Quizzing is often viewed as an inaccessible, high-brow activity. However, the only prerequisite to start quizzing is a willingness to learn. There is no such thing as a “quizzer” — quizzing is, quite simply, an activity anyone can decide to take up at any point of time.
At its best, quizzing isn’t about recollection of arcane trivia. The joy of working out a question from clues thoughtfully scattered to lead one to the answer is far greater than that of simply recollecting a fact locked away in your brain. A good quiz question makes you think and take educated guesses. If a question does not make you think, it has not served its purpose.
Although quizzing in India has come a long way from its initial iterations in the 1970s (courtesy the legendary Neil O’Brien), the fundamentals remain the same. To begin with, start reading the newspaper. Pick any newspaper of your choice and read it thoroughly and regularly.
Keeping abreast with current affairs will do half the work for you. Note down interesting facts for reference. Pick up the habit of reading. Read anything you can get your hands on — fiction, non-fiction, biographies, magazines. Every line of seemingly irrelevant information you read will find its purpose one way or the other. Read for the sake of knowledge.
Quiz clubs
Join the quiz club at your school or college. If you don’t have one, take the initiative to make one. This is how many of the best quiz clubs of this country started. Further, most major cities have city-wide quiz clubs which are open to all ages.
Participating and discussing with like-minded curious souls will help you learn and keep up-to-date with developments and upcoming events.
Create your own quizzes as PowerPoint presentations. Frame questions by putting interesting information in the form of a paragraph. Add relevant media such as pictures, videos and audio clips. Challenge your friends. This serves as an excellent learning process.
There are many quiz groups on Facebook and Yahoo Groups dedicated to quizzing. These groups post daily questions and details of upcoming quizzes. Join these groups to stay updated.
Start attending quiz competitions. Sit through them and attempt the questions even if you haven’t qualified. Observe the process and look up any questions and topics that pique your interest.
When participating in quizzes, find a teammate who complements your knowledge and skill set. This way, you are more likely to cover a larger pool of knowledge.
Once you begin quizzing, it is natural to stick to some topics that you feel comfortable with. However, make a conscious effort to step out of your comfort zone. It can be extremely rewarding to delve into unfamiliar topics and discover the unknown.
Lastly, be more mindful and observant of your surroundings. Everything and everyone around you has a story. Sometimes the most fascinating stories come from places we least expect. Quizzing is only a means, not an end in itself. Enjoy the process and stay curious!
List of quizzes for school students: Bournvita Quiz Contest, TCS IT Wiz, The Hindu Young World School Quiz Contest, Jack Kilby Science and Technology Quiz, CBSE India Heritage Quiz Contest, INTACH Heritage Quiz, RBI Finance Quiz, Times NIE Fundamental, Thomas Cook Travel Quiz, Pearson Quiz Champs, KISA (ICSE Schools Association Quiz), NSE Funancial Quest School Quiz List of quizzes for college students: Tata Crucible Campus Quiz, NTPC Campus Quiz, Mahindra Auto-Quotient, Swedish Nobel Memorial Quiz, AIMA National Management Quiz, ConQuest Quiz, College festivals of NITs/IITs/BITS/IIMs/NLUs etc., city-based Quiz Clubs: Karnataka Quiz Association (Bangalore), Boat Club Quiz Club (Pune), K-Circle (Hyderabad), Bombay Quiz Club, Kutub Quizzers (Delhi); Online quizzing groups: fb.com/groups/quiiz,fb.com/groups/Quizlings (for school students), fb.com/groups/Quizician
Sources for interesting information: Websites: Wikipedia, Khan Academy, Encyclopedia Britannica, curiosity.com, mentalfloss.com, HowStuffWorks; Books: Manorama Yearbook, Hindu Young World Quiz Books, Derek O'Brien Quiz Books; YouTube Channels: Vsauce, TED-Ed, CrashCourse.
Sachin Ravi is is the co-founder of a knowledge deliverance company based in Bengaluru.
