Below we’ve listed some Frequently Asked Questions, grouped under a few major headings. Hopefully, the information below, as well as on the other pages of this website will answer most of your questions about how the International Geography Bee works. If you are still confused about something, please email info@iacompetitions.com and we’ll not only respond to you, but add your question to the FAQ page if it’s something that would apply to other participants as well.
Participation & Eligibility
1.Who is the International Geography Bee’s Canadian Division meant for?
Any primary or secondary student with an interest in geography is welcome to compete. Students must be enrolled in a primary or secondary school and not have already graduated high school at the time they take the Championships Qualifying Exam or compete in the Regional Quiz Tournament. Students who graduate between the time they take the Exam / compete in the RQT and the next IGB Canadian championships may still compete at the next Canadian Championships, as well as at the subsequent IGB World Championships.
2. Which age divisions can students compete in?
Within Canada, the International Geography Bee consists of 3 Age Divisions, defined as follows (these correspond to the International History Bee and Bowl’s Age Divisions within Canada):
-Varsity (for students in the final two years of high school – year 11 and 12)
-Junior Varsity (for students in the first two years of high school – year 9 and 10)
-Middle School (for students in year 8 and younger)
There is no younger age limit, though students should look over the sample Championships Qualifying Exam and the samples of the buzzer-style questions to be used at the Canadian Championships to see if the difficulty level is appropriate for them.)
Students who are homeschooled and are not formally in a year are considered Middle School for the 2019-20 school year if born on or after September 1, 2005; students are considered Junior Varsity if born between September 1, 2003 and August 31, 2005. Students are considered Varsity if born on or before August 31, 2003.
Please note, however, that when students from Canada attend the IGB World Championships, they must compete in the age division that their birth date falls into based on the standard IGB divisions outside Canada during the 2019-2020 school year.
3. If I am a citizen of a country where I do not live or attend school, can I compete in the geographic division of IGB that corresponds to the country of my citizenship? Can I compete in multiple divisions?
Students may only compete in one geographic division of IGB in any given school year. If they have citizenship of a country outside the division where they attend school, then they may compete in either the one division or the other, but not both.
4. Can homeschooled students compete?
Yes, absolutely! All homeschooled students who are studying a primary or secondary education course of study may compete. Since the International Geography Bee is a competition for individual students, it doesn’t matter if you are homeschooled or attend a school, nor does it matter if other students from your homeschool association (or school for that matter) compete or not.
5. My school won’t fund me or give its official approval; does this matter?
Not as far as the International Geography Bee is concerned. As long as you, a parent, or someone else pays for your entry fee, and you appear on time for your competition, you can compete. If you prefer that your name is not listed on the website in order to prevent a hassle at your school, we can do this too – just let us know at nolwenn@iacompetitions.com
Regionals
1. Where are the sites for the Championships Qualifying Exam for the International Geography Bee?
The sites of the Canadian Championships Qualifying Exams for the IGB are the exact same sites as the regional tournaments of the International History Bee and Bowl’s Canadian Division as shown at www.ihbbcanada.com. Note that the map will be updated on an ongoing basis throughout the school year as new tournament sites are scheduled and tournaments take place.
Also, not only are the sites identical with the IHBB Canada regional tournaments, but the dates are too. The CQE will almost always be offered during the lunch break of the tournament; for some tournaments, it may be offered at slightly different times. The start time of this (usually around 12:45-1:00pm, but double check and be sure to arrive a bit early), is indicated on each tournament page (accessed by clicking on the respective dot on the map). The Exam will have 50 multiple-choice questions and a 20 minute time limit for completion.
Students may take the CQE up to two times, though it must, of course, be a different version each time. Students only need to qualify once for the Canadian Championships (or the World Championships) on any one Exam Version, though they can take both if they like. If a student qualifies on one Exam Version, and thereafter takes the other version and receives a non-qualifying score, that does not “unqualify” them from the Championships.
Note that the two separate versions of the Championships Qualifying Exam are not meant to vary in length or difficulty. It is also possible to take either of the Exam versions with a teacher or homeschool instructor proctoring (see below for instructions) if unable to reach an official Exam site.
2. Where are the sites and when are the dates for the Regional Quiz Tournaments?
The sites for the Regional Quiz Tournaments are maintained on the top of the Regionals Page, along with their registration. Tournaments are posted on a continual basis; most, if not all, will run after school.
3. What is the cost?
The Championship Qualifying Exam cost is $10 CAD to take either version of the Championships Qualifying Exam at a scheduled site (i.e. International History Bee and Bowl tournaments in Canada). If students take different versions of the Exam, it’s $10 CAD for each Exam taken. If a student takes the Exam through a proctor at their school or with a homeschool instructor, it is free of charge. Teachers can also sign up an entire class for the Championships Qualifying Exam. If you are interested in taking or offering the exam with a teacher or homeschool instructor as a proctor, please email nolwenn@iacompetitions.com.
