|
QUESTION SETTING GUIDELINES |
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO (advice for new question setters) |
|||||||||
|
All teams will set the questions for at least one week’s league matches and one set of knockout matches during the season. |
|||||||||
|
A question-setting rota is published on the league website at the start of the season; it is the responsibility of each team to find out when they are due to set the questions. |
|||||||||
|
Teams are advised to prepare their questions well in advance of the quiz: last-minute setting is likely to produce poor questions. |
|||||||||
|
Questions should be printed, not handwritten, and the answer must be clearly separated from the question (using a margin, shading, underlining or by putting the answer on a separate line). To aid legibility, please use a font size of 10 or greater. |
|||||||||
|
Downloadable Microsoft Word® question templates are available for league questions and knockout questions. |
|||||||||
|
Ten copies of the questions, each in an unsealed envelope, should be delivered to Dave Badley, c/o The Tiviot Hotel at least seven days before they are to be used. |
|||||||||
|
Question format for league matches |
|||||||||
|
The quiz consists of four rounds: Round 1: 30 paired (see Pairing below), verbally-answered questions (15 for each team). Round 2: 10 questions for which both teams provide written answers. Round 3: as for round 1. Round 4: as for round 2. You should also include at least five ‘spare’ questions. These need not be paired. |
|||||||||
|
Question format for knockout matches |
|||||||||
|
The format is essentially the same as for league matches, with one major difference: the verbally-answered questions need not be paired. |
|||||||||
|
Teams choose questions randomly by ‘picking a number’ (between 1 and 30 in round 1 and between 41 and 70 in round 3). |
|||||||||
|
Please include a third, ten-question written round (for use as a tie-breaker in the event of a draw) and a ‘nearest-the-bull’ tie-breaker: |
|||||||||
|
e.g. “As of 1st May 2009 what is the maximum seating capacity of the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester?” (Answer: 2,341). |
|||||||||
|
The nearest-the-bull question should not be too obscure: it should allow teams to have a ‘reasonable stab’ at the answer, rather than being a wild guess. |
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
QUESTION SETTING (advice for all question setters) |
|||||||||
|
Accuracy |
|||||||||
|
Check that the given answer is correct. Also ensure that it is the only possible correct answer to the question. |
|||||||||
|
For example, the question “What is the collective noun for giraffes?” has at least ten, equally correct answers (tower, corps, herd, group, stretch, troop, group, kindergarten, journey and totter). |
|||||||||
|
Ask other members of your team to proof read the questions, checking answers and spelling. |
|||||||||
|
Errors can be found in any book/website: never write a question using information from a single source. |
|||||||||
|
Many websites contain downloadable questions; tempting though it may be, do not plagiarise these: not only do they often contain mistakes, but it can give a team whose members happen to have read the same questions an unfair advantage. |
|||||||||
|
Facts can change between a question being written and being asked: records can be broken, people can change jobs, a country may adopt a new currency etc. Where appropriate qualify the question with a date, e.g. “As at 21 November 2005, who is the Shadow Education Secretary?”1 |
|||||||||
|
Pairing |
|||||||||
|
In league matches the verbally-answered questions (rounds 1 and 3) should be paired: for each question a team is asked, their opponents should be asked a question on the same subject and of similar difficulty. |
|||||||||
|
Ensure pairings are correct: one of each pair should be an odd numbered question, the other even. |
|||||||||
|
Don’t be too obvious with pairings: this can give an unfair advantage to the team getting the second of a pair, allowing them to predict the question they are likely to receive (and therefore to begin working ’in advance’ on the answer). |
|||||||||
|
For example, if you ask “What was Eric Morecambe’s real surname?” do not ask the other team for Ernie Wise’s real surname2. |
|||||||||
|
Pairs should be of similar difficulty. If you ask one team for the capital of France do not ask their opponents for the capital of Kiribati3. |
|||||||||
|
Put your questions to other members of your team; ask whether the pairs seem equally difficult. Two questions which are equally hard in the opinion of the question setter may appear very unbalanced to others. |
|||||||||
|
Content |
|||||||||
|
Remember that there is a vast range of subjects on which to ask questions: quiz league players have many different interests and are not (quite) exclusively male and over forty. |
|||||||||
|
To get as broad a range of subjects as possible get several team members to contribute questions. |
|||||||||
|
Don’t make the questions too hard. This is the Stockport Quiz League, not University Challenge, and is meant to be a fun night out! |
|||||||||
|
As a general rule of thumb all teams should be able to answer at least half the questions correctly (i.e. aggregate scores should not be lower than 80). |
|||||||||
|
It is advisable to avoid a large number of questions on ‘obscure’ subjects, so questions should fall mainly under the category of general, rather than specialised, knowledge. |
|||||||||
|
Try to avoid a “never heard of him/her/it” response once the answer has been revealed. Similarly, do not make the questions too easy. |
|||||||||
|
Ambiguity |
|||||||||
|
Make sure the wording of a question makes it absolutely clear as to the answer required. |
