Wednesday, June 20, 2007

How to Write a Quiz in 6 Easy Steps - Part 1

So you want to write a quiz, but you aren't sure how or where to begin? No problem! I'm going to show you a step-by-step formula that will make writing quizzes as easy as pie.

Step 1: Choose your topic.

Before you begin writing a quiz, you need to settle on a topic. What will be the subject of your quiz? You can write quizzes on just about anything. But you should never start until you know what your topic will be.

Got your hot topic? Good, let's move on to the next step.

TIP: Choose a topic that is "hot" and you'll generate lots of immediate interest.

Step 2: Determine the purpose.

Now that you know what you're going to write a quiz about, it's time to decide what the point of your quiz will be. What purpose will the quiz have? Is it to test the quizzer's knowledge about a certain subject? Will you help the quizzer determine if they are ready for something in particular?

Every quiz should have a purpose. If yours doesn't, then maybe you should start back at the beginning and choose a different topic. Do not move to the third step until you have a topic and purpose.

TIP: The purpose of your quiz should be to answer a specific question that your reader has.

Step 3: Decide what type of quiz to write.

As you already know, there are a variety of quizzes. Do you want to write a multiple choice quiz? Or maybe you want to write a True or False quiz. How about a quiz that allows the reader to answer on a sliding scale?

In addition to deciding what type of quiz you'll write, you need to determine how many questions your quiz should have. Most quizzes contain 5, 7, or 10 questions. If you're new at writing quizzes and still unsure, start with a 5-question quiz.

TIP: What type of quiz do you enjoy taking? Write that kind of quiz first.

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