Pub Quiz Questions and Answers

Pick a pack, print it, and use the separate answer sheet for marking. Rounds are sorted by category and difficulty.

Pack 1Pack 2Pack 3

Round 1: General Knowledge

  1. How many players are on the pitch for one side in a football match? (Easy)
  2. What does 'www' stand for in a website address? (Easy)
  3. What is the capital city of Australia? (Easy)
  4. Which planet is closest to the Sun? (Easy)
  5. Which shape has three sides? (Easy)
  6. In Cluedo, how many weapons are there in the classic UK edition? (Medium)
  7. In which year did the Channel Tunnel open? (Medium)
  8. Which famous ship sank on its maiden voyage in April 1912? (Medium)
  9. How many minutes are there in a full day? (Medium)
  10. In which year was the first email sent? (Hard)

Round 2: History

  1. Who was the first woman to become Prime Minister of the UK? (Medium)
  2. Which plague devastated England in 1348–49? (Medium)
  3. Which Celtic queen led a revolt against the Romans in Britain around AD 60? (Medium)
  4. In which city was President John F. Kennedy assassinated in 1963? (Medium)
  5. Which document did King John seal in 1215? (Medium)
  6. Which queen reigned for over 63 years and gave her name to an era in the 1800s? (Medium)
  7. What was the name of the Soviet satellite launched in 1957, the first in orbit? (Medium)
  8. The Wars of the Roses were fought between the houses of Lancaster and which other house? (Medium)
  9. Which ancient wonder stood in the harbour of Rhodes? (Hard)
  10. What was the name of the 1381 uprising led by Wat Tyler? (Hard)

Round 3: Geography

  1. What is the longest river in the United Kingdom? (Easy)
  2. What is the highest mountain in the UK? (Easy)
  3. What is the capital city of Northern Ireland? (Easy)
  4. Which is the longest river in the world, by most common measurements? (Medium)
  5. What is the capital of Iceland? (Medium)
  6. What is the smallest country in the world by area? (Medium)
  7. What is the capital of Australia's state of Victoria? (Medium)
  8. What is the capital of Canada's province of British Columbia? (Hard)
  9. What is the capital of New Zealand? (Hard)
  10. What is the capital of Turkey? (Hard)

Round 4: Science

  1. Which organ pumps blood around the body? (Easy)
  2. What do bees collect from flowers to make honey? (Easy)
  3. Which scientist developed the theory of general relativity? (Medium)
  4. Which English naturalist wrote On the Origin of Species? (Medium)
  5. What is the hardest natural substance? (Medium)
  6. Who is credited with inventing the telephone in 1876? (Medium)
  7. Which element has the atomic number 1? (Medium)
  8. Which vitamin does the skin make when exposed to sunlight? (Medium)
  9. What is the lightest metal? (Hard)
  10. Which planet has the shortest day? (Hard)

Round 5: Sport

  1. In which sport do teams compete for the Ashes? (Easy)
  2. Which London venue hosts the Wimbledon Championships? (Easy)
  3. How many players are in a rugby union team on the pitch? (Easy)
  4. In which sport is the Calcutta Cup contested? (Medium)
  5. In which city is the football stadium known as the Camp Nou? (Medium)
  6. In which year were the first modern Olympic Games held? (Medium)
  7. Which golf venue in Scotland is known as the 'Home of Golf'? (Medium)
  8. Which British city hosted the 2014 Commonwealth Games? (Medium)
  9. What is the length of a cricket pitch between the stumps? (Hard)
  10. Which country won the first FIFA World Cup in 1930? (Hard)

Round 6: Music

  1. Which Swedish group won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 with 'Waterloo'? (Easy)
  2. Which Liverpool band recorded 'Hey Jude'? (Easy)
  3. Which instrument did jazz great Louis Armstrong famously play? (Easy)
  4. How many members were in the Spice Girls? (Easy)
  5. What is the Italian musical term for 'very loud'? (Medium)
  6. Which instrument is Jacqueline du Pré famous for playing? (Medium)
  7. Which musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber features the song 'Memory'? (Medium)
  8. What do the letters in the band name 'UB40' refer to? (Hard)
  9. What is the highest standard female singing voice? (Hard)
  10. Which Sheffield band had a 1995 hit with 'Common People'? (Hard)

