What could go wrong? You’re throwing a quiz; it’s a one time thing; you’re looking for simple and you want to keep costs down. So you head to the Google bar and type in ‘free pub quizzes’. You get a bunch of results, pick one that looks like it might have actually been made by someone who passed some GCSEs and Bob’s your uncle!

Free quizzes are a quick and cheap way to throw a quiz without having to go through the gruelling process yourself, and of course, there are some great quality free quizzes out there – ours being a case in point. However, if you do choose to go free, you have to be aware of potential problems:

1. The answers could be wrong – free quizzes are usually a one-man show and don’t require any verification. All the questions could have been written from a spotty memory of a few O-level classes 40 years ago. Even if they were correct then, it doesn’t mean they’ve stood the test of time.
2. They’re famous! Another problem with free quizzes is that they’re pretty popular. You might find come quiz night that your quizzers have done this quiz before! This will make it boring and frustrating for players.
3. The quality is poor – you get what you pay for is a classic British axiom and it’s especially true for free quizzes. They’re may be grammar or spelling mistakes (see what I did there), they may not include scoresheets or answer sheets for teams, and they often look terrible – particularly the picture quizzes.
4. Are they licensed? For better or for worse, companies such as Getty Images have a tight rein on their copyright and any image or video clip being used without a licence could end up with a big, juicy fine. Always check a picture/music/video quiz is licensed before chancing it at your quiz night!

So, while using free quizzes is a tempting idea, always do your research beforehand. Better yet, pay less than it would cost you to grab a coffee and cake at a big name coffee chain and have some peace of mind. At Instant Quizzes a full quiz pack of 50 questions costs between £3-£4. You can even throw in a picture quiz and pay £5.50, which, coincidentally, is still cheaper than a cappuccino and a cinnamon swirl from Starbucks…

See our range of quiz packs here