Students do not have to be affiliated with a school in order to participate in any of our competitions. All students are welcome to participate. We encourage students who attend a school to let their school know they are competing and to participate with other students and teachers from their school, but it is not required. Students do not have to be officially recognized or sponsored by their school to compete. Pseudonyms are allowed in place of school names in such cases, although we will still need to know which school a student attends.
Beginning in the fall semester until April 1, students will be allowed to take a free online qualifying exam at their school or under supervision at another location. Through this exam, students will qualify for the Regional Finals. Student finish at the Regional Finals will determine qualification for the National Championships.
Students will be divided into 8th Grade, 7th Grade, 6th Grade, 5th Grade and Elementary(4th Grade and younger). For students who do not have a formally recognized grade, their division will be determined by their birth date. These dates are detailed on this Info for Homeschoolers page.
No. Students must participate in their formally recognized grade, or in the absence of a formally recognized grade, their assigned grade based on their birth date as detailed on this Info for Homeschoolers page. In some rare cases, there may be an insufficient number of students participating in a division, necessitating having them participate in a combined division. However, their scores will still only be compared to those at their grade level for qualification and awards purposes.
Students in the 6th Grade, 5th Grade, and Elementary divisions will get slightly modified versions of the questions offered in the 7th and 8th Grade divisions. However, the answer lines will be the same.
There is no younger age limit. Older students must be formally in 8th grade or below, and students with no formal grade must have been born on or after October 1, 2008.
No prior experience is required, and we encourage all students to give it a try! We recommend that you do take a look at our rules here to make sure your student understands the format so they are as prepared as possible before coming to a tournament.
Information on the Online Regional Qualifying Exams, or ORQEs, can be found at this page.
There is no limit to the number of students who may take the qualifying exam. Limits for the Regional Finals and National Championships are based on how many students qualify and register before the field cap is met.
We will be happy to answer any questions you have. Please contact us at info@iacompetitions.com, and we will get right back to you!