(Playbook) Use Kahoot! for events that combine testing the knowledge of your audience, and allowing your audience to provide feedback and share their opinions during the event

This format is the perfect way to create high audience engagement and interactive Kahoot! events. It allows you to gather feedback from your audience while adding a competitive element by testing their knowledge with fun and exciting quiz questions  

Disclaimer: The number of participants who can join your live kahoot and the availability of specific features may depend on your account type and subscription plan. Always check your subscription availability before you start creating or hosting your kahoot.

Shortcuts:

• Preparation
• Creating your kahoot
• Start and host your live kahoot

Preparation

“Success is where preparation and opportunity meet”.

Make sure you plan your event thoroughly and in good time. Consider the following for your event planning:

Feedback and input from your audience

1. Interactive event “icebreaker” questions to consider: Does your audience know each other or not? What kind of audience information could be relevant for the host and the participants (age, country or city they come from, department they work in, title)? This is relevant for creating the best “get to know you” brief icebreaker introduction question in your kahoot.
2. What level of live interaction and collaboration would you like your audience to have with the host throughout the event? Should they be able to provide live feedback on their mobile devices throughout the event, or ask questions, or give their opinion via live polls? Would you like to allow your audience to provide it multiple times throughout the event or just once?
3. Why do you need the input and opinions from your audience? What’s the goal or purpose of gathering it (nice to know feedback or relevant for making decisions, creating a debate or providing a better understanding for the audience)? Make sure you ask all your internal stakeholders what opinions they need from the audience!

Testing your audience

1. What kind of knowledge would you like to test your audience on? What kind of key learnings or information should your audience remember? Do you have stakeholders with key information? Make sure you acquire this information from them in advance so you can add relevant questions to your kahoot.
2. Should there be prizes for the winners? If yes, what kind of prizes, and for whom?

• At the end of a live kahoot, a final podium will be shown with the top 3 players in Classic mode.
• In Presentation mode, the podium won’t appear automatically - you’ll need to reveal it manually.
• It’s recommended to give prizes or awards to the top 3 podium finishers.

   3. Can your audience use mobile phones or laptops? Is your internet infrastructure stable and reliable enough for the number of participants expected?

   4. When should you run kahoot? Beginning, middle, end of the event - or throughout the entire event?

• If it’s an all-day event: we recommend you use kahoot multiple times throughout the day (to create excitement in the beginning, engagement in the middle of the event, and as a peak end experience at the end of your event).
• If it’s a short event: Use kahoot at the beginning and end, or possibly throughout the entire event.

  5. Should the audience participation be anonymous or not? Anonymity can provide more honest responses.

Once you have planned your event, considering the above, you’re ready to start creating your kahoots.

Creating feedback and testing knowledge kahoots for your event

1. Log in to your Kahoot! account.

2. In the top left corner, use the dropdown option to choose which workspace you want to create your kahoot in.
   

   Note:
   ☝️ Individual plans only have one private workspace, so skip this step if you only have one workspace.
   ☝️ If you choose to create your kahoots in your team workspace, your kahoots will be available for other team members for collaboration. 
   ☝️ If you choose your private workspace, your kahoots will only be available to you, and you might lack some features that are only available in your team space. 
   ☝️ You can move the kahoot from a private workspace to a team workspace later. (Read more about workspaces).
    

3. Click the “Create” button at the top right corner and select Kahoot.
4. Choose “Blank canvas” or choose “Templates”.
    
   
   💡 If you choose Templates, choose the “Interactive presentation” template, and just follow the kahoot structure and update each quiz element with your questions and visuals.
   
   💡 If you choose “Blank canvas”, you will see that there’s already a blank default quiz question added to your kahoot.
   
    
5. Click the dropdown menu on the right side labeled “Quiz”, then choose one of the “Collect opinions” question types: Poll, Scale, NPS scale, Drop pin, Word cloud, or Open-ended.
   💡 We suggest you choose the "Word cloud" question type and prepare an icebreaker question* for your audience. 
   Here are some examples you can use: "Where have you travelled from to get here?", "How long did you travel to get here?", "What department do you work in?", "What’s your job title?", etc.
    
6. Click the blue “Add questions” button on the left side and choose one of the “Collect opinions” question types, depending on what engaging question you want your audience to answer. Examples:
   
    a.  Poll: "What is your preferred method of communication?" (Options: Email, Slack, In-person).
    b.  Scale: "On a scale of 1 to 5, how well do you feel this topic was explained?".
    c.  NPS Scale: "On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend this event to a colleague?".
    d.  Drop Pin: “Place the pin on the map where you travelled from to get here".
    e.  Wordcloud: “Type in the word you think of, when I say Customer Service”.
    f.   Open-ended: "What is one key takeaway you have from the first session?".
    g.  Brainstorm: “Key in 2 ideas for making our customers more satisfied”.
   
