GeneralAges 12+15 questions

General Knowledge Quiz

A bit of everything: science, art, books, geography, maths and sport. This general knowledge quiz is a good all-rounder for a pub night, a family evening or a classroom warm-up, starting easy and getting trickier.

Read the questions and answers here, or host the quiz live: put it on a big screen and let everyone answer on their own phones, with points for speed and a podium at the end.

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The questions

  1. 1.How many days are there in a leap year?

    • A364
    • B365
    • C366
    • D367
    Show the answer

    366. A leap year adds 29 February, giving 366 days instead of 365.

  2. 2.How many sides does a hexagon have?

    • AFive
    • BSix
    • CSeven
    • DEight
    Show the answer

    Six. A hexagon has six sides; honeycomb cells are a famous example.

  3. 3.Who painted the Mona Lisa?

    • ALeonardo da Vinci
    • BMichelangelo
    • CRaphael
    • DVincent van Gogh
    Show the answer

    Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa in the early 1500s; it hangs in the Louvre in Paris.

  4. 4.At sea level, pure water boils at 100°C.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    True. At normal sea-level air pressure, pure water boils at 100°C (212°F).

  5. 5.Who wrote the play Romeo and Juliet?

    • ACharles Dickens
    • BJane Austen
    • CChristopher Marlowe
    • DWilliam Shakespeare
    Show the answer

    William Shakespeare. Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet in the 1590s.

  6. 6.In which country are the ancient pyramids of Giza?

    • AEgypt
    • BMexico
    • CGreece
    • DIraq
    Show the answer

    Egypt. The pyramids of Giza stand just outside Cairo and are over 4,500 years old.

  7. 7.Which is the largest ocean on Earth by area?

    • AThe Atlantic Ocean
    • BThe Pacific Ocean
    • CThe Indian Ocean
    • DThe Arctic Ocean
    Show the answer

    The Pacific Ocean. The Pacific covers about a third of Earth's surface, more than all the land put together.

  8. 8.A spider is an insect.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    False. Spiders are arachnids: they have eight legs, while insects have six.

  9. 9.What is the chemical symbol for gold?

    • AAu
    • BAg
    • CGo
    • DGd
    Show the answer

    Au. Au comes from aurum, the Latin word for gold. Ag is silver.

  10. 10.How many players does each side have on the pitch in a football (soccer) match?

    • ANine
    • BTen
    • CEleven
    • DTwelve
    Show the answer

    Eleven. Each team fields eleven players, including the goalkeeper.

  11. 11.What is the square root of 144?

    • A12
    • B11
    • C14
    • D16
    Show the answer

    12. 12 × 12 = 144, so the square root of 144 is 12.

  12. 12.At what temperature does water freeze on the Fahrenheit scale?

    • A0°F
    • B32°F
    • C100°F
    • D212°F
    Show the answer

    32°F. Water freezes at 32°F, which is 0°C.

  13. 13.Which scientist developed the theory of relativity?

    • AIsaac Newton
    • BCharles Darwin
    • CMarie Curie
    • DAlbert Einstein
    Show the answer

    Albert Einstein. Einstein published special relativity in 1905 and general relativity in 1915.

  14. 14.How many keys does a standard modern piano have?

    • A66
    • B76
    • C88
    • D96
    Show the answer

    88. A standard piano has 88 keys: 52 white and 36 black.

  15. 15.Which gas makes up most of the air in Earth's atmosphere?

    • AOxygen
    • BCarbon dioxide
    • CArgon
    • DNitrogen
    Show the answer

    Nitrogen. Nitrogen makes up about 78% of the air; oxygen is about 21%.

Play it live, everyone on their phones

Put the questions on a big screen, share the PIN, and the leaderboard keeps score. Change any question first — it becomes your own quiz.