General Information for the 2022-2023 Academic Year

The International Geography Bee’s Middle & Elementary School Division will comprise four stages during the 2022-2023 academic year. The first stage is offered free of charge; registration fees on a per student basis are charged for students who attend the Regional Finals and National Championships.

Middle School & Elementary School International Geography Bee Stages for 2022-2023

  1. Online Regional Qualifying ExamRegistration is now open at orqe.iac-exams.com. The ORQEs will remain open now through April 1, 2023. This exam may be administered at the student’s school under supervision or at home under supervision for students engaging in remote learning due to Covid-19, homeschooled students, and others as needed.
    There is no cost for students to take the Online Regional Qualifying Exam. All students are encouraged to participate. Scores on the Online Regional Qualifying Exam will be utilized to determine which students have qualified for the Regional Finals. Scores will not be made public.
  2. Regional Finals – The 2023 International Geography Bee Regional Finals will take place in person and online between October and April 15 and will cost $45 per student. Their exact dates will be posted here as soon as they are finalized. The top half of students in each division at the Regional Finals will qualify for the National Championships, and the top quarter will qualify for the International Geography Championships.
  3. National Championships – The US National Championships of the International Geography Bee will be held as a part of the IAC Middle/Elementary School National Championships, being held June 1-4, 2023 in Arlington, VA. For more information, please visit ems.iacnationals.com.
  4. International Geography Championships – The top 25% of students at each Regional Final, and the top 50% of students at the National Championships will qualify for the 2024 International Geography Championships in Ecuador in Summer 2024.

NOTE: While Middle and Elementary students may take the National Qualifying Exam in order to qualify for the JV National Championships, qualifying for the JV Championships WILL NOT automatically qualify a student for the Middle/Elementary Championships. Students trying to qualify for the Middle/Elementary National Championships must follow the steps above.