The Giga Quizzes Blog
Ideas for teachers who run quizzes
How to write questions that are fair, how to teach in the moment after the answer, and what to play in the first week, before a break or on a Friday afternoon. Plus quiz nights at home.
Start here
Writing quizzes5 Common Quiz-Writing Mistakes, and How to Fix ThemToo little time, wrong answers nobody picks, questions longer than their timer, trick wording and a silent reveal: five quiz-writing mistakes, with before-and-after fixes.Read the post →5 min readWriting quizzes
Questions that are fair, clear and worth answering.
Writing quizzes5 Common Quiz-Writing Mistakes, and How to Fix ThemToo little time, wrong answers nobody picks, questions longer than their timer, trick wording and a silent reveal: five quiz-writing mistakes, with before-and-after fixes.5 min readRead →
Writing quizzesWhen True or False Works, and When It’s Too EasyTrue or false is quick to write and quick to answer, but a coin toss gets half of it right. The numbers behind guessing, where these questions shine, and a ready-made myth-busting round.4 min readRead →
Writing quizzesMultiple Choice or Typed Answer? Choosing the Right QuestionChoosing an answer tests recognition; typing one tests recall. The same question asked both ways, what the research says about each, and a simple way to decide.4 min readRead →
Writing quizzesPicture Questions: Choosing Images That Work on a ProjectorA picture can make a question or ruin it. The back-row test, four ways to use images in a quiz with an example of each, and where to find pictures you are allowed to use.4 min readRead →
Writing quizzesHow Long Should a Classroom Quiz Be?Five minutes, fifteen, or a whole lesson? It depends on what the quiz is for and how it is played. The real time a question takes, what the attention research says, and a quick reference.4 min readRead →
Writing quizzesTurn Any Lesson into Quiz Questions in 10 MinutesA ten-minute routine for turning a lesson plan into a short quiz that checks understanding, worked through step by step on a lesson about the seasons.4 min readRead →In the lesson
Using a quiz to teach, not only to test.
In the lessonTeaching in the Reveal: The Moment After the AnswerThe seconds after a quiz answer appears are the best teaching moment of the lesson. How to read the answer chart, question the popular wrong answer and make the correction stick.5 min readRead →
In the lessonTeams or Solo: Which Quiz Format Fits Your Class?A team quiz suits a class that already works in groups; a solo game shows where each student stands. What makes a team game work, how to keep teams fair, and when to choose each.4 min readRead →
In the lessonPre-Testing: Why a Quiz Before the Lesson HelpsAsking questions before you teach the answers sounds backwards, but research says it helps students learn. How to write a short, no-stakes pre-test and what its answers tell you.5 min readRead →
In the lessonUsing Polls to Hear From Quiet StudentsA show of hands hears the same five students every time. How live polls give the whole class a voice, the kinds of poll worth asking, and how to turn a result into a discussion.5 min readRead →
In the lessonWhat Actually Motivates Students in a QuizA race anyone can still win, a finish line a month away, more than one way to come first, and a team to play for. What keeps a whole class trying in a quiz game, and why.5 min readRead →
In the lessonReview for an Exam in One LessonA plan for a single review lesson before a test: why a quiz beats rereading notes, a short slide for each topic, questions built on common mistakes, and practice at home afterwards.4 min readRead →
In the lessonReading Quiz Results: What to Reteach TomorrowA quiz report holds the plan for your next lesson. Which question to look at first, why the wrong answers matter more than the scores, a worked example, and how to read a self-paced game.4 min readRead →By subject
Ideas for geography, languages, history and computer science.