   💡 If you include Brainstorm question type in your kahoot, you can choose that participants can                earn points based on peer feedback (voting for best ideas). If you want a session without points or          a podium, remember to select no points for Brainstorm.
          
   
   ☝️ Note:
   The availability of specific features may depend on your account type and subscription plan.
    
7. Don’t forget to set the time limit for each question. If it’s a question that requires group discussion or consideration, add more time so your audience has more time to answer.
   
    

8. We recommend you add slide with the title of your event or kahoot. Include information about the prizes the lucky winners can win, or practical event or Kahoot! game information. This will allow extra time for participants to join your live kahoot, before starting the gamified part where participants can earn points.

   We recommend you drag and drop your first slide(s) to the top of your kahoot.
   

   💡 Notice there’s an option to add or upload Google Slides or PowerPoint slides to your kahoot. Learn more here.
   

   After the first slide(s) you can now have your “collect opinions” question(s).
    

9. After the first slide(s) and “collect opinions” question(s), you can add your first quiz question.
   💡 We recommend using the “Slider” question type and selecting the Maximum answer margin (if available in your subscription).
   This setting gives all participants some points, even if their answer isn’t close to the correct one.
   💡 Giving everyone points early on helps boost engagement and motivation right from the start.

   
    

   💡 Click here to learn more about each of the  “Test knowledge” question types.
    

10. Continue building your kahoot by clicking the blue “Add question” button on the left side. Then, choose one of the “Test knowledge” question types based on the kind of answers you want from your audience.

    💡 Use a mix of different question types to keep the quiz engaging and dynamic.

    💡 Keep your questions and answers short and concise to help participants stay focused.

    💡 For the best experience, add 10 to 20 quiz questions to maintain audience attention throughout the session.
    

11. Don’t forget to set a time limit for each quiz question. If a question is more difficult, consider giving your audience more time to think.

    💡 For more complex question types like Type answer, Slider, Pin answer, and Puzzle, it's best to set at least a 30-second time limit to ensure participants have enough time to respond thoughtfully.
    
     

12. Also, don’t forget to set the point level for each quiz question. You can choose between standard points, double points, or no points.

    💡 We recommend adding one double-points question in the middle of your kahoot and one at the end. This gives lower-ranking participants a chance to catch up and keeps the scoreboard dynamic.
    Curious about how the point system works? Learn more here.
    
     

13. We recommend you add supporting images or videos to your quiz questions to make them more engaging.

    💡 To add an element of surprise and excitement, use the “reveal image bit by bit” option.
    

14. Continue adding a mix of slides, feedback questions and “Test knowledge” quiz questions to your kahoot by clicking the grey “Add slide” or the blue “Add question” button on the left side and add your slide, feedback question or quiz question, depending on what you want your audience to do.
15. Remember to add a title to your kahoot and include a cover image to make it visually appealing and easy to identify.
    
     
16. Consider adding your own theme, if your plan allows it. Adding a theme to your Kahoot! quiz boosts engagement by making it visually appealing and consistent with your branding.
    
17. When you have added all the “Test knowledge” quiz questions, “feedback” questions, and slides to your kahoot, then you’re ready to test it.

We strongly recommend you test and practice hosting your Kahoot! presentation before the event. Here’s our step-by-step testing guide:

1. Double-checking your questions and answers is paramount

• Accuracy: Are your facts straight? Is there only one correct answer?
  Even a small error can lead to confusion and frustration.
• Clarity: Are the questions and answer choices easy to understand?
  Avoid jargon or overly complex phrasing that might trip up participants.
• Visuals: Do your images and videos load correctly and enhance the question?
  Are they relevant and appropriate?

2. The rhythm of your kahoot

• Reading time: Ensure participants have enough time to read and understand each question.
• Answering time: Give participants enough time to think through the options—especially for more complex questions.
• Image/Video load time: Factor in any possible delays in media loading, especially for those with slower internet speeds.

💡 Adjust all timing settings directly in the Kahoot! editor.

3. Slide transitions and media

• Transitions: Check that all transitions between questions, leaderboards, and slides are smooth and not distracting.
• Media Integration: Make sure all images and videos display correctly and are timed properly with your content.
• Platform Consistency: If screen sharing, confirm how Kahoot! appears to participants and test the display on your presentation setup.

💡 Tip: Use Preview mode in the editor to simulate the player experience and ensure everything flows well.

