Braingle: Forums: Trivia and Quizzes

Public Forums >> Trivia and Quizzes >>

Forum Rules View Watchlist Post Reply

Skip to Page: 1 2 Next

Quizmaking Tips

Author

Message

brainster

Panthera Tigris
Posts: 16311

Posted: 10:00AM Oct 1, 2007

As proposed by Hrsemn, here is a topic for our quiz makers to share tips for good quiz making. Feel free to post suggestions and tips for other Brainglers on how they can make their quiz submissions more effective and get good quiz creator grades.

To keep the topic clean and easy to read, I request everyone to kindly not post anything other than tips. Don't post thank you notes to people whose tips worked for you, for example. This will only clutter the topic and will not help quiz makers to read information quickly.

A big thanks in advance to all who will contribute to this topic, and in doing so, will contribute to making the Trivia section bigger and better.

And of course a big thanks to Hrsemn for coming up with the idea.

The tools of the mind can be wrongly used, but the mind possesses no wrong tools.

View Profile Send PM Visit Wiki

Post from Hrsemn4 deleted on 10:17PM Oct 25, 2007.

froggygg

Magical Sorceress Frog
Posts: 6154

Posted: 11:00AM Oct 1, 2007

Hrsemn, that is a great tip! I receive so many quizzes that do not include any reference sites at all. This adds on lots of extra time needed for these quizzes to be verified and processed out of the QM queue. Many times, I have been unable to locate sufficient information to even verify the questions/answers and have to return it to the submitter with a request for reference links.

I have had the pleasure of reviewing some of your quizzes and commend you on your references and the ease of verifying your information. Keep up the fantastic work!

SMILE and people will wonder what you are up to!

View Profile Send PM Visit Wiki

Post from Hrsemn4 deleted on 10:17PM Oct 25, 2007.

4demo

∑F = ma
Posts: 989

Posted: 03:55PM Oct 1, 2007

This is really just common sense and not even an actual quiz making tip, but I just thought I'd mention it. When you submit your quiz, it's never a good idea to have rude comments in the Note to QM section, even ones asking them to please hurry up and get your quiz approved. Of course, good comments (such as thank-yous for finding mistakes and working diligently to help Braingle) are always a nice touch; they don't get your quiz approved faster or anything, but it's nice when a QM receives a short and friendly note in recognition of their efforts. Try to think about what you're saying to the QM before you send the quiz.

"Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or a politics of hope?" - Barack Obama | "If I have seen farther than others, it is because I was standing on the shoulders of giants." - Isaac Newton | Example of understatement: Smithy is amazing.

View Profile Send PM Visit Wiki

solarsistim321

Posts: 953

Posted: 04:11PM Oct 1, 2007

Also, always preview your quiz before submitting. You find so many grammar and spelling errors it will really help to reduce the chances of it getting returned.

Give me WoW or give me death!

View Profile Send PM

LeafFan4life

Posts: 866

Posted: 04:17PM Oct 1, 2007

Use the proofreading tool to your advantage. There are many friendly Brainglers willing to assist you if you need help.

---This message was edited on 04:17PM Oct 1, 2007---

View Profile Send PM Visit Wiki

Winner4600

♥ tango.
Posts: 465

Posted: 05:18PM Oct 1, 2007

Also common sense... I think?

Remember that trivia quizzes are NOT to be written in "chatspeak" - so submiting quizes that are all lowercase w/ speling errors and poor punctuation will not get your quiz accepted no matter how much you beg in the comments section even if your facts are all extremely accurate ok

Back to normal formatting... you cannot believe the amount of quizzes that come on site with worse mechanics than the above (as you might see, I'm not that great at faking it...) If I may give an example: There was one quiz that came completely shorthand and grammar-free. It was returned, asking the creator to check spelling, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation. The submitter fixed most of the spelling and sent it back. It was returned again, asking the creator to check spelling, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation. The submitter fixed some of the punctuation and sent it back... and it has been returned again.

The point? Listen to what the QMs say, and don't rush to get your quiz back in the queue, because that's just a week that you could have spent touching up your quiz.

