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Stuff Every Genealogy Scout Should Know: free practice in 30-second cards

Stuff Every Genealogy Scout Should Know

Practice facts for the Genealogy merit badge. Not an official Scouting America credential.

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Free to start, no sign-up. 84 cards so far. One Knowledge Score and day streak across all your courses.

Questions people ask

Is this practice test free?

Yes. The first 50 cards are free for everyone with no sign-up, each with the answer, why it is right and its sources. Aha Trivia members get all 84 cards and timed practice exams.

How many practice questions are there?

84 practice questions so far. Each one is a 3-choice card that takes about 30 seconds, and the course grows as new cards pass our source checks.

Where do the answers come from?

Every card lists the sources it was checked against, and each answer explains why it is right. If you think an answer is wrong, tap "Challenge this answer" in the game and it gets reviewed.

Can I study in the car?

Yes. Voice mode reads the questions out loud and you answer by voice.

Try 3 cards

  1. What does the word genealogy mean?
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    The study of families and family history. Genealogy is the study of families, family history, and tracing lineages.

  2. What is an ancestor?
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    A person from whom you are descended. An ancestor is someone in your past from whom you descend, like a grandparent.

  3. What is a descendant?
    Show the answer

    A person born from a particular ancestor. A descendant is someone who comes from an ancestor, such as a child or grandchild.

All 84 practice questions

The first 50 are free, with the answer, why it's right and the official sources. The other 34 (πŸ”’) open with a membership (every test). Or play them as a game and track what you've learned.

Show all 84 questions
  1. What does the word genealogy mean?
  2. What is an ancestor?
  3. What is a descendant?
  4. What does a family tree usually show?
  5. What is a family group record used for?
  6. Why do genealogists begin research with the present and work backward?
  7. What is an oral history in genealogy?
  8. Why should you record an interview with a relative?
  9. What makes a good interview question for a relative?
  10. What is one example of a physical genealogical resource?
  11. What is one example of a digital genealogical resource?
  12. Where might you commonly find a marriage record?
  13. What is a census record?
  14. What is a primary source in genealogy?
  15. What is a secondary source in genealogy?
  16. Why are dates recorded long after an event less reliable?
  17. Why might a census age be unreliable?
  18. What is an original source?
  19. What is a derivative source?
  20. Why do genealogists prefer original records when possible?
  21. What is the informant on a record?
  22. Why should you consider who the informant was?
  23. What is a pedigree chart?
  24. What is indexing in genealogy?
  25. How has the internet changed genealogy?
  26. How has photography helped genealogy?
  27. What is microfilming used for in genealogy?
  28. What is a GEDCOM file used for?
  29. What does genealogy software help you do?
  30. Why might genealogy software hide information about living people?
  31. What is a patronymic name?
  32. Why can a woman's maiden name be important in genealogy?
  33. Why can place names be confusing in old records?
  34. What are maps and gazetteers useful for in genealogy?
  35. Why is occupation useful in genealogy?
  36. What is a vital record?
  37. What happened to most of the 1890 United States census?
  38. Why do genealogists track which records were destroyed?
  39. What is DNA useful for in genealogy?
  40. What does mitochondrial DNA pass down?
  41. What does Y-DNA trace?
  42. What is autosomal DNA useful for?
  43. What is a lineage society?
  44. What does a professional genealogist do?
  45. What is a family history center?
  46. Why should genealogists cite their sources?
  47. Why should you handle original records carefully?
  48. What is the difference between genealogy and family history?
  49. Why might someone research family medical history?
  50. What is a one-name study?
  51. What is a one-place study? πŸ”’
  52. What can family history societies help beginners do? πŸ”’
  53. How does the Society of Genealogists describe genealogy? πŸ”’
  54. Why might DNA testing make genealogy easier to start? πŸ”’
  55. What is whakapapa in Māori culture? πŸ”’
  56. Why do royal families keep genealogical records? πŸ”’
  57. How can genealogy help in a probate case? πŸ”’
  58. How do detectives sometimes use genealogical research? πŸ”’
  59. What is the Confucius family tree known for? πŸ”’
  60. What did the television broadcast of Roots inspire? πŸ”’
  61. What is a zupu or jiapu? πŸ”’
  62. What is the Panjis system? πŸ”’
  63. What did John Farmer help do for American genealogy? πŸ”’
  64. What is the New England Historic Genealogical Society known for? πŸ”’
  65. What does the Family History Library in Salt Lake City house? πŸ”’
  66. What is the Genealogical Proof Standard? πŸ”’
  67. Why should genealogists avoid plagiarizing another researcher's work? πŸ”’
  68. Why should genealogists be clear with paying clients about fees? πŸ”’
  69. What does the 2015 genetic genealogy standard emphasize? πŸ”’
  70. Why can a woman's surname change cause research difficulty? πŸ”’
  71. Why might immigrants' names be hard to trace? πŸ”’
  72. Why can nicknames complicate genealogical research? πŸ”’
  73. Why might a baptism date not equal a birth date? πŸ”’
  74. What calendar change in 1752 affected English records? πŸ”’
  75. What does an ostler do? πŸ”’
  76. What does a cordwainer make? πŸ”’
  77. Why should you evaluate all sources with a critical eye? πŸ”’
  78. Why might an informant give false information? πŸ”’
  79. Why can compiled genealogies contain identity errors? πŸ”’
  80. What is indirect or circumstantial evidence used for? πŸ”’
  81. What is a primary source for a death date? πŸ”’
  82. Why did FamilySearch digitize records in Sierra Leone? πŸ”’
  83. What is residential genealogy the study of? πŸ”’
  84. Why is oral tradition used with caution? πŸ”’