Sample Questions

CQBO adopts the tossup for bonus format. The tossups are "pyramidal," meaning the clues get progressively easier through the question, and typically end with a "give-away" clue. 

The following is a sample question about our Universal Patron: 

TOSSUP: St. Augustine theorized that this man was adopted, explaining why Luke’s genealogy lists him as the son of Eli (Heli), the son of Matthat, while Matthew’s genealogy lists him as the grandson of Matthan and son of Jacob – Jacob the Patriarch also being the father of his Old Testament namesake. Name this “most chaste” husband of Mary, the foster-father of Jesus. 

Answer: Saint _Joseph_ of Nazareth 

BONUS: Name the following about St. Joseph, for ten points each: 

A. This was the ancestral home of St. Joseph, and, therefore, the location he was required to travel to from the Roman census. 

Answer: _Bethlehem_ 

B. What feast of St. Joseph is celebrated on May 1? This feast was created in opposition to the Communists’ attempts to re-christen May 1 or “May Day” as “Communist Worker’s Day.” 

Answer: Feast of _St. Joseph the Worker_ 

C. St. Joseph is the patron of this, because he died in the arms of Jesus and Mary. 

Answer: a _happy death_ (accept equivalents)

Practice Questions

Question packets will be available for purchase for teams to use for practice. A high school practice set of multiple games will be available shortly. Check back for details, and feel free to email cqbo@mail.cqbo.org to be added to the waiting list. 

In the coming years, questions from previous years' regional and national tournaments will be available for purchase as practice questions.   

Questions about Questions?

If you have any questions about CQBO or its questions, please contact us at cqbo@mail.cqbo.org. We are happy to advise you on which questions would be most appropriate as for your team practices or for your tournament.