Here are some FAQs regarding the ORQE Exams:

 

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 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 my students register? – This link: www.iac-sponsors.com/exams/ leads to a page on which the student will type in your sponsor code and then give their name, grade, birth date (optional), etc. Once they have filled in this information and selected the Exam that they want to take, they will be taken to a page explaining the rules of the Exam. Then once they have selected “I understand the rules” and clicked Begin, the 20 minute timer will begin. Please advise your students not to hit the Begin button until they are ready to begin!

 

Can I enter more students than what I had indicated in the sponsoring form? – Yes, the sponsoring form was only meant to be indicative. You are welcome to have more 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 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 at the bottom of the Home tab on the sponsor homepage once you log in at www.iac-sponsors.com.

 

What score will my student need to qualify for Regional Finals? – For the History Bee and the Science 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 once the ORQE Exams have closed (so after February 7, but most likely not before mid to end- February, unless your Regional Final is taking place on February 15-17).

In the case of the Geography Exam, if the students score at least 50 for 8th Grade, 45 for 7th Grade, 40 for 6th Grade, or 35 for 5th Grade and Younger, they qualify for the National Championships. If they get 75 regardless of the division, they also qualify for the 2020 World Championships (see www.igbworlds.com for further details on this).

 

How much time does my student have to take the Exam? – All Exams are 50 multiple-choice questions, and each allows only 20 minutes. The timer will be visible during the Exam, and if the student has not finished the Exam at the end of the timer, the Exam will be automatically submitted as-is with no option for changes. So please have your student watch the timer carefully. If the student closes the page by mistake before the end of the 20 minutes, they can go back to it to finish if they know the URL of the page (if not, they can likely find it in their browser history depending on the browser you are using).

 

How are the Exams scored? – Each correct answer will receive 2 points. An incorrect answer receives minus 1 point. Any unanswered question (including choosing the No Answer option) receives zero points. 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? – For the History Bee and Science Bee, students have until Midnight PST at the end of the day on February 7, 2020 (extended- final deadline). At that point, we will begin assessing who has qualified in preparation for opening Regional Finals registration in early February. For Geography, students will be able to take the Exam until the National Championships registration closes in May.

 

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).

 

That should pretty much cover everything, but please feel free to ask questions as they arise by emailing info@iacomeptitions.com.

 

Best of luck to all of your students!