Please vote for phrebh as the next Science QM! ** Are you a trivia buff? Join "1 vs. 100" to put your intellect to the test. *** I'm a proud Ravenclaw in Trillionaire's "Godric's Hollow" talkbox. HARRY POTTER - Trivia, Games, & Roleplay! Join today!

View Profile Send PM Visit Wiki

4demo

∑F = ma
Posts: 989

Posted: 07:00PM Oct 1, 2007

Also, be sure to make sure you're submitting to the proper category and subcategory if applicable. I got a quiz about a movie in History, which I sent back (but it also had numerous spelling/grammar errors, which goes back to what's been said above). If you're unsure of a category or stuck between two or more reasonable possibilities, post in the Ask Ed or Trivia forum.

View Profile Send PM Visit Wiki

dolphingurl12

Posts: 4476

Posted: 07:39PM Oct 1, 2007

If you feel that a series of quizzes are beginning to reduce in quality or enjoyment of the quiztakers, quit making them. Don't keep making a series just because there's more information to be quizzed about if they aren't maintaining a good rating.

It only takes 20 years for a liberal to become a conservative without changing a single idea. - Robert Anton Wilson [I'm a Ravenclaw in Trillionaire's "Godric's Hollow" talkbox. HARRY POTTER - Trivia, Games, & Roleplay! Join today!]

View Profile Send PM Visit Wiki

solarsistim321

Posts: 953

Posted: 07:48PM Oct 1, 2007

Or, opposite dolphingurl, if they're doing well continue a series. Or just do it because it's what you like!

---This message was edited on 07:48PM Oct 1, 2007---

Give me WoW or give me death!

View Profile Send PM

4demo

∑F = ma
Posts: 989

Posted: 03:24PM Oct 2, 2007

Actually, I suggest a balance between dolphin and solar's arguments. If you're starting a series, continue it as long as the ratings are reasonably good (a rating below 1 probably isn't a good sign) and if you enjoy it. DO NOT MAKE A LONG SERIES JUST FOR POINTS/AWARDS - that's never a good idea, especially since it probably won't result in great ratings. Also, if the ratings aren't too good, try to ask in the Comments section why. Maybe the topic's pretty interesting, but the quiz is just too hard or it lacks good explanations. Those small things make a difference.

View Profile Send PM Visit Wiki

Post from Hrsemn4 deleted on 10:17PM Oct 25, 2007.

lukeschett

Posts: 694

Posted: 09:23PM Oct 18, 2007

Proofreading is very important, but it doesn't always work perfectly.

This signature is better than your signature. It's true.

View Profile Send PM Visit Wiki

brainster

Panthera Tigris
Posts: 16311

Posted: 08:16AM Oct 29, 2007

I saw this comment while I was reviewing a quiz, and thought I should clarify why this happens:

While I agree that all the mistakes found were in need of correcting, it would be to everyone's benifit if the quizmasters worked together to find ALL mistakes the first time around. I don't understand why all mistakes aren't found at the same time.

Mistakes are not all found on the first instance because -

1. The quiz leaves the queue as soon as enough QMs have reviewed it. It might be that the QM who is sending you comments on the second round didn't even get a chance to see it when your quiz made its first round.

2. Because of the same issue listed above, the same set of QMs is not reviewing your quiz at every return. Also, we don't see the past comments sent to you and need to treat each review as a fresh one, unless we did a review earlier ourselves, and remember it.

3. Lastly, it is very possible that we missed something out the first time, and on finding it, are telling you about it the second time.

The tools of the mind can be wrongly used, but the mind possesses no wrong tools.

View Profile Send PM Visit Wiki

swtcookie7195

Posts: 9

Posted: 08:50PM Nov 16, 2007

You should always use proofreading, but remember that if u don't want to make a certain change. Remember to always double-check your quiz before submitting it.

Finding a friendship like our is like nailing jello to a tree...Impossible! =]

View Profile Send PM Visit Wiki

4demo

∑F = ma
Posts: 989

Posted: 12:18PM Dec 29, 2007

If your question is in multiple choice format, please double-check to be sure you have selected the correct answer. Sometimes, quiz creators may forget to select the correct answer, and the first answer is selected by default, even if that's not the right answer.

View Profile Send PM Visit Wiki

Post from dswilborn deleted on 09:33AM Feb 13, 2008.

grilledcheese