Intro Quiz

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Prompt careful listening during introductory rounds without changing standard self-introduction formats.

Use it when: Use at the start of a meeting or workshop where participants expect traditional self-introductions, shifting focus from rehearsing personal lines to listening to peers.

Skip it when: Skip when participants already know each other well, when high social anxiety makes memory tests counterproductive, or when group size exceeds 18 people.

Group arrangement: Whole group for introductions, individual recall during the quiz, and pairs or trios for peer verification.

Timing: Based on the 10-20 minute range in the source; 15 minutes fits 6 to 18 spoken introductions at roughly 20 seconds each plus a 6-question quiz.

Materials and tools

• One sheet of blank scratch paper per participant
• One pen or pencil per participant
• Facilitator notepad and pen for writing live questions

Before participants arrive

1. Place blank scratch paper and pens at each participant seat before the session starts.
2. Ensure name badges or desk tents can be turned face-down quickly when the quiz begins.

Say this to open

We will run a standard round of introductions. Please share your name and two brief facts about your background. Before we start, listen closely to what everyone says instead of rehearsing your own turn. Right after introductions finish, we will run a quick recall quiz on the details you hear.

How to run it

1. Brief the introductions 2 minutes

   Deliver the opening script. Tell participants each turn is limited to 20 seconds. Remind everyone to track specific details.

2. Conduct participant introductions 6 minutes

   Call on participants in sequence around the room. As each person speaks, silently record specific verifiable facts on your notepad alongside their name. Draft 6 to 8 questions with unique single-name answers, such as: Who worked as a graphic designer for six years? Edit questions on the fly if two participants share similar details.

3. Administer the recall quiz 5 minutes

   Instruct participants to flip over name tags and desk tents. Ask everyone to write numbers 1 through 6 on their scratch paper. Read each question aloud, pause 10 seconds, and move to the next. Once all questions are read, recite the correct names. Have participants swap papers with a neighbor to verify answers. If there is an odd number of participants, form one trio where papers rotate in a circle.

4. Acknowledge top scores and debrief 2 minutes

   Ask participants to raise hands if their partner sheet scored 5 or 6 correct. Acknowledge the highest score with brief room applause. Ask two volunteers to share how knowing about the quiz shifted how they listened.

Debrief questions

• What changed about your focus while others spoke compared to usual introduction rounds?
• Which types of personal details were easiest to recall, and why?

Finished output: A peer-checked quiz paper per person and an initial shared baseline of group member background details.

Remote

Participants introduce themselves on camera while everyone temporarily covers or turns off display names. Participants write answers on personal scratch paper. When the facilitator reads correct answers, each person holds their written sheet up to the camera or sends their answer list to a designated breakout partner via direct message to verify the score before posting the total into chat.

Hybrid

In-person participants flip over desk tents while remote participants conceal display names. The facilitator reads questions across the room audio system. In-person participants swap papers with a neighbor, using a trio if numbers are odd. Remote participants direct message their answer list to another remote peer to verify scores before the facilitator reads the answer key.

Access and participation choices

• Participants may hold up a written introduction card or post introductory facts into chat instead of speaking aloud.
• Participants may decline to show their quiz sheet or withhold their total score without penalty.

If the session gets stuck

Two participants mention the same job title or hobby, creating an ambiguous answer.

Add a distinguishing secondary detail before reading the question, for example: Who worked in hospitality and recently moved from Chicago?

A participant writes slowly or misses a question during the live read.

Read each question twice at a steady pace and state clearly that recognizable first names count for full credit.

Terms used here

• Desk tent: A folded card displaying a participant name set visibly on a table.