Bolo Q?

Most people don't realise it, but setting a quiz can be one of the most creatively satisfying things a person can do. Of course, here we aren't talking about the slam-bang, pea-shooter, quickie versions of questions, but the carefully crafted, well-thought of breed of questions that are deducible. It's a little difficult to explain the whole process of making these kinds of questions for one has to understand the philosophy or the spirit that must permeate what some of us think are the best kinds of quizzing questions. Guys at the BC have spent a lot of time poring over the nature of questions and have never hesitated from experimenting with the very structure and syntax of question-forming. I recently found myself in the position of having to explain what some of us call the BC way of making questions and had to spend a lot of time in quoting examples. This is something we regularly do at each FE inauguration of the BC, and I was happy to give Niranjan company in doing so at this year's inauguration. The best way to demonstrate this philosophy is to continuously set questions in that style, get it critiqued and learn from past efforts. Each time I set out to make questions in this vein, I find it more and more compelling - and worth all the time I need to spend on it. Some of the best stuff I have ever heard of in quizzes have come from this motley group of people and has in many ways contributed to whatever mental development I have had in areas of lateral thinking, knowledge association and recollection.

I'm not trying to layout the entire charter of what goes on into making a great question, but Niranjan attempted to do that sometime ago and many of us still use that as a basic guideline to test our own creations.