Survey Finds Most Churchgoers Fail Bible Quiz
A Lifeway Research survey found about two-thirds of churchgoers earned an F on a biblical literacy quiz.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Christianity
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Lifeway Research released a report showing about two-thirds of churchgoers failed a biblical literacy quiz. The online survey of 2,012 Americans, conducted August 12 to 29, found an average score of 51.
Why it matters
The results point to a gap between church attendance and familiarity with Scripture, with respondents who read the Bible daily scoring far higher than those who rarely or never read it. The findings raise questions about how congregations and individuals engage with the text.
The survey of 2,012 Americans carried a margin of error of plus or minus 2.2% at the 95% confidence level, with 65% earning an F and an average score of 51. Two-thirds of respondents wrongly identified Hezekiah as a book of the Bible, and the report does not explain how the quiz categories were weighted.
The players
Lifeway Research
Lifeway Research is a research organization affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention that conducts surveys on religious and church life in the United States.
Jen Wilkin
Jen Wilkin is a Bible teacher and author who wrote an article for The Gospel Coalition analyzing the Lifeway Research report.
The details
Respondents answered dozens of questions across eight categories, including people of the Bible, the order of biblical events and which books belong in Scripture. Scores were graded from A (90 and above) to F (below 60), and the survey drew on respondents who identify as Protestant, nondenominational, Catholic or Orthodox Christian and attend church in a typical month.
Timeline
August 12 to 29: Lifeway Research conducted the online survey of 2,012 Americans.
Early November 2026: Lifeway Research released the report.
Culture Shift
The Lifeway findings extend the Pew Research Center's religious knowledge surveys, which found evangelicals often missed basic facts about Jesus and the Sermon on the Mount. Together the results suggest a continuing gap between church attendance and familiarity with Scripture across American Christianity.
For churchgoers who attend weekly but read Scripture rarely, the results suggest a practical gap worth addressing in personal study habits. Readers who want to test their own knowledge can compare their habits against the daily-reader average of 66 versus 36 for those who rarely read.
The takeaway
Daily Bible reading was associated with a score of 66 on the quiz, compared with 36 for those who rarely or never read it. Building a consistent reading habit is the clearest practical step the survey points to.
Further reading
Explore more on Christianity coverage across the United States.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Christian Post.
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Do you read the Bible on your own at least once a week?
