Could You Actually Survive? Take These 5 Survival Quizzes to Find Out

Everyone has a survival fantasy. Maybe you have spent hours mentally planning your zombie apocalypse strategy. Maybe you have watched every season of Survivor and thought, "I could do that." Maybe you read about earthquake preparedness once and now consider yourself an expert.

But here is the uncomfortable truth: most people massively overestimate their survival skills. Studies show that the average person cannot start a fire without matches, does not know how to purify water, and would make critical mistakes in the first 24 hours of almost any emergency scenario.

We have put together five survival quizzes that cover wildly different scenarios, from the undead to the geological. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to take all five and see how you stack up. Fair warning: these are not easy.

Quiz 1: Could You Survive a Zombie Apocalypse?

Let us start with the scenario everyone has an opinion about. The Survive a Zombie Apocalypse quiz tests whether your strategy would actually work or if you would be undead by lunchtime.

The most common mistakes people make in zombie survival scenarios are surprisingly practical. Choosing a glass-walled shopping mall as a base sounds great until you realize glass shatters. Hoarding weapons instead of water means you will die of dehydration, not zombies. And that plan to drive to the countryside? So does everyone else, which means gridlocked highways full of easy targets.

This quiz covers shelter selection, resource management, group dynamics, and long-term sustainability. Scoring above 80% means you might actually have a shot.

Quiz 2: Could You Survive on a Deserted Island?

No zombies, no other people, just you and nature. The Survive a Deserted Island quiz strips away modern conveniences and asks a simple question: do you know enough about the natural world to keep yourself alive?

The biggest killer on a deserted island is not starvation or predators. It is dehydration. You can survive roughly three weeks without food, but only about three days without water. Knowing how to collect rainwater, find freshwater sources, and avoid drinking seawater (which accelerates dehydration) is the difference between rescue and a very bad time.

This quiz also tests your knowledge of shelter building, edible plants versus toxic lookalikes, fire-starting techniques, and signaling methods. The questions get surprisingly specific, and guessing will not save you.

Quiz 3: Could You Survive an Earthquake?

Unlike zombies and desert islands, earthquakes are something millions of people actually face. The Survive an Earthquake quiz tests practical knowledge that could genuinely save your life someday.

Here is what most people get wrong: standing in a doorway is not the best strategy in modern buildings. Running outside during shaking is more dangerous than staying put. And the "triangle of life" theory that went viral on social media has been thoroughly debunked by seismologists.

The correct response to an earthquake is Drop, Cover, and Hold On. Get under a sturdy piece of furniture, protect your head and neck, and stay there until the shaking stops. It sounds simple, but in a quiz full of plausible-sounding alternatives, most people second-guess themselves.

Quiz 4: Could You Survive in Space?

Space is trying to kill you in every conceivable way, simultaneously. No air, extreme temperatures, cosmic radiation, microgravity weakening your bones, and the psychological toll of isolation in an infinite void. The Survive in Space quiz covers the science of staying alive where humans were never meant to be.

This quiz draws on real NASA protocols, actual space emergencies, and the physics of survival in orbit. You will need to know about oxygen systems, spacewalk procedures, what happens to the human body in a vacuum (it is not what movies show), and how astronauts handle medical emergencies when the nearest hospital is 250 miles straight down.

Fair warning: this is the quiz where most people's confidence takes the biggest hit. Space does not care about your survival instincts.

Quiz 5: Could You Survive in the Wild?

Back on Earth, but far from civilization. The Survive in the Wild quiz tests your knowledge of wilderness survival across multiple biomes, from dense forests to arid deserts to frozen tundra.

The questions cover navigation without a compass, identifying animal tracks, building different types of shelters for different climates, finding food sources, and avoiding common wilderness dangers. Did you know that more people die from hypothermia in 50-degree weather than in sub-zero temperatures? That is because they underestimate the danger and do not take precautions.

This quiz also tests your knowledge of wildlife encounters. What do you do when you meet a bear? (It depends entirely on the type of bear.) What about a mountain lion? A snake? Each scenario has a correct response, and the wrong choice could be fatal.

The Challenge: Take All Five

Here is our challenge to you: take all five survival quizzes back to back. Track your scores. The true survivalist is not someone who aces one scenario but struggles in others. It is someone who has broad, practical knowledge that applies across multiple emergencies.

Our scoring breakdown:

• Average score above 90%: You are genuinely prepared. Consider teaching a class.
• Average score 70-89%: Solid knowledge with some gaps. You would probably make it.
• Average score 50-69%: You know more than average but would struggle in real scenarios.
• Average score below 50%: Your survival plan needs serious work. Start with the basics.

Share your combined score and challenge your friends. Nothing reveals someone's true personality quite like asking them what they would do during a zombie apocalypse.