4. Participant perspective: joining and playing

• Joining process: Try joining your Kahoot! from a second device. Check that the game PIN is clearly visible and nickname entry is simple.
• Answering experience: Make sure answer buttons are responsive and user-friendly across devices.
• Leaderboard display: Confirm that the leaderboard updates accurately (especially in Classic mode).

5. Internet connection

A stable internet connection is essential for a smooth Kahoot! session—for both the host and the players.

• Host Connection: Use a reliable Wi-Fi or, preferably, a wired connection.
• Participant Connection: You can’t control their setup, but keep media optimized for fast loading.
  💡 Run a speed test and try hosting your kahoot from the actual event location ahead of time.

Advise participants to join from a stable connection for the best experience.

6. Hosting settings

Before you go live, check:

• The lobby music volume - make sure it’s not too loud or distracting.
• Your game options and hosting preferences.

🎯 In the next section, you’ll find our tips for hosting a successful live kahoot.

Start and host your live kahoot

Key considerations and recommendations before choosing your kahoot live format and hosting your kahoot.

Before you start your live kahoot session, you should update your settings. Click on the settings icon in the down right corner, and choose your live game settings.

Here’s what you should consider:

• Show questions and answers (recommended): This will show the questions and answers on the participants' own devices so they do not have to rely on the main screen only and act faster.
• Identifying the participant: If you need to identify each participant in your report following your kahoot, then you need to enable Player identifier (provide their email).
  
• Theme if you want to use a specific standard theme or create your own theme with your company CVI.
• Increase contrast if you want the answer box colors adjusted to make the text more readable. This is recommended when using a projector.
• Randomize order of answers (recommended), to switch it up by shuffling the order of questions for all participants.
• Autoplay will automatically progress your kahoot through questions. You won’t have to click "Next" while hosting, but you won’t have control of your kahoot.
• Characters (recommended): Let the players add a personal touch by creating custom characters.
• Should each participant join individually (recommended for first-time hosts) or as part of a team (team mode)?
  • If you use team mode, consider allowing team selection, and learn how to use the Team mode here.
• Nickname generator (recommended). When participants join your kahoot, they have to choose a nickname, which can be shown in your kahoot. You have two options, but we recommend you choose the pre-defined anonymous nickname generator for big events, to avoid showing any inappropriate nicknames on your screen.
  💡 If you disable the nickname generator, participants can create their own nicknames.

Explore other live Kahoot! game settings such as lobby music options and more.
👉  Read the full guide to live game settings here.

Once you have selected your preferred live settings, you must choose which live mode you want to host:

What live mode should I choose? Live hosting offers a few options. 

• Classic mode (recommended for live kahoots with a focus on the competitive element): This game mode will show a points scoreboard after every question. It will be displayed even if no one received any points – there are specific no-points question types. Classic mode also finishes off the live session by automatically showing a podium, regardless of whether anyone has any points. The classic game mode is recommended for live kahoots where the audience can quiz and score points during the game. Learn more about Classic mode here.
• Presentation or Lecture Mode (recommended for live kahoots focusing on the mix between competitive and interactive elements): This game mode is more controlled by you as a host. Every question will be shown to your audience on a pre-slide, and you have to click next to allow your audience to provide feedback and answers. This game mode will not automatically show a scoreboard during the game. It will also not show any final podium at the end of the game, but you can choose to show the podium. Learn more about Presentation mode here.
• Accuracy mode (great for kahoots with quiz questions where points are irrelevant): This game mode will not show any points or leaderboards, but will show players who answer questions correctly. Accuracy mode is designed to reward correct answers - the time participants took to answer is not a factor. It will not show one player at the top of the podium (the winner), but a podium of all players with the highest number of correct answers. Learn more about Accuracy mode here.
• Team mode can add engagement and competition between groups and teams. Participants will join your kahoot and will be automatically assigned to your predefined teams. This will allow them to compete against each other. It’s a bit more complicated than classic mode, and you can learn more about team mode here.
• Game modes: We don’t recommend using game mode for events with more than 40 participants because they have a lower level of maximum participants.

Things to remember when starting your live kahoot

✔️ Wait until at least half of your audience has joined before you click “Start”.

✔️ Start your kahoot with a slide or a few icebreacker questions, so everyone has time to join, before your real presentation starts, and you move on to your main content.

✔️Make sure the Kahoot! PIN will always be visible, so latecomers can still join.

Here are some hints and tips to maximize engagement when using Kahoot! for collecting opinions:

Ready to transform your events into engaging, interactive experiences and gather valuable audience feedback? Give this playbook a try for your next workshop, discussion, or feedback session and see the difference!