The International Geography Bee’s Asian Division consists of the Regional stage, which features the Online Regional Qualifying Exam and Regional Quiz Tournament, and then the International Geography Bee Asian Championships.

The best resource for preparing for the Online Regional Qualifying Exam is the Sample Qualifying Exam, which is available here together with its answer key as well as the past Qualifying Exams listed here:

2019-2020 International Geography Bee Alpha Qualifying Exam and ANSWER KEY
2019-2020 International Geography Bee Beta Set Version and ANSWER KEY
2018-2019 International Geography Bee Alpha Qualifying Exam and ANSWER KEY
2018-2019 International Geography Bee Beta Set Version and ANSWER KEY
2017-2018 International Geography Bee Alpha Qualifying Exam and ANSWER KEY
2017-2018 International Geography Bee Beta Qualifying Exam and ANSWER KEY
2016-2017 International Geography Bee Alpha Qualifying Exam and ANSWER KEY
2016-2017 International Geography Bee Beta Qualifying Exam and ANSWER KEY

Additionally helpful in preparing are the past Qualifying Exams for the US Geography Championships, which date back to 2012-2013, as the USA version of the IGB Qualifying Exam is now the same exam for both the IGB’s USA Division, and the US Geography Olympiad. Past versions of the Qualifying Exam for the US Geography Championships, along with their answer keys, can be found here on the US Geography Championships website.

The best resources for preparing for the Regional Quiz Tournament as well as the Asian Championships are the past questions we have used at these. Note in 2015 and 2016, the IGB Asian Championships was known as the Geography Bee of Asia:

2019 IGB Regional Tournament Questions

2019 IGB Asian Championships Questions
2018 IGB Asian Championships Questions
2017 IGB Asian Championships Questions
2016 Geography Bee of Asia Questions
2015 Geography Bee of Asia Questions

Also, see the Quiz Bowl Tournament portion of the US Geography Championships’ Varsity and Junior Varsity National Championships from 2013-2016, as well as the Middle School and Elementary Division USGC Quiz Bowl Tournament National Championships from 2015. These can be found on the USGC website here.

Likewise, if at all possible, we strongly recommend students get extra practice and experience with buzzer-based academic competition through participation in International History Bee and Bowl events (click here for the IHBB Asia website). Many students (especially those with experience in other non-buzzer based geography competitions, but lacking buzzer-based academic competition experience) may find buzzer-based play takes some getting used to in order to excel at, and it is beneficial for students to get more buzzer-based competition experience (even if not on mostly geography questions) prior to the Asian Championships.

Links to additional buzzer-style quiz questions can be found on the National History Bee and Bowl’s website here (many of these questions have a historical geography focus). You can also view all-subject quiz questions at www.quizbowlpackets.com including a much narrower selection of all-geography events (in particular, any event labeled “Geography Monstrosity” in the Collegiate section of the website though those questions are considerably harder on average than the Asian Championships questions for IGB. Still, there is certainly some overlap).

Additionally, we recommend that students keep up to date with current events, as a fair number of the questions have a focus on what is currently happening in the world, and how geography applies to national and international affairs. The Economist and The New York Times are worth reading in particular for this purpose (paywalls apply).

Motivated students might also consider becoming an AFS Exchange Student (or hosting one from another country) for a particularly unique chance to learn about foreign cultures and languages while studying overseas and living with a host family. Upon graduation, students can also further their geographic, international relations, and intercultural knowledge through participation in the International Youth Leadership Conference. Contact IGB founder, AFS alumnus (USA Semester Program to Vienna, Austria in 1998-1999), and IYLC past participant (Prague, 2003) David Madden if you have any further questions about either of these adventures at david@iacompetitions.com.