How to Create Engaging Quizzes
Quizzes are still a content that attracts people's interest, as many quiz shows are still broadcast on television today. Quizzes are effective not only for entertainment, but also for training and learning in companies. However, some people may think, "I want to actually make a quiz," but may not know how to make one.
In this article, we will introduce a specific method for making quizzes. We will also explain the points to keep in mind before making a quiz, the question format, and tips for making a quiz.
Three points to keep in mind before making a quiz
When creating a quiz, keep the following three points in mind
Pay attention to the freshness and reliability of information.
When preparing questions, in addition to ensuring that the information is up-to-date, one should also check the reliability of the information. For example, it has long been said that "the Kamakura Shogunate was established in 1192," but today it is sometimes said that "the Kamakura Shogunate was established in 1185.
Since information is constantly changing, it is not uncommon to find cases in which what was once considered common knowledge is no longer common knowledge. Be aware that if you do not always check the latest information, it may affect the reliability of the quiz.
Only one correct answer is allowed.
To avoid frustrating the respondent, there should be only one correct answer. For example, if the quiz topic is "There are many theories about its origin," it would mean that there are multiple correct answers. This is not a good quiz because it will confuse the respondent.
Even if you think there is only one correct answer, it is important to check carefully whether there is really only one correct answer.
Make it moderately difficult.
Quizzes that are too difficult may result in a low response rate and may also lack excitement. Conversely, a quiz that is too low in difficulty may not be enjoyable for the respondent.
When creating a quiz, the contestant should consider the balance of difficulty so that the quiz is "difficult enough that it cannot be solved without a little thought.
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A Step-by-Step Guide to Making a Quiz
When creating a quiz, it is easier to create quality questions if you follow common steps. Here are those steps.
STEP 1] Decide on the objective.
First, decide on the purpose of your quiz. It is important to think about what you want to achieve with the quiz, rather than just creating a quiz blindly.
Common examples of purposes for creating quizzes are as follows
We want to create a good time for everyone.
I want to use it for in-house training
I want to check my level of understanding
Once the objectives have been determined, questions should be created according to the objectives. If you want to retain the content of the training, it is important to create questions whose answers are the items you want the participants to remember. If you simply want to create a fun time, such as a quiz contest, you can create questions based on the participants' preferences.
STEP2] Decide on the target.
In creating a quiz, it is essential to set the target audience. This is because the direction of the questions will change depending on the type of person you are quizzing.
For example, if a quiz is about "baseball," the respondents will not be able to enjoy the quiz if it is a maniac question for people who do not know anything about baseball. On the other hand, a person with extensive knowledge of baseball will appreciate a geeky question. Appropriate target setting is also important to determine the direction of the questions.
STEP3] Adjusting the difficulty level
After deciding on the purpose and target of the quiz, you can start creating questions. A quiz can be said to be of high quality if there is a wide variety of questions, from easy to difficult.
The difficulty level can be adjusted by the question text and answer choices, in addition to simply preparing difficult answers. For example, the following quiz, based on the premise that "Hokkaido is a large island," can be adjusted for difficulty by the choices.
Example of a case where you want to lower the difficulty level
Q: How many municipalities in Hokkaido? (as of April 2023)
1:1792:52
Example of increasing difficulty
Q: How many municipalities in Hokkaido? (as of April 2023)
1:1792:175
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Commonly Used Quiz Question Types
There are numerous types of question formats used when submitting quizzes. It is important to know which type is appropriate for your quiz when you are creating it. Here are three of the most commonly used quiz question types.
Fat or X questions
Fat/X questions are very often used as a quiz question format. It is an effective format for creating simple, yet profound questions. An example of a question is shown below.
Example Problem
The most populous prefecture in Japan is Tokyo, but the second most populous is Osaka. Fat or not?
When you ask a question where the correct answer is x, be prepared to explain why it is x. If you are not prepared to explain well, it will not be a quality quiz.
Choice Question
In the multiple-choice question format, the examinee is asked to choose the correct answer from a set of alternatives. Since the number of choices can be decided by the questioner, it is easy to adjust the level of difficulty. Examples of questions are as follows.
Sample question
Choose the correct sentence out of the following four.
1: The capital of Japan is Tokyo 2: The capital of Japan is Osaka 3: The capital of Japan is Kyoto 4: The capital of Japan is Aichi
In the case of multiple-choice questions, you can use various devices, such as "Choose two correct answers.
Short Answer Question
Short Answer questions are questions in which the respondent is asked to write down the correct answer without presenting any choices. Since there are no options like in the case of X/Y or multiple-choice questions, respondents tend to feel overloaded with the task. Examples of questions are as follows.
Sample question
What is the official name of the WBC?
Write why "operational efficiency" is important to the firm.
When submitting questions in writing, it is important to maintain fairness in scoring. Avoid having different scorers give different scores to the same answers.
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What are some tips on how to make a quiz?
To improve the quality of your questions, it is also important to know how to make a quiz. Keep the following two points in mind when creating your quiz.
Be careful not to make the questions too long.
If the question text is too long, the respondent will lose focus at the question text stage. To avoid putting extra stress on the respondent, keep the length of the question to an appropriate level.
As a rule of thumb, the maximum length of a question should be 50 words. It is also important to avoid sentences that are difficult to understand, such as sentences in which the subject appears more than once.
Unify the use of words and phrases.
Although it is a minor detail, it is important to unify the words and phrases used in the question and answer. For example, there are many words that tend to be written in different ways, such as "computer" and "computers.
From a nervous person's point of view, it is not uncommon for such minor differences to bother them and cause them to lose focus. Make sure that all notations are unified to avoid any confusion.
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It is important to manage the product after it is made
While it is important to create good questions, it is also important to grade and manage grades when using quizzes for in-house training. Especially when incorporating quizzes into e-learning training programs, "management" is the key.
Simply preparing questions is not enough to grasp the level of understanding of the respondents. Instead of "making questions and calling it a day," the creator of the quiz should make sure to check how the members are performing on the quiz.
By analyzing the results and highlighting each respondent's strengths and weak points that need to be overcome, this will also lead to more efficient human resource development.
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Take the Trial Quiz!
Based on what we have seen so far, we have prepared a trial quiz. There will be a total of 5 quizzes. Please take the challenge.
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SUMMARY
If you want to create high quality quiz questions, it is important to understand the points to be pressed in advance and to determine the purpose and target audience. Be careful not to make the questions too long, and try to create questions that are friendly to the respondents.
If you want to use quizzes for in-house training, etc., we recommend the e-learning system "learningBOX.
learningBOX is equipped with essential functions for in-house training, such as creating and distributing content including quizzes and managing participants. Courses can be designed according to training content, and tests to check employee proficiency can be easily implemented. The system's simple operability and reasonable price have been well received, and many companies have adopted it for their in-house training programs. We also offer a free plan that allows you to use almost all functions, so please feel free to contact us for more information.
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