The festive season brings with it a formidable intellectual tradition: the release of the King William's College general knowledge paper. For over seven decades, this notoriously challenging quiz has been a Christmas holiday staple, testing the wits of schoolchildren, their families, and curious minds far beyond the Isle of Man.
First appearing in the Guardian in 1951, the quiz is no longer formally sat in an exam hall. Instead, it is dispatched to pupils and their kin to be pondered and debated over the Christmas break. The 2025-2026 edition, Paper No. 121, continues this legacy with its signature blend of cryptic clues, historical deep-cuts, and lateral thinking puzzles.
A Test of Resourceful Knowledge
The quiz's Latin motto, Scire ubi aliquid invenire possis ea demum maxima pars eruditionis est, translates as 'To know where you can find something is, after all, the greatest part of learning'. This philosophy shapes the modern challenge. While participants are explicitly permitted to use search engines, the questions are ingeniously constructed to make straightforward Googling a fruitless endeavour. Success demands deduction, contextual understanding, and knowing where to look.
This year's paper is divided into eighteen sections, each containing ten questions, spanning a breathtaking array of topics. From identifying the final resting place of a 'bronze age toxophilite' to naming the butterfly associated with a hundred-eyed giant, the quiz traverses ancient history, classical mythology, modern literature, and sporting trivia.
Navigating the Labyrinth of Questions
The opening section probes the events of 1925, asking what gave the 'Bluebirds the blues' and which city resumed a name discarded in 1624. Subsequent parts challenge participants to locate places linked to historical figures like Montagu and Whistler, or to identify yachts and sailing terms with cryptic descriptions.
Other sections focus on specific themes. One delves into the world of lighthouses, querying which unique structure is thatched and where an octagonal tower is built of calcium carbonate. Another examines cathedral architecture and relics, from the Donkey Tower to the shrine of the Three Wise Men.
The quiz also includes sequences to complete, obituary notices to identify, and a roll call of Victoria Cross recipients who were also medical professionals or sportsmen. It even asks which English-named butterflies Linnaeus linked to classical figures like a 'virgin huntress' or the 'rainbow goddess'.
A Race Against the Festive Clock
Participants have from the release date until the answer publication to crack the code. The solutions will be revealed on the Guardian's website on 13 January 2025, providing closure and, for many, a dose of humble admiration for the quiz's setters.
This annual ritual is more than a test; it's a shared intellectual adventure that connects generations. It turns the Christmas holiday into a collaborative hunt for obscure facts and hidden connections, embodying the true spirit of its maxim: that knowing how to find knowledge is the greatest skill of all.
