The Big Bang Theory Quiz
Bazinga, Soft Kitty and a Nobel Prize: 15 questions on Pasadena's favourite physicists.
What word does Sheldon say after making a joke or pulling a prank?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Bazinga
Bazinga is Sheldon's signal that he has been joking, first used in the season two finale, and it quickly became the show's most merchandised catchphrase.
Writer Stephen Engel reportedly used bazinga in the writers' room after practical jokes, which is how the word reached the scripts.
Which US state is Penny from?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Nebraska
Penny grew up outside Omaha, Nebraska, and moved to Pasadena hoping to make it as an actress, a background the show returns to whenever her family visits.
Kaley Cuoco, who plays Penny, was born in California, and her character's surname was never revealed before she married Leonard.
Where does Penny work as a waitress when the series begins?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
The Cheesecake Factory
Penny waits tables at The Cheesecake Factory in Pasadena for the first several seasons, and the guys eat there every Tuesday as part of Sheldon's rigid weekly schedule.
Bernadette is introduced as Penny's co-worker at the restaurant, which is how she meets Howard.
What kind of scientist is Sheldon Cooper?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Theoretical physicist
Sheldon is a theoretical physicist at Caltech who works on string theory and later dark matter, and he considers Leonard's experimental physics a lesser calling.
Sheldon earned his first doctorate at 16, according to the show, after starting university at 11.
Which member of the group does not have a doctorate?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Howard
Howard Wolowitz holds a master's degree in engineering from MIT, and Sheldon never lets him forget that he is the only one of the four friends without a PhD.
Howard is nonetheless the only one who actually goes to space, which he brings up just as often.
Which band performs the theme song?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Barenaked Ladies
The Canadian band Barenaked Ladies wrote and performed the theme, which races through the history of the universe from the Big Bang to the present in under 30 seconds.
Singer Ed Robertson wrote the song after reading a book about cosmology and performing an improvised version at a concert.
How many times does Sheldon knock when he arrives at a door?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Three
Sheldon knocks in sets of three, saying the person's name after each set, a ritual he explains stems from walking in on his father with another woman as a teenager.
Jim Parsons has said fans still knock three times when they see him in public.
What is the name of the comic book store owner?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Stuart
Stuart Bloom owns the Comic Center of Pasadena, where the guys spend their Wednesday nights, and he gradually joins the main group despite his gloomy outlook.
Kevin Sussman, who plays Stuart, worked in a real comic shop before acting, and the character leads the 2026 spin-off.
In which Texas city was Sheldon born?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Galveston
Sheldon grew up in Galveston on the Texas Gulf Coast, raised by his devout mother Mary, and Young Sheldon follows his childhood in the fictional nearby town of Medford.
Laurie Metcalf plays Sheldon's mother Mary, and her real daughter Zoe Perry plays the younger Mary in Young Sheldon.
What is Amy Farrah Fowler's scientific field?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Neurobiology
Amy is a neurobiologist who experiments on monkeys and brain tissue, which is how she eventually contributes to the super asymmetry theory she develops with Sheldon.
Mayim Bialik, who plays Amy, holds a real PhD in neuroscience from UCLA and checked the show's science jokes for accuracy.
Where does Howard travel as a payload specialist at the end of season five?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
The International Space Station
Howard flies to the International Space Station on a Soyuz rocket in the season five finale to install a telescope he helped design, launching just after marrying Bernadette.
Real astronaut Mike Massimino played himself as Howard's crewmate and gave him the nickname Froot Loops.
Which prize do Sheldon and Amy win in the series finale?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Nobel Prize in Physics
In the 2019 finale, Sheldon and Amy travel to Stockholm to collect the Nobel Prize in Physics for their super asymmetry theory, and Sheldon thanks his friends in his speech.
The finale also fixes the apartment building's elevator, which had been broken since the first episode 12 years earlier.
What is the prequel series about Sheldon's childhood called?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Young Sheldon
Young Sheldon premiered in 2017 with Iain Armitage as nine year old Sheldon in East Texas, narrated by Jim Parsons as the adult Sheldon, and ran for seven seasons.
Its own sequel, Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage, premiered in October 2024 and follows Sheldon's older brother.
Which playground hand game does Sheldon expand with lizard and Spock?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Rock Paper Scissors
Sheldon introduces Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock in season two to reduce ties, adding two gestures so that each option beats two others and loses to two.
The game was actually invented by Sam Kass and Karen Bryla, and the show credited Kass on air after it took off.
How many Emmy Awards did Jim Parsons win for playing Sheldon?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Four
Jim Parsons won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series four times, in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014, the most of any actor for the show.
Parsons also won a Golden Globe in 2011 and became the highest paid actor on television during the show's later seasons.
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All Entertainment quizzes →About the The Big Bang Theory Quiz
The Big Bang Theory ran on CBS for 12 seasons and 279 episodes between 2007 and 2019, making it the longest running multi-camera sitcom in American history when it ended. Jim Parsons won four Emmys as Sheldon Cooper, and the prequel Young Sheldon kept the universe going for another seven years.
These 15 questions start with the catchphrases and job titles everyone remembers, then move through Penny's home state, Howard's trip into orbit and the Nobel Prize that closes the series. It suits casual viewers who caught the reruns as much as devoted fans, with a couple of questions on the show's trivia that only regulars will know.
