University Challenge Quiz

University Challenge: A Summary

• University Challenge is a British television quiz programme that first aired in 1962.

• It was hosted by Bamber Gascoigne on ITV from 1962 to 1987 and then revived by the BBC in 1994, hosted by Jeremy Paxman.

• The current title holders are Imperial College London, who won the 51st series in 2022.

• The show is produced by the same company, originally named Granada Television, now Lifted Entertainment, under license from Richard Reid Productions and the College Bowl Company.

• The show has always maintained a high level of continuity despite changes to sets, studio layout, and presentation.

• The Universities of Oxford and Cambridge could each enter up to five of their constituent colleges as separate teams.

• Postgraduate and mature students have been criticized for their participation in the show.

• In 2009, a team was disqualified for having an ineligible contestant who was no longer a student.

• The show's format consists of four-member teams representing a single university.

• The tournament structure is a direct knockout tournament starting with 28 teams.

• The show's question format consists of starter questions, bonus questions, picture rounds, and music rounds.

• Notable contestants in the regular student competition include entertainers, authors, politicians, and journalists.Key Facts about University Challenge

• The lowest score officially achieved against eligible opponents under quizmaster Jeremy Paxman was by Lincoln College, Oxford, who totalled 30 in a semi-final against the University of Manchester, in an episode televised on 9 February 2009.

• The lowest score during the Professionals series was achieved by the House of Commons team, who scored 25 in 2003.

• An all-time record low score for the series was achieved in the final of the 2017 Christmas series, when Keble College, Oxford, beat the University of Reading 240–0.

• University College, Oxford, scored 520 points in the final ITV season in 1987.

• The team from Open University scored the highest score, 415, in the semi-final in 1997 against Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School.

• University Challenge Reunited (2002) brought former teams back together, while University Challenge: The Professionals (from 2003) matched occupational groups such as civil servants, architects and doctors against each other.

• The show has seen numerous specials, including those for specific professions and celebrity editions.

• Sixth Form Challenge, hosted by Chris Kelly, appeared briefly between 1965 and 1967.

• Challenging Times was a quiz show for teams representing higher education institutes in Ireland, televised by RTÉ from 1991 to 2001.

• University Challenge ran in New Zealand for 14 seasons, from 1976 until 1989.

• University Challenge, hosted by Magnus Clarke, ran in Australia on the ABC from 1987 until 1989.

• University Challenge India started in summer 2003.

Do you consider yourself a trivia whiz with a passion for academic knowledge? Then test your skills with our University Challenge quiz! This British television quiz programme has been a staple for over 50 years and pits teams from various universities against each other. From starter questions to picture rounds and music rounds, this challenging quiz will put your knowledge to the test. Learn about the history, format, and notable contestants of University Challenge while answering questions about subjects like literature, science, history, and more. Take the