Reference Questions
Reference questions are daunting for most quizzers as they require 3 advanced things:
- Memory of the entire material at a deep level as the questions will be vague.
- Memorized verse references.
- Finishing the quizmaster's question if you jump before they finish it. The first two points are straightforward. The third is what prevents many quizzers from jumping on a reference question, even if they have the first two points down.
So here's what to do: First off, if you've made lists of CR's and CVR's you may already have a good idea what possible questions could be. But let's say you don't, and you've jumped on a reference question and need to quote it and provide your question. Some tips:
- Remember what the quizmaster said. If some of the question was said, your question should start with this content.
- Begin quoting at the end of the verse. Start with the last phrase of the verse and quote it.
- Pause. If you have provided all the material in the question and answer, the quizmaster must prompt you for your question, provided that you pause long enough for them to do so.
- Keep it short. The quizmaster has some latitude in ruling you correct, but cannot rule you correct if you include key material in your question. Keep the question as short as you can.
Reference Question Lists
Making lists on reference questions is a great way to know what possible questions could be in advance. However, due to their very nature of being vague, Reference Questions are difficult to pick out and write. As you gain more and more experience, you'll get a better and better idea of what these questions look like. But for now, here are some example and tips.
Examples:
In Hebrews, look for passages that appear multiple times:
- "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek" (possible questions: "You are what?", "the order of who?")
- "They shall never enter my rest" (possible question: "they shall what?")
- "Therefore what" is often a great question
- "Every high priest is what" is another great question
- Anytime it talks about "blood", "the blood of what?" or "what blood?" are great questions
The definitive way to write reference questions: Okay, I lied. since the rule book says reference questions are used to distinguish between "similar" material, there isn't a way to make an absolutely "definitive" list. But you can get pretty close.
The biggest tool I used (indispensable to me), was a copy of the material called the "Reference Material" generated by a former quizmaster of ours. It had global key words, chapter key words and key phrases all color coded in their special colors. This made it easy for me to find the red words "chapter key words" to write chapter reference questions, and phrases without any color to write chapter-verse reference questions. You can mostly figure out the chapter key words by using a concordance. This is a time-consuming effort, but well worth it to gain a competitive edge. While you don't have this "reference material", I hope to be able to generate my own copies of the reference material for future years, and may have it available as a resource to quizzers.
Between making a list of obviously similar phrases, using a concordance, and studying reference lists generated from Acme's QuizMaster software, you be able to get a really complete grasp on possible reference questions. Good luck!
Chapter Verse Reference
Facts
- There can be 3-5 Reference questions per quiz. This includes CVR, CR, CVRMA AND CRMA.
- CVR questions are interrogative questions that require a Chapter and Verse.
- They distinguish similar phrases within the same chapter. For example, in Hebrews Chapter 4, the phrase “let us” occurs 4 times. So to ask the question “let us what” the chapter and verse must be specified.
- Context is only the verse. The quizzer may not go into other verses.
- Reading Syntax: "Question Number One is a Chapter Verse Reference Question. Question Number One, Question, According to Hebrews Chapter One Verse Seven, what foundations?"
- Multiple Answer Chapter-Verse-Reference Questions (CVRMA) are a combination of Multiple Answer and Chapter-Verse-Reference Questions. If you take the principles of each and combine them, you get the principles of CVRMA's.
Tips
- If you pre-jump and the quizmaster does not finish the complete reference, you will have to give the reference as part of your answer. Some quizmasters will say “more” or “what is your reference” but some may not.
- If you pre-jump and the quizmaster does not finish the complete question, you will have to give the question as part of your answer. All quizmasters will prompt you with “what is your question?”
- It helps to construct a list of possible CVR questions, as they can be hard to mentally locate, even when given the reference, because of their vagueness.
Chapter Reference
Facts
- There can be 3-5 Reference questions per quiz. This includes CVR, CR, CVRMA and CRMA.
- CR questions are interrogative questions that require a Chapter.
- They distinguish similar phrases between chapters.
- The quizzer may not quote out of context, which is 5 verses above or below.
- Reading Syntax: "Question Number One is a Chapter Reference Question. Question Number One, Question, According to Hebrews Chapter One, In the past what?"
- Multiple Answer Chapter-Verse-Reference Questions (CVRMA) are a combination of Multiple Answer and Chapter-Verse-Reference Questions. If you take the principles of each and combine them, you get the principles of CVRMA's.
Tips
- If you pre-jump and the quizmaster does not finish the complete question, you will have to give the question as part of your answer. All quizmasters will prompt you with “what is your question?”
- It helps to construct a list of possible CR questions, as they can be hard to mentally locate, even when given the chapter, because of their vagueness.