Christian World | A Lifeway Research survey of 2,012 US churchgoers found 65% failed a Bible literacy quiz, with an average score of 51 and daily readers scoring highest

ACW | November 5, 2026 — Two in three American churchgoers failed a Bible literacy quiz, with an average score of 51, the Christian research group Lifeway Research said on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

The online survey of 2,012 Americans who attend church was conducted Aug. 12-29, 2026, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points, Lifeway said.

Sixty-five percent of respondents scored an F and 9% earned an A, according to the report. Ninety-four percent knew Moses received the Ten Commandments, but only 45% named Saul as Israel's first king, while 32% chose David.

Two-thirds wrongly identified Hezekiah as a book of the Bible, Lifeway said.

"Bible literacy comes with both reading and studying the Bible," said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. "Knowing the Bible involves the heart, mind and emotions."

Background: In its report on the survey, The Christian Post noted that a 2019 Pew Research Center study on religious knowledge found 34% of self-identified evangelicals did not know Jesus was from Nazareth.

Why it matters: Churchgoers who read the Bible every day averaged 66, while those who rarely or never read it averaged 36, and 91% of that group failed, Lifeway Research found.

ACW will continue to follow this story.

Sources: Lifeway Research — 2 in 3 Churchgoers Fail Bible Literacy Quiz; The Christian Post — Two-thirds of churchgoers fail Bible knowledge quiz

Photo: Aaron Burden / Unsplash (illustrative)