By subjectTeaching Geography with MapsGeography is about where things are, so ask students to point. Map questions where they tap the place, what a wrong tap tells you, and question ideas that go beyond “where is it?”.4 min readRead →
By subjectLearning Vocabulary in Hacker ModeNew words stick when students meet them again and again, and have to recall them each time. How to build a vocabulary set that does that, in three stages, and play it as a race.5 min readRead →
By subjectBringing History to Life with Timeline GamesHistory makes sense when students know what came before what. Five kinds of timeline question, a ready-to-use round with answers, and how to score a near miss fairly.4 min readRead →
By subjectQuizzes in Computer Science ClassTracing code, putting shuffled lines back in order, converting binary and busting myths: practical quiz questions for programming lessons, with the research on why reading code comes first.4 min readRead →Through the year
From the first week to the last day before a break.
Through the yearThe First Week: Quiz Icebreakers for a New ClassA first-week quiz breaks the ice, teaches the routine you will use all year and tells you about the class. A lesson plan, true-or-false questions about you, polls and team games.5 min readRead →
Through the yearGetting to Know a New Class with PollsWhat do your new students enjoy, how do they like to work, and what worries them? A ten-poll set that answers in minutes, what to do with each result, and how to keep it comfortable.4 min readRead →
Through the yearHolidays Around the World: A Quiz LessonA festive lesson that teaches: eight celebrations from around the world, what to ask about each, how to get the facts right, and how to let students share their own traditions.4 min readRead →
Through the yearBefore Winter Break: A Review That Feels Like a GameThe last lesson before a holiday is hard to teach, and the best time to review. Why a quiz beats rereading, a 45-minute plan, and how to start January from the results.4 min readRead →
Through the yearNew Year Reflection with Polls and a QuizStart the new year by looking back and looking ahead: polls on last term, two word clouds, goals written as if-then plans, and a just-for-fun quiz about the class itself.4 min readRead →Day to day
Fridays, cover lessons, the end of a lesson and sharing with colleagues.
Day to dayWhat to Leave for a Substitute TeacherA quiz is one of the easiest lessons to leave for cover. Three ways to hand it over, the note to leave on your desk, and how to choose a quiz that runs itself.4 min readRead →
Day to dayFriday Afternoon: Start the Lesson with a QuizFriday afternoon is the hardest slot of the week. Open with a short, lively quiz instead of saving the fun for the end. A five-minute formula, and rounds to borrow.4 min readRead →
Day to dayThe Last 10 Minutes of ClassThe end of a lesson is often lost to packing up. A three-question exit quiz and a confidence poll show what the class learned, and what it only thinks it learned.4 min readRead →
Day to daySharing Quizzes with ColleaguesTeachers in the same department write the same quizzes over and over. How to split the work, agree a few standards, share by email or link, choose who can edit, and print an answer key.4 min readRead →Universities and events
Big rooms: lecture halls, conferences and company events.
Universities and eventsKeeping a Lecture Hall AwakeIn a hall of two hundred, it is easy to listen to nothing. How lecturers use concept questions and polls on students’ phones to keep a big room thinking.4 min readRead →
Universities and eventsRunning a Quiz at a Conference or Large EventA live quiz can wake up a conference hall or rescue the slot after lunch. Where it fits in the programme, why polls steal the show, and a ten-minute run sheet.4 min readRead →At home and in the community
Quiz nights, family games and celebrations.
At home and in the communityHost a Pub Quiz at HomeAll a proper pub quiz at home needs is a big TV and everyone’s phones. A running order for five rounds, sample questions with answers, team tips and how to keep the arguments fun.4 min readRead →
At home and in the communityFamily Quiz NightA quiz night for the whole family, from the youngest reader to the grandparents. Keeping it simple, questions only your family can answer, polls that start the laughter and mixed-age teams.4 min readRead →
At home and in the communityA Wedding or Birthday Quiz About the Guests of HonourHow well do the guests really know the couple, or the birthday star? Gathering the stories, a question bank, photos, “who is more likely to” polls, and running it at the venue.4 min readRead →
At home and in the communityA Quiz About Your SchoolA quiz about your own school, full of photos of its corners and people, makes a great open day, parents’ evening or assembly. Question ideas, consent, and running it.4 min readRead →