|||||||||
|
For example: “Who was the first US President born in the 20th century?” probably means “Who was the first man to hold the office of US President and have been born in the 20th century?” (John F. Kennedy, b. 1917), but it could also mean “Who was the first man born in the 20th century who went on to become US President”? (Lyndon B. Johnson, b. 1908). |
|||||||||
|
The required answer must be concise: teams should be able to answer in a few words at most. Do not set questions which require long or complicated answers. |
|||||||||
|
These can place an unfair burden on the question master (QM), who may have to adjudicate as to whether a team has given an answer which is ‘correct enough’. |
|||||||||
|
If you require a specific answer (e.g. ‘tenor saxophone’ rather than just ‘saxophone’) then make this clear in the question. |
|||||||||
|
Avoid questions that begin “What is the difference between...?” or “Why...?”. |
|||||||||
|
Unless otherwise specified, teams need only give the surname to answer correctly a question asking for the name of a person. |
|||||||||
|
Therefore if there is more than one feasible answer with the same surname—there have been several composers called Strauss—it must be specified in the question that a first name is also required. |
|||||||||
|
Multiple answers |
|||||||||
|
Teams have only thirty seconds in which to answer. Therefore it is unreasonable to ask for a multiple-part answer (such as the names of the last five Presidents of France4). |
|||||||||
|
It also makes it comparatively easy for a team’s opponents to identify any mistake(s) in the given answer. If you want to ask a question with multiple answers do so as an early question in one of the written rounds. |
|||||||||
|
Connections/Themed rounds |
|||||||||
|
These must only be used in the first written round. It should be clearly marked on the question paper that there is a connection/theme. |
|||||||||
|
Do not make question ten: “What is the connection between the first nine answers?” |
|||||||||
|
If using a connection which relates in some way to the first letter(s) of each answer or the names of people, be aware that teams may answer questions by giving only the surname. |
|||||||||
|
Parochial Questions |
|||||||||
|
This is the Stockport and District Quiz League: not every team has an intimate knowledge of central Stockport or Stockport County F.C., so parochial questions should be avoided (or used sparingly). |
|||||||||
|
Novelty/Guesswork Questions |
|||||||||
|
Do not use questions such as “How many teeth does a mosquito have?” (they don’t have teeth) or “How high is the Eiffel Tower?” (320.75 ± 0.15 metres, depending on the temperature). |
|||||||||
|
Whilst fun to ask, they are not fun to answer and very often have more than one correct answer. |
|||||||||
|
Similarly, do not ask trick, true/false or either/or questions. |
|||||||||
|
Oscars |
|||||||||
|
Be careful when setting questions on Academy Award winners: confusion can arise due to the discrepancy between the year a film is released and the year it receives an Oscar. |
|||||||||
|
Films usually receive awards in the February/March of the year after that for which the award is given. For example The Godfather won the 1972 Oscar for Best Picture but actually received the award in March 1973. Consequently many sources refer to it (incorrectly) as the winner of the 1973 Best Film Oscar. |
|||||||||
|
Therefore it is advisable to phrase the question in unambiguous terms: this is easily achieved by including extra information in the form of the name of an actor, director or film. |
|||||||||
|
For example, instead of asking “Who won the 1973 Best Actress Oscar?” ask “Who won the 1973 Best Actress Oscar for her performance in A Touch of Class?”5 |
|||||||||
|
Biological taxonomy |
|||||||||
|
Be careful when asking questions along the lines of “To which plant family does...belong?”. The word ‘family’ in taxonomy has a specific meaning, which is very different to its every day use. |
|||||||||
|
For example, garlic is often said to be a member of the lily family; it isn’t. It is a member of the Alliaceae family which is in the same class of plants (Liliopsida) as the Liliaceae family (which contains true lilies). |
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
Final checklist |
|||||||||
|
Immediately before printing and delivering your questions check that: |
|||||||||
|
|
There are: |
two rounds (1 and 3) of 30 correctly paired, verbal questions |
|||||||
|
|
Question numbering and pairing is correct: for league matches each question in rounds 1 and 3 should have a corresponding pair on the same subject and of similar difficulty (one should be an odd number, the other even).
The question paper has been checked for errors by a third party.
You are absolutely certain the answer given for every question is correct and is the only acceptable answer to the question.
The questions cover a wide range of subjects to suit players of different ages, gender and interests and are of appropriate difficulty. |
||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
ASKING QUESTIONS |
|||||||||
|
It is the responsibility of the home team to provide a question master (QM). |
|||||||||
|
If the home team has six or fewer players (including QM) and the away team has seven or more it is customary (although not compulsory) for the away team to offer to provide a QM. |
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
Answers to questions 1 David Cameron (see how things can change?) 2 Bartholomew and Wiseman respectively 3 Paris(!) and South Tarawa 4 Sarkozy, Chirac, Mitterand, Giscard-d’Estaing, Pompidou 5 Glenda Jackson
|
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
Page updated Friday 14 October 2011 |
|
||||||||