Quiz template · Trivia
Pub quiz questions and answers
20 pub quiz questions across geography, science, history, art and books, from a warm-up on the continents to a Nobel Prize year as the tie-breaker.
Medium 20 questions 30 s each · about 15 min Checked against two sources
A ready-made round for the host who has run out of time to write one. It changes subject every question, so the science people, the geography people and the bookworms each get a turn, and the last five are hard enough to split the top of the table. Twenty questions take about 15 minutes, a round and a drink.
How to run it
- Read each question aloud as it appears. Pub crowds like to hear it, and the timer gives latecomers a chance.
- Play all 20 as one round, or stop at 15 and keep the hard five for a final.
- If two teams tie, ask question 20 out loud and take the closest year.
Questions and answers
1How many continents are there, by the usual count?Easy
- ASeven
- BFive
- CSix
- DEight
Reveal answer
A. Seven
Most English-speaking countries count seven: Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America. Some school systems count six.
2What is the currency of Japan?Easy
- AWon
- BYen
- CYuan
- DBaht
Reveal answer
B. Yen
The yen has been Japan's currency since 1871. The won is South Korea's, the yuan is China's and the baht is Thailand's.
3In which year was the Berlin Wall opened, ending the division of the city?Medium
- A1985
- B1987
- C1989
- D1991
Reveal answer
C. 1989
On 9 November 1989 East Germany announced that its citizens could cross freely, and crowds climbed the wall that night. Germany reunited the following year.
4Which is the smallest planet in the Solar System?Easy
- AMars
- BVenus
- CPluto
- DMercury
Reveal answer
D. Mercury
Mercury is the smallest planet and the closest to the Sun, going round it in 88 days. Pluto is smaller but has been a dwarf planet since 2006.
5Who painted The Starry Night?Medium
- AVincent van Gogh
- BClaude Monet
- CEdvard Munch
- DPaul Cezanne
Reveal answer
A. Vincent van Gogh
Van Gogh painted it in June 1889 from his room at the asylum in Saint-Remy. It has hung in the Museum of Modern Art in New York since 1941.
6What is the chemical formula for water?Easy
- ACO2
- BH2O
- CNaCl
- DO2
Reveal answer
B. H2O
Each water molecule is two hydrogen atoms bonded to one oxygen atom. CO2 is carbon dioxide and NaCl is table salt.
7What is the official language of Brazil?Medium
- ASpanish
- BFrench
- CPortuguese
- DItalian
Reveal answer
C. Portuguese
Brazil was a Portuguese colony from 1500 until 1822, which is why it is the one large South American country where Spanish is not the main language.
8True or false: Australia is both a country and a continent.Easy
- ATrue
- BFalse
Reveal answer
A. True
Australia is the smallest of the seven continents, and the country of the same name covers almost all of it. New Guinea is part of the continent too.
9Which instrument measures air pressure?Medium
- ABarometer
- BThermometer
- CHygrometer
- DAnemometer
Reveal answer
A. Barometer
A barometer measures atmospheric pressure, which is why it forecasts weather. A hygrometer measures humidity and an anemometer wind speed.
10Which is the largest country in the world by area?Easy
- ACanada
- BRussia
- CChina
- DUnited States
Reveal answer
B. Russia
Russia covers about 17 million square kilometres, nearly twice the area of Canada, which is second among countries.
11Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, is in which country?Medium
- AKenya
- BUganda
- CTanzania
- DEthiopia
Reveal answer
C. Tanzania
Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcano in northern Tanzania, close to the Kenyan border. Its summit, Kibo, is 5,895 metres above sea level.
12True or false: the Great Wall of China can be seen from the Moon with the naked eye.Hard
- ATrue
- BFalse
Reveal answer
B. False
NASA says the wall is not visible from the Moon and is hard or impossible to pick out even from Earth orbit without a long lens. The myth is older than space flight.
13Who wrote Pride and Prejudice?Medium
- AJane Austen
- BCharlotte Bronte
- CGeorge Eliot
- DMary Shelley
Reveal answer
A. Jane Austen
Austen published it anonymously in 1813. Its first version, called First Impressions, was finished in 1797 and turned down by a publisher.
14Which element has the chemical symbol O?Easy
- AOsmium
- BOxygen
- COganesson
- DGold
Reveal answer
B. Oxygen
Oxygen is element number 8 and makes up about a fifth of the air. Osmium is Os, oganesson is Og and gold is Au.
15What is the capital of Portugal?Easy
- APorto
- BMadrid
- CLisbon
- DSeville
Reveal answer
C. Lisbon
Lisbon sits on the Tagus estuary on the Atlantic coast and is Portugal's capital, largest city and main port. Porto is the second city.
5 more questions in the full pack. Play all 20 live, free.
Get all 20 questions, ready to play live - free for 100 playersMade for a pub or party night. See how a trivia night works or read the guide to hosting one.
Questions about this template
What subjects are in this pub quiz round?
Geography, science, modern history, art, literature, language and a little general knowledge. No subject gets more than three questions, so the round is fair for a table of mixed interests.
How does a pub quiz work on RiLiFi?
Press Go live and show the PIN or QR code on the pub screen. Each team joins from one phone under its team name, answers within the timer, and the leaderboard shows after every question. The free plan covers 100 players in a session.
Do the teams need an app?
No. Teams open the link or scan the code in the phone's browser, enter the PIN and a team name, and play. Only the quiz host has a RiLiFi account.
Can I add my own rounds to this quiz?
Yes. Use this template to make a copy, then add a music round, a picture round or local questions, change the points for the final, and run the whole night from one quiz.
Sources
Every answer shown here was checked against two sources, listed below. Links last checked 22 October 2026.
- Continent - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- Continent | Definition, Map, & Facts | Britannicabritannica.com
- Japanese yen - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- Yen | Exchange rate, value, Japan | Britannica Moneybritannica.com
- Berlin Wall - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- Berlin Wall | Definition, Length, & Facts | Britannicabritannica.com
- Mercury (planet) - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- Mercuryscience.nasa.gov
- The Starry Night - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- moma.orgmoma.org
- Water - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- Water | Definition, Chemical Formula, Structure, Molecule, & Facts | Britannicabritannica.com
- Brazil - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- britannica.combritannica.com
- Australia (continent) - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- britannica.combritannica.com
- Barometer - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- britannica.combritannica.com
- List of countries and dependencies by area - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- britannica.combritannica.com
- Mount Kilimanjaro - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- britannica.combritannica.com
- Great Wall of China - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- Great Wall - NASAnasa.gov
- Pride and Prejudice - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- britannica.combritannica.com
- Oxygen - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- britannica.combritannica.com
- Lisbon - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- britannica.combritannica.com
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