Pub Quiz Questions
15 questions spanning geography, science, history and film, straight from the pub.
What is the smallest country in the world by land area?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Vatican City
Vatican City covers about 0.49 square kilometres, less than a quarter of the size of Monaco, the world's second smallest state.
With around 800 residents, Vatican City also has the smallest population of any sovereign state.
Which element has the chemical symbol 'Au'?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Gold
Au comes from aurum, the Latin word for gold. Silver is Ag, aluminium is Al and argon is Ar.
All the gold ever mined would fit into a cube roughly 22 metres on each side.
In which year did the Titanic sink?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
1912
The Titanic struck an iceberg late on 14 April 1912 and sank in the early hours of 15 April, on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York.
The wreck was not found until 1985, when Robert Ballard's expedition located it about 3,800 metres down in the North Atlantic.
What is the capital of Australia?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Canberra
Canberra was purpose-built as a compromise capital after Sydney and Melbourne both claimed the honour, with Parliament moving there in 1927.
Melbourne served as Australia's temporary seat of government from Federation in 1901 until Canberra was ready.
Which band released the album 'Abbey Road'?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
The Beatles
Abbey Road was released in September 1969, its cover showing the four Beatles on the zebra crossing outside the London studio where they recorded.
The crossing outside Abbey Road Studios was granted Grade II listed status in 2010.
How many bones are in the adult human body?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
206
An adult skeleton has 206 bones. Babies are born with around 270, but many fuse together as they grow.
More than half of the body's bones are in the hands and feet, which contain 27 and 26 bones each.
Which planet is known as the Red Planet?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Mars
Mars looks red because iron minerals in its surface dust have rusted, giving the planet a distinctive colour visible even to the naked eye.
Mars has the tallest volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons, which rises about 22 kilometres, nearly three times the height of Everest.
Who painted the Mona Lisa?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci began the Mona Lisa around 1503 and is thought to have worked on it for years; it now hangs in the Louvre in Paris.
The painting was stolen from the Louvre in 1911 by Vincenzo Peruggia and recovered in Florence two years later.
What is the longest river in Africa?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Nile
The Nile runs about 6,650 kilometres from its sources near Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean, with its basin spanning 11 countries.
The Congo carries far more water than the Nile and is the deepest river in the world, reaching depths of over 220 metres.
In which country would you find Machu Picchu?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Peru
Machu Picchu sits high in Peru's Andes, built by the Inca around 1450 and brought to wider attention by Hiram Bingham in 1911.
The site is around 2,430 metres above sea level, and the Spanish conquistadors never found it.
What gas do plants absorb from the atmosphere during photosynthesis?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Carbon dioxide
Plants take in carbon dioxide through pores called stomata and combine it with water and sunlight to make sugar, releasing oxygen as a by-product.
Almost all the oxygen in the atmosphere was originally produced by photosynthesis, much of it by ocean plankton rather than trees.
Which film won Best Picture at the Academy Awards ceremony held in February 2020?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Parasite
Bong Joon-ho's Parasite became the first film not in the English language to win Best Picture, taking four Oscars at the 92nd Academy Awards.
Parasite also won the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 2019, the first film to take both prizes since Marty in 1955.
What is the hardest natural substance on Earth?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Diamond
Diamond scores 10, the top mark on the Mohs hardness scale, because its carbon atoms are locked in a rigid tetrahedral lattice.
Despite its hardness, a diamond is brittle and can shatter if struck sharply at the right angle.
Which country has the most time zones?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
France
France spans 12 time zones thanks to overseas territories from French Polynesia to Réunion, one more than Russia's 11.
Mainland France sits in the Central European zone, even though geographically it lines up better with the UK's Greenwich time.
What is the currency of Japan?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Yen
Japan has used the yen since 1871, and it is the third most traded currency in the world after the US dollar and the euro.
The won is used in both Koreas, the yuan is China's currency and the ringgit belongs to Malaysia.
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All General Knowledge quizzes →About the Pub Quiz Questions
A good pub quiz never sits still. One round asks about the sinking of the Titanic, the next wants the currency of Japan, and then you are guessing at chemical symbols and the capital of Australia. That variety is the whole point. Every seasoned quizzer knows the sting of a question they should have got, and the glow of a lucky guess that lands.
These 15 questions pull from geography, science, history, art, music and film, with four options each and one correct answer. Some are gimmes, a few are proper head-scratchers, and every answer comes with a short explanation plus a bonus fact to remember for next time. It suits solo practice, family game nights or anyone building a round for their local.
