How Long Should A Quiz Run?

Introduction

The duration of a quiz is a critically important element in the success of any quiz. To be compelling and engaging the duration needs to be of a consistent and moderate length.

The venue should dictate the length of each quiz – to fit with staffing levels and spending patterns. It then becomes the host’s responsibility to manage the event accordingly.

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Duration and Scheduling

Most regular Qwizard events last between 2 and 2.5 hours. For an event beginning at 7 pm, our experience shows that anything later than 9.30 pm may draw complaints.

Firstly, it is important to begin the quiz at the scheduled time. This may require the host to train the teams to arrive promptly.

Your host should be able to keep an event on track by scheduling several trigger points or performing a simple clock check at 2-round intervals.

Example

As an example, a 2.25-hour target for a regular 8-round Qwizard event involves the following breakdown:

  • 45 seconds display of each question (or 7.5 minutes to present each 10-question round)
  • 5 minutes of scoring between each round
  • 2.5 minutes to present each round of answers (or 15 seconds each)
  • 10-minute drinks break
  • 5 minutes presentation of winners
  • TOTAL: 2.25 hours

Process

A critical part of achieving your target duration is the receiving of answer sheets after each round. Your host needs to have a firm process in place to collect the answer sheets promptly and score them without disruption. For larger events, which may demand a longer scoring process, your host should respond by delivering each question or each answer slightly faster.

Fundraising Quizzes

A one-off quiz, which Qwizard typically provides with 6 rounds, often includes fundraising activities. An experienced host should discuss these requirements with the organisers and arrange a quiz around these activities while still endeavouring to achieve the customer’s desired duration.

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