How to keep score at a trivia night
At a trivia night or pub quiz, each right answer usually scores 1 point. Teams hand in an answer sheet after every round, the host marks it, and the scores are read out as you go. The team with the most points after the last round wins, and a tie for first goes to a tie-breaker.
- Teams
- Usually up to 6 players each
- Who wins
- Most points after the last round
- Rounds
- Often 6 to 8, of 8 or 10 questions
- Scored
- After every round, with a leaderboard at half-time
Run the scoreboard for your trivia night on an iPhone or iPad. Tallynight is free, with no ads.
Get TallynightWhat each answer scores
Every quiz sets its own rules, so the host should read them out before the first question. These are the most common.
| Answer | Points |
|---|---|
| Right answer | 1 |
| Nearly right, where the host gives half points | ½ |
| Wrong, blank or can't be read | 0 |
| Music round: the song and the artist | 1 each, so 2 a clip |
| Picture round: each picture named | 1 |
| Joker round, picked before it starts | Double the round |
Half points usually go to answers that are close but not complete, such as a surname when the full name was asked for. Decide on spelling before you start: many hosts accept a misspelling when the answer is clearly right.
How a quiz night runs
A typical pub quiz has 6 to 8 rounds of 10 questions, and many bar trivia nights play 8 rounds of 8. Teams are usually capped at six players.
Each team writes its answers on a sheet and hands it in at the end of the round. The host marks it, or teams swap sheets and mark each other's while the host reads out the answers. Teams don't mark their own.
A picture round is often handed out at the start and collected at half-time, so teams can work on it between rounds. Read the scores out after every round, or at least at half-time, so everyone knows where they stand.
Joker rounds
Many quizzes give each team one joker. The team picks a round it feels good about and plays the joker before that round starts, and its points for that round are doubled.
Write JOKER on the answer sheet so the marker knows. Each joker can be played once, and some quizzes don't allow it on the picture or music round.
Tie-breakers
If teams tie for first, or for any prize, ask a tie-breaker. The usual one is a nearest-number question, such as how many keys a standard piano has. Each tied team writes down a number, and the closest wins, over or under.
If it's still a tie, ask another. Some hosts use a sudden-death question instead: the first team to give the right answer wins.
Other scoring you'll meet
- A final wager: before the last question, each team bets some of its points, up to a limit the host sets. A right answer wins the bet and a wrong one loses it.
- Bonus questions: a harder question for extra points, or a spot prize for the first team to get it.
- Speed rounds: quick-fire questions against a timer, with a point for each right answer in the time.
- A jackpot question: one hard question at the end of the night. If nobody gets it, the prize rolls over to the next quiz.
A scoring example
Four teams, five rounds of 10 questions and a picture round of 10. The music round scores 2 a clip, for the song and the artist. Each team plays one joker.
| Round | Owls | Quizzards | Know-it-alls | Nightcaps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · general knowledge | 9 | 6 | 8 | 5 |
| 2 · music, 2 a clip | 12 | 15 | 9 | 14 |
| 3 · sport | 16 · joker | 5 | 12 · joker | 7 |
| Picture round | 8 | 9 | 6 | 7 |
| 4 · film and TV | 6 | 18 · joker | 7 | 10 · joker |
| 5 · history | 9 | 7 | 8 | 6 |
| Total | 60 | 60 | 50 | 49 |
The Owls doubled their 8 in sport to 16, and the Quizzards doubled their 9 in film and TV to 18. That leaves them level on 60.
The tie-breaker: how many keys are on a standard piano? The Owls say 90 and the Quizzards say 85. The answer is 88, so the Owls are closer and win.
Keep score for trivia night in Tallynight
Choose Something else, then Rounds, and under Who wins pick Highest. Add each team as a player. If your quiz gives teams a time limit, set the Turn timer, from 30 seconds to 3 minutes, and it runs at the top of each round. Tap Add to favourites so it's ready for next week, then Start game.
After each round, type every team's score on one keypad, with jokers already doubled. Read the standings straight from the table, and tap any round to fix a marking mistake.
- Every team's round on one keypad
- Running totals and who's in front, for the half-time leaderboard
- Tap any round to fix a marking mistake
- A race chart to replay the night, round by round
A Trivia night score sheet to print
Playing on paper tonight? Print a free Trivia night score sheet, or save it as a PDF.
Questions
How do you score a trivia night?
Usually 1 point for each right answer. Teams hand in their answers after each round, the host marks them, and the team with the most points after the last round wins.
What is a joker round in a pub quiz?
A round a team picks, before it starts, to score double. Each team usually has one joker and can play it once.
How do you break a tie at trivia night?
Ask a nearest-number question, such as how many keys a standard piano has. Each tied team writes a number, and the closest wins, over or under.
How many rounds are in a pub quiz?
Most have 6 to 8 rounds of 8 to 10 questions, often with a picture round and a music round.
How many people should be on a trivia team?
Most quizzes cap teams at six players. Some allow more, so check with the host.
Do you get half points at a pub quiz?
At some. Hosts often give half a point for an answer that's nearly right, such as a surname when the full name was asked for. Say so before the first round.