How to get better at general knowledge quizzes

General knowledge is less about memorising encyclopaedias and more about building a wide, loose web of facts that connect to each other. Here is how to grow that web and use it well in a quiz.

Read the explanation, not just the answer

Every Pop Quiz question shows a short explanation after you answer. Those few extra facts are where most of the learning happens. Knowing that Canberra was built as a compromise between Sydney and Melbourne makes the answer much easier to remember than the name alone.

Use elimination

With four options, you rarely need to know the answer outright. Rule out the options you are sure are wrong. Going from four choices to two doubles your chance of being right.

Pick a topic each week

Pop Quiz has nine topics: General Knowledge, Science, History, Geography, Sports, Mythology, Technology, Culture and Maths. Choosing one weak topic each week and playing it daily is a steady way to fill gaps.

Connect facts to places and dates

• Link events to a year you already know (Indian independence in 1947 is a useful anchor).
• Picture where things are on a map: rivers, capitals and mountains stick better that way.
• Group related facts: the Mughal emperors in order, the planets from the Sun, the Grand Slam tennis events.

Little and often beats cramming

Five questions a day, every day, will teach you more over a month than a single long session. Your first attempt at each topic every day earns points, so it is also a nice way to build your streak.