Content Resources
These links go to excellent study guides and lists/databases of Quizbowl content.
- Quizbowl packets archive – Probably the best way to prepare for Quizbowl is to read old Quizbowl set packets. Many tournaments release their question sets online after the tournament is done, and they can be found here. This is the database where I often get the packets I read to you in practice
- NAQT You Gotta Know study guide archive – Updated monthly(ish), great information about a specific topic within the Quizbowl canon. Use these as a model for how specific your own study guides should be.
- Qwiz5 – more specific than NAQT’s YGK series, each study guide does a deep dive into specific common answers in the Quizbowl canon, with helpful reference information for common stock clues.
- For a deeper dive into some specific areas, check out these related study guides.
- IQBT Study Guides – comprehensive study guides covering large portions of quizbowl content areas, written by some of the very people who write the questions! Password protected (latest password = studyquizbowl2021). Sign up for IQBT mailing list for more information.
- Subject-sorted Study Guides – Scott Blish, formerly of the area, combed through dozens of published question sets from 2009-2016, copying and sorting every tossup and bonus question into categories. Great resource for stock clues!
- QuizDB – Searchable Quizbowl question database, including a Stats page that shows how frequently certain answer lines come up! See also: AsseemsDB.me
- Brain Team Twitter feed – check out the Quizbowl Fact of the Day (#QBFOD) for common stock clues on randomly chosen topics. Currently on hiatus.
- PACE-NSC Archive of Resources – many of the same resources listed here can be found on the official PACE list for resources, but there are some extra goodies there, too!
Useful Podcasts
- For 10 Points – Quizbowl podcast by Darien, CT coach Ken Romeo. Tends to focus more on Middle School quizbowl, but still some good info!
- Miss Information – each episode features a broad but thorough exploration of a specific topic area, many of which are very useful for Quizbowl.
- Futility Closet – “featuring forgotten stories from the pages of history”. The stories may be too specific/obscure for quizbowl, but are interesting nonetheless!
- In Our Time – BBC podcast bringing in experts in fields to talk about topics that often come up in quizbowl
Studying Resources
These links go to helpful online tools for studying content.
- NAQT How to Improve Guide – This is a great guide touching on a number of different techniques on how you can improve.
- Quizlet – Tool for creating online flashcards. The system can quiz you on cards, and you can flag them for clues/answer lines you are having difficulty with. The link goes to the Brain Team class – check out the flashcard sets already posted!
- Anki and Mnemosyne – Two other great flashcard apps that pays attention to what you do and don’t remember and adjusts card frequency to reflect that.
- Updated October 2022: Three Anki card sets compiled by Scott Blish can be found here. Review the Details and Instructions for Use document for more information about the contents of the three decks.
- Protobowl – Online quizbowl simulator game, where clues appear one word at a time. Press SPACE to buzz in and type your answer. Fun when you have a few minutes to kill, but is limited in its ability to help you study new topics, and newer content is hard to find.
Important Forms
Some paperwork is always necessary for us to go to tournaments. Print/submit these forms as needed
- IHS Medical Form – must be completed for every tournament (good for one month)
- IHS Teacher Permission Form – only necessary for weekday tournaments (pretty much limited to nationals)
- Competition Contribution Letter – boilerplate letter for contributing to tournament costs. I’ll send more specific letter for each tournament in advance of the tournament date. You are not expected to pay for every tournament, but contributing helps!
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