The Regional Quiz Tournament costs $20 CAD per student.
For 2020, the IGB Canadian Championships costs $45 CAD per student.
4. How do I sign up for the Championships Qualifying Exam at a tournament site? Do I need to register in advance?
For the Championships Qualifying Exam (for all divisions) you do not need to sign up in advance; just come to the tournament site during the lunch break.
5. How do I sign up to have the Championships Qualifying Exam proctored by a teacher or homeschool instructor?
Email nolwenn@iacompetitions.com for instructions on how to register and pay for the Exam if it’s proctored by a teacher or homeschool instructor.
6. Do I have to be competing in The International History Bee and/or The International History Bowl to take the Championships Qualifying Exam at a tournament site?
No, though, you are certainly welcome to compete in these. The International History Bee and Bowl do not require a team, and some questions used in them reference geography, so many students interested in the International Geography Bee will surely also be interested in competing in the other events too.
7. When and how will I receive my score on the Championships Qualifying Exam?
If taking the Exam at a tournament site, in many cases, the CQE exam papers will be graded immediately after the students are finished. In other cases, students will learn their scores later that afternoon, or by email within a few days of the tournament. Students may email nolwenn@iacompetitions.com from 5 days after they take the Exam, if they haven’t yet received their results. However, students who take the Exam who finish in the top half of their Division at the site they take it, will also have their scores posted online on the Results page. All of these students will have qualified for the Canadian Championships.
Students taking the Exam with a proctor can request their score from the proctor once the Exam has been graded.
8. What should I study to prepare for the Championships Qualifying Exam?
Questions on the Championships Qualifying Exams for all divisions will reference both geographical facts (e.g. capitals, landforms, linguistic distribution, etc.) and a knowledge of geographical concepts (e.g. patterns of population distribution, effects of geography on weather, continental drift, etc.). The questions will not require computation or detailed analysis of maps or diagrams; given the limited time to complete the Exam (20 minutes), questions should not take more than 20 seconds to answer. Please also see the Resources Page and the Sample Exam which is available here together with its answer key
9. Does the International Geography Bee’s Canadian Division only test knowledge of Canadian geography?
No, the International Geography Bee is not limited to questions on the geography of Canada. Questions on the geography of the Canada form about 15-20% of the questions we ask for the IGB in Canada.
Canadian Championships
1. Who will qualify for the IGB Canadian Championships?
Students who finish in the top half of their division, inclusive of ties, at the tournament site where they take the Championships Qualifying Exam will qualify for the Canadian Championships. Likewise, we will tally all of the scores for both versions of the Qualifying Exam for all age divisions and compute the six different Official Median Scores (Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Middle School for both Alpha and Beta Set).
Students who had scored at or higher than the Official Median Score for their division on their version of the Canadian Championships Qualifying Exam will thus also qualify for the Canadian Championships. For each version of the CQE and for each age division it encompasses, there will be a separate Official Median Score.
Students can also qualify by finishing in the top 50% in their age division at any Regional Quiz Tournament. However, if any Regional Quiz Tournaments are held at the intramural level, then the winning student qualifies for the World Championships, and the top 25% qualify in each age division for the Canadian Championships.
Additionally, students who have competed before for Canada at the International Geography Olympiad are automatically qualified for the IGB Canadian Championships for life (i.e. as long as they are age-eligible), but must still take a version of the Championships Qualifying Exam, if they haven’t already done so, for seeding purposes, which would be provided free of charge.
2. How do I register? Is advanced registration required?
Advanced online registration is required for the Canadian Championships!
Registration will open at this link when available.
3. What is the deadline for registration?
Two weeks before the Championships. Students may be allowed to register on a space-available basis up to the date of the Canadian Championships, but they should not assume this will be possible.
4. What does it cost?
For 2018, the cost is $45 CAD for each student, regardless of age division.
5. When and where will it take place?
For all Age Divisions, the 202 IGB Canadian Championships will take place in conjunction with the 2020 International History Bee and Bowl’s Canadian Championships. The IGB Canadian Championships will take place in the morning before the IHBB Canadian Championships. The date is not yet set, but it will likely be on a Saturday in late April or early May. The date and location, when available, will be posted here on the IHBB Canada website.
6. How can I best prepare for the IGB Canadian Championships?
The best resources are the questions we used at the past IGB Canadian Championships, which are available on the Resources Page. Please also see the quiz bowl questions that have been used at the National Championships of the US Geography Championships from 2013 to 2016. These are available on the USGC website here. See www.quizbowlpackets.com for additional quiz questions in paragraph and “pyramidal” format though most of these questions do not have a geography focus.
World Championships
1. How do I qualify for the International Geography Bee World Championships?
Qualification details are listed here.
2. What events will the International Geography Championships consist of?
All events are described in detail on the IGC website through the links here.
3. When and where will the World Championships take place?
The next International Geography Championships will take place from August 2-9, 2022 at Université Laval in Quebec City.