Round 7: Film & TV

  1. Which boy wizard has a lightning-shaped scar? (Easy)
  2. What is the name of the Hogwarts house whose founder was Salazar? (Easy)
  3. What type of creature is Shrek? (Easy)
  4. Which actor plays the bumbling Mr Bean? (Medium)
  5. In 'Only Fools and Horses', what is Del Boy's surname? (Medium)
  6. Which Disney film features the song 'Let It Go'? (Medium)
  7. Which spy thriller author created George Smiley? (Medium)
  8. Which village is the setting of Emmerdale? (Medium)
  9. Which 1981 British film about Olympic runners won Best Picture? (Hard)
  10. In 'Fawlty Towers', what nationality is the waiter Manuel? (Hard)

Round 8: Food & Drink

  1. What is the main ingredient of hummus? (Easy)
  2. What is the main ingredient of a traditional omelette? (Easy)
  3. Which town in Leicestershire is famous for its pork pies? (Medium)
  4. Which drink is made by fermenting pears? (Medium)
  5. Which cake is traditionally eaten with afternoon tea and filled with jam and cream, named after a queen? (Medium)
  6. Which spice gives paella its yellow colour? (Medium)
  7. Which drink is made from fermented apples? (Medium)
  8. What gives a Bloody Mary its red colour? (Medium)
  9. What is the main grain used to make traditional Scotch whisky? (Hard)
  10. What is the main ingredient in the Indian dish 'saag'? (Hard)

Answer sheet – Pack 3

Round 1: General Knowledge

  1. 11 – Each team fields eleven players including the goalkeeper.
  2. World Wide Web – Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web in 1989.
  3. Canberra – Canberra was purpose-built as a compromise between Sydney and Melbourne.
  4. Mercury – Mercury orbits the Sun once every 88 days.
  5. Triangle – Any polygon with three sides and three angles is a triangle.
  6. 6 – The classic weapons are the candlestick, dagger, lead piping, revolver, rope and spanner.
  7. 1994 – The Channel Tunnel was officially opened in May 1994.
  8. Titanic – RMS Titanic struck an iceberg on 14 April 1912 and sank early the next day.
  9. 1,440 – 24 hours × 60 minutes = 1,440 minutes.
  10. 1971 – Ray Tomlinson sent the first network email using the @ sign in 1971.

Round 2: History

  1. Margaret Thatcher – Margaret Thatcher took office in May 1979.
  2. The Black Death – The Black Death killed perhaps a third to a half of England's population.
  3. Boudica – Boudica of the Iceni burned Roman Colchester, London and St Albans.
  4. Dallas – Kennedy was shot while riding in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas.
  5. Magna Carta – Magna Carta was sealed at Runnymede in June 1215.
  6. Victoria – Queen Victoria reigned from 1837 until her death in 1901.
  7. Sputnik 1 – Sputnik 1 was launched on 4 October 1957.
  8. York – The red rose stood for Lancaster and the white rose for York.
  9. The Colossus – The Colossus of Rhodes was a giant bronze statue of the sun god Helios.
  10. The Peasants' Revolt – The Peasants' Revolt was sparked partly by a poll tax.

Round 3: Geography

  1. River Severn – The Severn runs about 220 miles from Wales to the Bristol Channel.
  2. Ben Nevis – Ben Nevis in the Scottish Highlands is 1,345 metres high.
  3. Belfast – Belfast is the largest city and capital of Northern Ireland.
  4. Nile – The Nile is usually listed as longest, though some measurements favour the Amazon.
  5. Reykjavik – Reykjavik is the world's most northerly capital of a sovereign state.
  6. Vatican City – Vatican City covers less than half a square kilometre.
  7. Melbourne – Melbourne is the capital of Victoria.
  8. Victoria – Victoria, on Vancouver Island, is the provincial capital.
  9. Wellington – Wellington has been the capital since 1865.
  10. Ankara – Ankara became the capital in 1923, replacing Istanbul.