You will find 15 multiple choice questions here, each with four options. Difficulty: Easy. Most people finish in about 6 minutes, and every answer comes with a short explanation and one extra fact worth keeping.
How to play
Read the question and pick one of the four answers. The correct answer is revealed straight away with a short explanation, then press Next question to keep going. At the end you get your score out of 15 and a full review of your round. Play again any time and the questions arrive in a fresh order. There is no timer and no account.
Good to know before you play
How many episodes of The Big Bang Theory are there?
The series has 279 episodes across 12 seasons, airing on CBS from September 2007 to May 2019.
Who created The Big Bang Theory?
Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady created the series, with Lorre also behind Two and a Half Men and Mom.
Is there a spin-off?
Yes. Young Sheldon ran from 2017 to 2024, followed by Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage, and a further spin-off centred on Stuart arrived in 2026.
Answer key: all 15 questions with explanations
- What word does Sheldon say after making a joke or pulling a prank?
Bazinga Bazinga is Sheldon's signal that he has been joking, first used in the season two finale, and it quickly became the show's most merchandised catchphrase. Writer Stephen Engel reportedly used bazinga in the writers' room after practical jokes, which is how the word reached the scripts. - Which US state is Penny from?
Nebraska Penny grew up outside Omaha, Nebraska, and moved to Pasadena hoping to make it as an actress, a background the show returns to whenever her family visits. Kaley Cuoco, who plays Penny, was born in California, and her character's surname was never revealed before she married Leonard. - Where does Penny work as a waitress when the series begins?
The Cheesecake Factory Penny waits tables at The Cheesecake Factory in Pasadena for the first several seasons, and the guys eat there every Tuesday as part of Sheldon's rigid weekly schedule. Bernadette is introduced as Penny's co-worker at the restaurant, which is how she meets Howard. - What kind of scientist is Sheldon Cooper?
Theoretical physicist Sheldon is a theoretical physicist at Caltech who works on string theory and later dark matter, and he considers Leonard's experimental physics a lesser calling. Sheldon earned his first doctorate at 16, according to the show, after starting university at 11. - Which member of the group does not have a doctorate?
Howard Howard Wolowitz holds a master's degree in engineering from MIT, and Sheldon never lets him forget that he is the only one of the four friends without a PhD. Howard is nonetheless the only one who actually goes to space, which he brings up just as often. - Which band performs the theme song?
Barenaked Ladies The Canadian band Barenaked Ladies wrote and performed the theme, which races through the history of the universe from the Big Bang to the present in under 30 seconds. Singer Ed Robertson wrote the song after reading a book about cosmology and performing an improvised version at a concert. - How many times does Sheldon knock when he arrives at a door?
Three Sheldon knocks in sets of three, saying the person's name after each set, a ritual he explains stems from walking in on his father with another woman as a teenager. Jim Parsons has said fans still knock three times when they see him in public. - What is the name of the comic book store owner?
Stuart Stuart Bloom owns the Comic Center of Pasadena, where the guys spend their Wednesday nights, and he gradually joins the main group despite his gloomy outlook. Kevin Sussman, who plays Stuart, worked in a real comic shop before acting, and the character leads the 2026 spin-off. - In which Texas city was Sheldon born?
Galveston Sheldon grew up in Galveston on the Texas Gulf Coast, raised by his devout mother Mary, and Young Sheldon follows his childhood in the fictional nearby town of Medford. Laurie Metcalf plays Sheldon's mother Mary, and her real daughter Zoe Perry plays the younger Mary in Young Sheldon. - What is Amy Farrah Fowler's scientific field?
Neurobiology Amy is a neurobiologist who experiments on monkeys and brain tissue, which is how she eventually contributes to the super asymmetry theory she develops with Sheldon. Mayim Bialik, who plays Amy, holds a real PhD in neuroscience from UCLA and checked the show's science jokes for accuracy. - Where does Howard travel as a payload specialist at the end of season five?
The International Space Station Howard flies to the International Space Station on a Soyuz rocket in the season five finale to install a telescope he helped design, launching just after marrying Bernadette. Real astronaut Mike Massimino played himself as Howard's crewmate and gave him the nickname Froot Loops. - Which prize do Sheldon and Amy win in the series finale?
Nobel Prize in Physics In the 2019 finale, Sheldon and Amy travel to Stockholm to collect the Nobel Prize in Physics for their super asymmetry theory, and Sheldon thanks his friends in his speech. The finale also fixes the apartment building's elevator, which had been broken since the first episode 12 years earlier. - What is the prequel series about Sheldon's childhood called?
Young Sheldon Young Sheldon premiered in 2017 with Iain Armitage as nine year old Sheldon in East Texas, narrated by Jim Parsons as the adult Sheldon, and ran for seven seasons. Its own sequel, Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage, premiered in October 2024 and follows Sheldon's older brother. - Which playground hand game does Sheldon expand with lizard and Spock?
Rock Paper Scissors Sheldon introduces Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock in season two to reduce ties, adding two gestures so that each option beats two others and loses to two. The game was actually invented by Sam Kass and Karen Bryla, and the show credited Kass on air after it took off. - How many Emmy Awards did Jim Parsons win for playing Sheldon?
Four Jim Parsons won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series four times, in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014, the most of any actor for the show. Parsons also won a Golden Globe in 2011 and became the highest paid actor on television during the show's later seasons.
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