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 a regional-level International Geography Bee Tournament.
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.)
Please note, however, that when students from Canada attend the International Geography 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?
Only students living in Canada can compete in the International Geography Bee’s Canadian Division.
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 info@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 listed at www.ihbbcanada.com.
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-level International Geography Bee Tournaments?
Any of these tournaments that are upcoming are listed here. Currently, these are only being held online.
3. What is the cost?
The Championships Qualifying Exam cost is $15 USD to take online, which can be done here (the same version of the qualifying exam is used in the USA and Canada).
The Championships Qualifying Exam cost is $20 CAD or $15 USD when taken at an International History Bee and Bowl Canadian regional tournament site.
The Online International Geography Bee tournament cost is $35 USD.
The International Geography Bee Canadian Championships costs are listed here.
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?
Just follow the instructions here.
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 joan@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 online will know their scores immediately.
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; it is a comprehensive competition covering all of world geography. Most questions are about the geography of other parts of the world.
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 score at least 75 on the qualifying exam qualify automatically.
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 level International Geography Bee Tournament.
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?
Approximately ten days 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?
The Canadian Championships costs are listed here.
5. When and where will it take place?
Dates and locations of upcoming Canadian Championships are posted under the Championships tab at www.ihbbcanada.com.
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 links to other questions and resources at the bottom of that page, as well as the National Capitals Study Guide available here.
International Geography Championships (World Championship level)
1. How do I qualify for the 2024 International Geography 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 July 13-20, 2024 in Vienna, Austria.