The Online Regional Qualifying Exams (ORQEs) for the National History Bee, the National Science Bee and the US Geography Championships/International Geography Bee will open on September 27, 2021. Due to current public health concerns and school re-openings/closures, IAC has extended the deadlines for the 2022 History and Science ORQEs until 11:59pm Eastern on Monday, February 7, 2022. The deadline for the 2022 Geography ORQE remains 11:59pm Eastern on Monday, February 28, 2022. You don’t need to register your students in advance for the exams; they will be able to register as students immediately before taking the exam(s). In order to access the ORQEs, your students will need to provide your sponsor ID, which can be accessed through your sponsor page). Register to be a sponsor here.
Students can take up to three exams – one of which serves to qualify students for the Regional Finals for the National History Bee, one of which serves to qualify students for the Regional Finals of the National Science Bee, and one of which serves to qualify students for both the Regional Finals of the International Geography Bee and the National Championships of the US Geography Championships. Each exam takes 20 minutes and is taken online (either on a computer or on a tablet). Students need to be supervised while they take the exams and are not permitted to use any resources including any other website. Students can take all three exams at once, or at different times (including on different days, with different sponsors if needed). Each student can only take each exam once. If we get more than one entry per student per exam, we will only take the first entry into account.
Results of exams will be sent out to the sponsors. However, we won’t be able to tell you if your students have qualified until after all students have finished taking the exams. Once we have determined which students have qualified for the Regional Finals (starting in late November), we will email all the sponsors to let them know.
Frequently Asked Questions about the ORQEs:
How much does it cost to take the ORQE Exams?
All three exams are free of charge.
Who can take the ORQE Exams?
Students in 8th grade and under can take the ORQE Exams. We offer separate divisions for students in 8th grade, 7th grade, 6th grade, and Elementary School (i.e. for all students in 5th grade and under). Parents can administer the Exams if a school does not want to register. Students in 9th grade and above who are interested in competing should contact info@iacompetitions.com for instructions on how to compete in the Varsity or JV Divisions.
How do I register myself or my students?
Registration for Sponsor IDs is open now, and the link is available here.
Can I enter more students than what I had indicated when I created my account?
Yes, these numbers are only meant to be an estimate. You are welcome to have more or fewer students take the exams than the number you originally estimated when you registered.
What happens if the students incorrectly fill in their registration information?
Please help your students to make sure their registration information is correct (especially your sponsor ID, their name and grade). We have thousands of students taking these Exams, and this will help make sure we track them properly. This is a big part of the reason we are asking for students to be supervised when taking the Exam. We want to be sure to be able to attach your student’s great score to the right person!
What is my sponsor number?
One of the items students will need to fill in when they register is your Sponsor Number. That code can be found once you log into your sponsor account, and then go to sponsor hub, and click on sponsor ID list.
What score will my student need to qualify for Regional Finals?
For the History Bee, the Science Bee and the International Geography Bee, qualifying scores will be decided based on the body of received scores at each level of competition. We will let the sponsors know which students have qualified for the Regional Finals by January 31, any Geography qualifying exams submitted after January 31 will be marked for qualification on a weekly basis (on February 8, 15, 22, and March 1).
In the case of the US Geography Championships (which uses the same qualifying exam as the International Geography Bee), if a student qualifies for Regional Finals in the International Geography Bee, they qualify for the National Championships of the US Geography Championships automatically.
How much time does my student have to take the Exam?
All Exams are 50 multiple-choice questions, and students have 20 minutes to take each exam.
How are the Exams scored?
Each correct answer will receive 2 points. An incorrect answer or an answer left blank receives zero points (but there are no negative points this year on the ORQE Exams for incorrect answers). Students are welcome to change their answers.
Should students be supervised while taking the Exams?
As much as possible, yes. Please make sure that their name and grade are entered correctly and help them stay focused on the Exams. Also, those supervising must avoid assisting students, as tempting as it may be. Students should determine the answers to questions entirely on their own and without any other resources than their brain (including the internet). Please also instruct them not to discuss the Exams in case other students have yet to take them.
What is the deadline for students to take Exams?
Due to current public health concerns and school re-openings/closures, IAC has extended the deadlines for the 2022 History and Science ORQEs until 11:59pm Eastern on Monday, February 7, 2022. The deadline for the 2022 Geography ORQE remains 11:59pm Eastern on Monday, February 28, 2022.
Can my student take an Exam for which I did not register them?
Absolutely. Your students may take all three Exams if they so choose. There is no cost for these Exams, and they just might qualify if they try! If the teacher does not want to administer all the Exams, then a parent or a different teacher can create a sponsor account to administer the other Exam(s).