You will find 15 multiple choice questions here, each with four options. Difficulty: Easy. Most people finish in about 6 minutes, and every answer comes with a short explanation and one extra fact worth keeping.
How to play
Read the question and pick one of the four answers. The correct answer is revealed straight away with a short explanation, then press Next question to keep going. At the end you get your score out of 15 and a full review of your round. Play again any time and the questions arrive in a fresh order. There is no timer and no account.
Good to know before you play
How hard are these pub quiz questions?
They are mostly easy to medium. A regular quizzer should get 12 or more out of 15, and the last few are the ones that separate the winners from the rest.
Can I use these questions for my own pub quiz?
Yes. Each question has four options, one correct answer and a short explanation, so they work well read aloud as a mixed general knowledge round.
What topics do the questions cover?
Geography, science, history, art, music and film. There is no single specialism, which is exactly how a proper pub quiz round should feel.
Answer key: all 15 questions with explanations
- What is the smallest country in the world by land area?
Vatican City Vatican City covers about 0.49 square kilometres, less than a quarter of the size of Monaco, the world's second smallest state. With around 800 residents, Vatican City also has the smallest population of any sovereign state. - Which element has the chemical symbol 'Au'?
Gold Au comes from aurum, the Latin word for gold. Silver is Ag, aluminium is Al and argon is Ar. All the gold ever mined would fit into a cube roughly 22 metres on each side. - In which year did the Titanic sink?
1912 The Titanic struck an iceberg late on 14 April 1912 and sank in the early hours of 15 April, on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. The wreck was not found until 1985, when Robert Ballard's expedition located it about 3,800 metres down in the North Atlantic. - What is the capital of Australia?
Canberra Canberra was purpose-built as a compromise capital after Sydney and Melbourne both claimed the honour, with Parliament moving there in 1927. Melbourne served as Australia's temporary seat of government from Federation in 1901 until Canberra was ready. - Which band released the album 'Abbey Road'?
The Beatles Abbey Road was released in September 1969, its cover showing the four Beatles on the zebra crossing outside the London studio where they recorded. The crossing outside Abbey Road Studios was granted Grade II listed status in 2010. - How many bones are in the adult human body?
206 An adult skeleton has 206 bones. Babies are born with around 270, but many fuse together as they grow. More than half of the body's bones are in the hands and feet, which contain 27 and 26 bones each. - Which planet is known as the Red Planet?
Mars Mars looks red because iron minerals in its surface dust have rusted, giving the planet a distinctive colour visible even to the naked eye. Mars has the tallest volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons, which rises about 22 kilometres, nearly three times the height of Everest. - Who painted the Mona Lisa?
Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo da Vinci began the Mona Lisa around 1503 and is thought to have worked on it for years; it now hangs in the Louvre in Paris. The painting was stolen from the Louvre in 1911 by Vincenzo Peruggia and recovered in Florence two years later. - What is the longest river in Africa?
Nile The Nile runs about 6,650 kilometres from its sources near Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean, with its basin spanning 11 countries. The Congo carries far more water than the Nile and is the deepest river in the world, reaching depths of over 220 metres. - In which country would you find Machu Picchu?
Peru Machu Picchu sits high in Peru's Andes, built by the Inca around 1450 and brought to wider attention by Hiram Bingham in 1911. The site is around 2,430 metres above sea level, and the Spanish conquistadors never found it. - What gas do plants absorb from the atmosphere during photosynthesis?
Carbon dioxide Plants take in carbon dioxide through pores called stomata and combine it with water and sunlight to make sugar, releasing oxygen as a by-product. Almost all the oxygen in the atmosphere was originally produced by photosynthesis, much of it by ocean plankton rather than trees. - Which film won Best Picture at the Academy Awards ceremony held in February 2020?
Parasite Bong Joon-ho's Parasite became the first film not in the English language to win Best Picture, taking four Oscars at the 92nd Academy Awards. Parasite also won the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 2019, the first film to take both prizes since Marty in 1955. - What is the hardest natural substance on Earth?
Diamond Diamond scores 10, the top mark on the Mohs hardness scale, because its carbon atoms are locked in a rigid tetrahedral lattice. Despite its hardness, a diamond is brittle and can shatter if struck sharply at the right angle. - Which country has the most time zones?
France France spans 12 time zones thanks to overseas territories from French Polynesia to Réunion, one more than Russia's 11. Mainland France sits in the Central European zone, even though geographically it lines up better with the UK's Greenwich time. - What is the currency of Japan?
Yen Japan has used the yen since 1871, and it is the third most traded currency in the world after the US dollar and the euro. The won is used in both Koreas, the yuan is China's currency and the ringgit belongs to Malaysia.
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