Round 4: Science

  1. Heart – The heart beats roughly 100,000 times a day.
  2. Nectar – Bees turn sugary nectar into honey in the hive.
  3. Albert Einstein – Einstein published general relativity in 1915.
  4. Charles Darwin – Darwin published it in 1859.
  5. Diamond – Diamond is a form of pure carbon and scores 10 on the Mohs scale.
  6. Alexander Graham Bell – Bell, born in Edinburgh, patented the telephone in 1876.
  7. Hydrogen – Hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant element in the universe.
  8. Vitamin D – UVB light helps the skin produce vitamin D.
  9. Lithium – Lithium is so light that it can float on water.
  10. Jupiter – Jupiter spins once in just under 10 hours.

Round 5: Sport

  1. Cricket – The Ashes is the Test cricket series between England and Australia.
  2. All England Lawn Tennis Club – Wimbledon has been played at the All England Club since 1877.
  3. 15 – Rugby union has 15 per side; rugby league has 13.
  4. Rugby union – England and Scotland play for the Calcutta Cup each Six Nations.
  5. Barcelona – Camp Nou is the home of FC Barcelona.
  6. 1896 – The first modern Games were held in Athens in 1896.
  7. St Andrews – Golf has been played at St Andrews for around 600 years.
  8. Glasgow – Glasgow hosted in 2014; Manchester in 2002 and Birmingham in 2022.
  9. 22 yards – A cricket pitch is 22 yards, or one chain, long.
  10. Uruguay – Uruguay hosted and won, beating Argentina 4–2 in the final.

Round 6: Music

  1. ABBA – ABBA won in Brighton in 1974.
  2. The Beatles – Hey Jude was released as a single in 1968.
  3. Trumpet – Armstrong was also known for his gravelly singing voice.
  4. 5 – Mel B, Mel C, Emma, Geri and Victoria.
  5. Fortissimo – Forte means loud; fortissimo means very loud.
  6. Cello – Her recording of Elgar's Cello Concerto is legendary.
  7. Cats – Cats opened in London's West End in 1981.
  8. An unemployment benefit form – The UB40 was the form used to claim unemployment benefit.
  9. Soprano – Soprano is the highest; contralto is the lowest female voice.
  10. Pulp – Jarvis Cocker fronted Pulp.

Round 7: Film & TV

  1. Harry Potter – Harry Potter got the scar from Voldemort's failed curse.
  2. Slytherin – The four founders were Godric, Helga, Rowena and Salazar.
  3. Ogre – Shrek is a green ogre who lives in a swamp.
  4. Rowan Atkinson – Rowan Atkinson co-created Mr Bean, which first aired in 1990.
  5. Trotter – Derek 'Del Boy' Trotter lived in Nelson Mandela House, Peckham.
  6. Frozen – Frozen was released in 2013.
  7. John le Carré – Smiley appears in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and other novels.
  8. Emmerdale – The fictional village is in the Yorkshire Dales; Walford is EastEnders, Weatherfield is Corrie.
  9. Chariots of Fire – It told the story of Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell.
  10. Spanish – Manuel is from Barcelona, and Basil often excuses him by saying so.

Round 8: Food & Drink

  1. Chickpeas – Hummus is chickpeas blended with tahini, lemon and garlic.
  2. Eggs – An omelette is beaten eggs cooked in a pan.
  3. Melton Mowbray – Melton Mowbray pork pies have protected geographical status.
  4. Perry – Perry is the pear equivalent of cider and is traditional in the West Midlands.
  5. Victoria sponge – It is named after Queen Victoria.
  6. Saffron – Saffron comes from the stigmas of the crocus flower.
  7. Cider – Perry is made from pears, and mead from honey.
  8. Tomato juice – A Bloody Mary is vodka with tomato juice and spices.
  9. Barley – Single malt Scotch is made from malted barley.
  10. Leafy greens – Saag is typically made with spinach or mustard greens.

Printable quiz packs

Each pack has several themed rounds with questions marked easy, medium or hard, followed by an answer sheet with short explanations, so the quizmaster can settle arguments. Use the Print button for a clean printout without the website around it.

Tips for running a pub quiz

  • Mix easy and hard questions in every round so everyone stays involved.
  • Read each question twice and give a set time to answer.
  • Swap answer sheets between teams for marking.
  • Add a picture or music round for variety.
  • Keep a tie-breaker question ready (for example “How many…?” closest wins).

Frequently asked questions

Are the pub quiz questions free to use?

Yes, for pub, school, club and charity quiz nights.

How many questions are in a pack?

Each pack has several rounds of questions across different categories, plus a full answer sheet.