Tiebreaker Quiz Questions

20th April 201820th April 2018
by Daniel Lassman

Think you need tiebreaker quiz questions? They can be the perfect way to decide any quiz… Picture this – The quiz is going great, teams are enjoying the evening, the sounds of laughter fill the room, along with hushed discussions over possible answers, the clink of glasses being raised and a general buzz of anticipation as teams wait expectantly for the next question… as the evening draws to a conclusion the tension rises in the room as thoughts turn to the possibility of winning the big prize and the kudos that comes from first place.

Are Tiebreaker Quiz Questions the only way?

The sheets are collected, the scores tallied and then, after this short interval the quiz host takes the mic once more and reveals the answers to each of the questions, to be greeted by cheers, groans and the odd complaint of “I told you that was the answer, why didn’t you write that down?” as the tension builds…. The host reveals that two teams managed the same total score… it’s a first-place tie!

If you run enough quizzes at some point you’ll encounter this situation from time to time (levels of drama may vary) and if you’re not prepared then you could turn a successful, fun and competitive evening into a damp squib and that’s what your teams will remember.

So, how do you deal with a tie? There are a few easy methods listed below but like everything, the trick is a little preparation in advance.

Split The Prize

Possibly the least satisfying of all the options – if first prize is cash or similar simply divide the prize by the number of winning teams.

Pros

Its quick
Every winning team wins something
Very little advance preparation required

Cons

Bit of a cop-out
There’s no entertainment for the other teams in the room
Lacks imagination
Can only be used if there’s a prize easily shared

The Classic Tiebreak Question

Typically, a question where even if the contestants don’t know the answer they can have a guess. The team who is closest to the answer wins. Therefore, the answer should be a date or numeric. Teams write the answer to this additional question on the back of their sheet.

For example, the date of birth of a celebrity, the seating capacity of a particular stadium, the fastest time a particular race was run, etc.

Pros

Provides a proper “finish” to the evening
Even teams not directly involved witness this end of quiz “drama”
Relatively quick
Its seen to be fair

Cons

You’ll need to prepare these question(s) in advance
Some answers may be contentious so think and word the question carefully – for example avoid data sources that “round the answer off” – check your answers with more than one source.

The List Game

A spokesperson from each team is invited to the mic. The game is played “sudden death” – you challenge them to identify from a range of possible answers, taking it in turn until one team in a round repeats an answer, hesitates or makes an incorrect guess.

Typical examples, “name a character from the TV series Friends”, “Name an American major League baseball team”, “name a Beatles top 10 UK single”, etc.

Pros

Possibly the most fun to watch
It’s a theatrical approach… add a little touch of “TV game show” to the evening
Cheers and groans from the teams

Cons

Possibly the most time consuming of the typical tie break so if the evening is running late it may not be as popular as you’d hope
You’ll need to do loads of preparation for this one
You’ll need a good memory and to concentrate
If your list is exhausted, you’ll need a second tiebreaker

Have fun with your quizzes and if you handle it right a tie can add to the fun rather than being an issue.