Guest Article: Six Steps to a Killer Quiz

Kristen King

www.inkthinkerblog.com — Back in December, we talked about what a great idea it is to write quizzes. And now, Hope Wilbanks shows us how to do it in six easy steps! This article is adapted from a two-part series. Click to see original parts 1 and 2. Reprinted with permission.

How to Write a Quiz in 6 Easy Steps
By Hope Wilbanks

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.

Now, so far I’ve shown you the first three steps to writing a great quiz. First, you chose the topic of your quiz. Next, you determined the reason for the quiz. Last, you decided what kind of quiz to write.

Now comes the fun part…writing your quiz. Ready? Let’s get started! Here are the final steps to writing your quiz.

Step 4: Write the questions.
Keeping the purpose of your quiz in mind, you will now write questions for your quiz. This is often the part where writers freeze up and quit. Don’t stop now!

Let’s say the topic of your quiz is house plants, and the purpose of the quiz is to determine whether or not your quizzer has a green thumb. Keeping this in mind, you might write questions like:

1. How often should you water an ivy?
2. Where is the best spot to place a potted plant?

TIP: If you are writing a True or False quiz, remember to write questions that have an affirmative answer (yes or no).

Step 5: Fill in the rest of the quiz.
After you’ve written all the questions for your quiz, you’ll need to go back fill it in. For example, if you are writing a multiple choice quiz, write 3-5 possible answers, making one of those the correct answer. If you are writing a quiz that will require the test-taker to score points, write statements that result in yes or no answers.

Using the example above, let’s plug multiple choice answers into one of the questions:
1. How often should you water an ivy?
a. Every week.
b. Every day.
c. Every hour.
d. Every three months.

TIP: Keep it simple, sweetie.

Step 6: Write the summary.
The end of your quiz should contain two parts: the results of the quiz and the call to action (the purpose of your quiz).

First, explain to the quizzer how to tally their results. Then give them the findings of their results. The final part of your summary should also contain a call to action. Now that they’ve taken the quiz and learned the results, what should they do now? Give your reader specific direction that they can take away from the quiz.

Using the house plant quiz sample above, the end of your quiz might contain the following results for quizzers:

If you answered mostly A’s, you have a green thumb. In fact, you probably have a house full of beautiful, blooming plants right now. Keep up the good job!

If you answered mostly B’s, you have a good chance of growing indoor plants. Sometimes you might forget to water your plants, but overall you’re able to maintain pretty plants. Remember to feed and water your plants regularly and your plants will love you forever.

If you answered mostly C’s, you should stay away from plants altogether. You’re most likely to neglect or kill even the toughest of greenery. Opt for live-like silk plants instead.

TIP: Keep your quiz fun and light. If your quiz is on a more serious topic, you might want to include some background research information in your summary.

Need copy? I can help revive and refresh old copy or write all new copy for your business. I specialize in copywriting articles, advertorials, Web content, blogs, newsletters and more. For more information on my copywriting services, or to view my rates, visit Hope Writes online at http://www.hopewrites.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hope_Wilbanks

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