhra Bank

7.

Identify the Movie

7.

Identify the Movie

A. ACHHUT KANYA - 1936

8.

The Post Box Number of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation is 9994. Why so?

8.

The Post Box Number of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation is 9994. Why so?

A. As a tribute to Sir Donald Bradman,who had a batting average of 99.94

9.

Who was the first person to scale Mt.Everest and also reach both the North and South

poles?

9.

Who was the first person to scale Mt.Everest and also reach both the North and South

poles?

A. Sir Edmund Hillary

10.

Which country’s geographical outlineor map is featured on its map?

10.

Which country’s geographical outlineor map is featured on its map?

A. Cyprus

11.

Identify this famous Indian

11.

Identify this famous Indian

A. Dadasaheb Phalke

12.

Ytterby is a village in Sweden. Whatis its contribution to the field of chemistry?

12.

Ytterby is a village in Sweden. Whatis its contribution to the field of chemistry?

A. Four Chemical elements named after it. Yttrium (Y)

Ytterbium (Yb)

Terbium (Tb)

Erbium (Er)

13.

Identify this author

13.

Identify this author

A. Ian FlemingThe Creator of James Bond

14.

Identify the Logo

14.

Identify the Logo

A. Alfa Romeo(Part of the FIAT Group)

15.

In the 11th century,Karandev I waged a successful war against the Bhil king of Ashaval and established a city called

Karnavati located near the present time area of Maninagar,close to the river Sabarmati. To

which dynasty did he belong ?

15.

In the 11th century,Karandev I waged a successful war against the Bhil king of Ashaval and established a city called

Karnavati located near the present time area of Maninagar,close to the river Sabarmati. To

which dynasty did he belong ?

A. Solanki Dynasty

16.

Identify

16.

Identify

A. Wall Street

17.

Identify

17.

Identify

A.Humayan's Tomb

Thank You !