Syllabus Scavenger Hunt

Pick a list or mix all five, then print 10 questions your students answer from the syllabus.

Syllabus Scavenger Hunt

NameCourse and section

  1. Answer from the syllabus only.
  2. Write the page or section where you found each answer.
  3. Not stated is a correct answer when the syllabus is silent.
  1. How final grades are roundedWrite "not stated" if the syllabus is silent.
  2. A question the syllabus does not answer, to ask in classWrite it down and ask it this week.
  3. What to put in the subject line of a message about this courseWrite "not stated" if the syllabus says nothing.
  4. Your instructor's full name, spelled the way the syllabus spells itAdd the title they ask to be called by, if one is given.
  5. Where to find tutoring or a writing centerThe place and the hours, if given.
  6. How much homework counts toward the gradeWrite the share, or "not graded".
  7. The last day to drop the courseIf the syllabus points to another calendar, write where.
  8. The lowest score that still earns an ACopy it from the grading scale.
  9. What to do if you miss a testWrite the steps in order.
  10. The rule on using AI tools for courseworkWrite "not stated" if there is none.

Next step Find the office: a campus huntA first-week hunt round the room

How it works

This syllabus scavenger hunt holds 60 questions students answer from your own syllabus in week one: office hours, test dates, the grading scale, the late work policy and where to get help. Not stated is always an allowed answer.

Read the full guide

Print one sheet per student or pair

The first deal mixes all five lists. For a narrower hunt, choose Dates and deadlines or Class policies in the menu beside the main button, then press Print this list.

Go over the answers together

Ask pairs to write the page or section where each answer sits, then read the answers aloud. Hard questions, such as The busiest week of the term, counting the things due, show who read past page one.

Tips
  • Keep A question the syllabus does not answer on every sheet: the answers tell you what to add next term.

Questions and answers

What questions go on a syllabus scavenger hunt?

The ones students ask in week five: office hours, the date of the first test, how much the final is worth, the late work policy, how many absences are allowed and where tutoring is.

Does it work for high school and college?

Yes. No school, course or platform is named, and every answer comes from your syllabus. A line your syllabus does not cover is answered not stated, which is worth knowing too.

Can I run it online?

Yes. Press Copy the list and paste the questions into your course platform as a short quiz or a discussion post.

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All 60 questions

Who, where and when 12

  • The course number and the section number Both usually sit near the top of the first page.
  • The days and times the class meets Include the start and the end time.
  • The fastest way to reach the instructor with an urgent question Use the syllabus's own words: email, message board or office.
  • How soon the instructor promises to answer a message A number of hours or days, or "not stated".
  • The instructor's email address Copy it exactly, dots and all.
  • The name of a teaching assistant or class helper Write "none listed" if the course has none.
  • Office hours: the days, the times and the room Write all three. Online hours count too.
  • One sentence in which the instructor says why this course matters Copy the sentence word for word.
  • What to put in the subject line of a message about this course Write "not stated" if the syllabus says nothing.
  • Where the class meets: the building and room, or the online meeting space The room number, or the name of the platform.
  • Who to contact if the instructor is away A department office, a helper, or "not stated".
  • Your instructor's full name, spelled the way the syllabus spells it Add the title they ask to be called by, if one is given.
Show all 60 questions (48 more)

Dates and deadlines 12

  • A date marked tentative or subject to change Copy the wording the syllabus uses.
  • A week with no class, such as a holiday or a break Write the dates of the week.
  • The busiest week of the term, counting the things due Name the week and list what is due in it.
  • The date of the final exam or final project Add the time if the syllabus gives one.
  • The date of the first quiz Write "no quizzes" if there are none.
  • The date of the first test or exam Write the date and the day of the week.
  • The first assignment and the day it is due Write its name as the syllabus gives it.
  • How far ahead the reading is listed For the whole term, one unit at a time, or week by week.
  • How many tests or exams there are in all Count quizzes separately if the syllabus does.
  • The last day to drop the course If the syllabus points to another calendar, write where.
  • The time of day work is due Write the exact time the syllabus gives.
  • The week the biggest project is introduced Write the week number or the date.

Grades and points 12

  • Any extra credit and how to earn it Write "none offered" if there is none.
  • How final grades are rounded Write "not stated" if the syllabus is silent.
  • How group work is graded One grade for all, or each member on their own.
  • How much homework counts toward the grade Write the share, or "not graded".
  • How much the final exam or final project is worth Write the percentage or the points.
  • How participation is graded Sum it up in one sentence.
  • The lowest score that still earns an A Copy it from the grading scale.
  • The part of the grade worth the most Name it and write its share.
  • The total number of points in the course Only if the course grades by points.
  • What a grade of Incomplete requires Copy the key condition.
  • Where to check your grade during the term Name the place or the platform.
  • Whether a lowest score is dropped, and which kind For example, the lowest quiz.

Class policies 12

  • The accessibility or accommodations statement and the office it names Write the name of the office.
  • How many absences are allowed Write the number, or "not stated".
  • How to ask for more time on an assignment Who to ask, how, and how early.
  • How work is handed in: on paper, online or both Name the platform if it is online.
  • The key line of the academic honesty policy Copy the one sentence that matters most.
  • The late work policy, in one sentence of your own Include any penalty per day.
  • The rule on laptops and other devices in class Sum it up in one sentence.
  • The rule on using AI tools for coursework Write "not stated" if there is none.
  • The rule on working together on homework Allowed, not allowed, or allowed with credit given.
  • What counts as an excused absence List the examples the syllabus gives.
  • What to do if you arrive late to class Write what the syllabus asks.
  • What to do if you miss a test Write the steps in order.

Materials and help 12

  • A question the syllabus does not answer, to ask in class Write it down and ask it this week.
  • A reading due before the second class Write the pages or the chapter.
  • Any software or account you must set up Write "none" if there is nothing.
  • The calculator or tools allowed on tests Write "not stated" if the syllabus says nothing.
  • One school or campus resource the syllabus names Write what it helps with.
  • The one thing the syllabus asks you to do before week two Copy the task.
  • The online platform the course uses Write its name.
  • The required book or reading list Write the first title only.
  • Supplies to bring to every class List them.
  • Where the full schedule lives A page number or a link name.
  • Where the slides or class notes are posted Write the place and when they go up.
  • Where to find tutoring or a writing center The place and the hours, if given.

How this list was compiled: Written for this site by its editors in September 2026: 60 questions a student answers from a course syllabus in the first week, in five lists: who, where and when; dates and deadlines; grades and points; class policies; materials and help. Nothing was copied from another list. Every answer comes from the student's own syllabus, so no answer is printed here; the note under each line says what to write down, and "not stated" is always an allowed answer. No school, course or platform is named. Levels are the editors' judgment: easy is on the first page of most syllabi, hard needs a careful read. Licence: own work