List of topics
Executive summary
A practical, exam-ready list of topics for general-knowledge tests groups subjects into core domains—science, history, geography, literature, arts, politics, and current affairs—plus popular-culture and specialized categories such as sports, economy and static facts tailored for competitive exams [1] [2] [3]. Several test-prep publishers and quiz sites emphasize pairing "static" topic lists with rolling current-affairs coverage to reflect both fixed facts and recent events, a distinction central to many Indian competitive-exam syllabuses [3] [4].
1. Core academic domains that always appear on lists
The backbone of most general-knowledge rosters includes science (basic biology, physics, chemistry), history (national and world), geography (physical and political), literature and language, and the arts—areas repeatedly cited across test-prep and quiz resources as foundational subjects to test broad literacy [1] [3] [2].
2. Current affairs and “general awareness” as a dynamic category
Current affairs or general awareness—covering national and international news, government schemes, major events, and trending persons—is treated separately from static facts by coaching platforms because it requires continuous updating and directly affects scores in exams like UPSC, SSC and banking tests [4] [5].
3. Practical subtopics for quizzes and trivia events
Commercial trivia and pub-quiz compilations typically subdivide core domains into approachable categories—food and drink, film and TV, music, sports, fashion, and technology—because these engage broader audiences and supply both easy and hard questions across age groups [6] [2] [7].
4. “Static GK” and how it shapes exam syllabuses
Static general knowledge—unchanging facts such as national capitals, landmark dates, scientific constants, classical literature and political constitutions—is emphasized by many exam guides as the reliable portion of GK that can be systematically learned and revised, and is often provided as downloadable topic lists by test-prep sites [3] [8].
5. Education-focused, class-wise and topic-wise structures
School- and class-oriented resources structure GK by grade and subject, offering topic-wise question banks that map to curriculum levels; these help learners build from basic facts toward the more synthetic reasoning required in competitive exams [9] [4].
6. Regional and exam-specific emphases (India as an example)
India-focused portals split GK into Basic GK, India GK and World GK and prioritize topics like national culture, state facts, schemes and sports winners because many national exams allocate significant weight to domestic static and current topics [10] [8].
7. Tools and large compilations used by quizmasters
Large aggregated lists—hundreds of trivia questions across dozens of categories—are a common product in the online quiz ecosystem and serve both entertainment and study functions, providing breadth and calibrated difficulty for organizers [6] [7] [11].
8. Common omissions, biases and agenda signals
Sources oriented toward exam coaching tend to foreground topic lists that mirror syllabus demand (UPSC/SSC/banking), potentially biasing content toward state-centric or exam-catered facts; by contrast, trivia sites prioritize entertainment value, which can skew toward pop culture rather than civics or science [4] [2] [6].
9. How to build a balanced list for tests or quizzes
A robust list combines core academic domains, static GK, rolling current affairs, plus culture and sport categories for engagement; exam-takers should cross-reference syllabus-specific lists from reputable coaching portals and supplement with large trivia banks for practice [3] [4] [6].