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Academic competitions for students under 18

Academic competitions test recall and rapid retrieval across subjects. Quiz bowl and bee formats reward systematic study of a defined canon, which means the preparation is unusually tractable: previous questions are published, the distribution of topics is known, and a disciplined student can improve fast.

18 in this category · 2 free to enter · 6 available online

Academic Academic Decathlon Ten events on one annual theme, with teams that must include students across the full range of grade point averages.

Grades9 to 12
Cost$100 to $1,500
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereIn person

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Coding Bebras Challenge A short online computational thinking challenge with no programming required, from age 8 upward.

Grades1 to 12
CostUp to $5
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatIndividual
WhereOnline

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Engineering Destination Imagination Team creative problem solving across technical, scientific, engineering, fine arts and service challenges.

Grades1 to 12
Cost$165 to $5,500
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereIn person

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Science HOSA Over sixty competitive events across clinical skills, health knowledge and leadership, from middle school upward.

Grades6 to 12
Cost$20 to $1,500
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereIn person

79 days left

Academic International Geography Bee A buzzer geography competition with online qualifying, filling the gap left by the discontinued National Geographic Bee.

Grades3 to 12
Cost$10 to $500
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatIndividual
WhereBoth

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Writing JEA Write-off Competitions On-site journalism contests held at national conventions across news, feature, sports, design and photojournalism.

Grades9 to 12
Cost$10 to $30
FormatIndividual
WhereIn person

169 days left

Academic NACLO Solve puzzles in languages you have never seen, with no prior linguistics knowledge required.

Grades6 to 12
CostFree
FormatIndividual
WhereIn person

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Coding NASEF Scholastic Esports School-based esports leagues paired with a curriculum in production, broadcasting, analysis and game design.

Grades6 to 12
CostFree
FormatTeam
WhereOnline

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Academic National History Bee and Bowl Buzzer competition in history, run as both an individual bee and a team bowl, with online qualifying.

Grades2 to 12
Cost$10 to $800
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereBoth

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Academic National History Day Original historical research presented as a paper, exhibit, documentary, performance or website.

Grades6 to 12
CostFree to $150
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereIn person

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Academic National Latin Exam A single low-cost exam sat at school, with medals and a very high award rate for prepared students.

Grades6 to 12
CostUp to $10
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatIndividual
WhereIn person

139 days left

Scholarships and challenges National Merit Scholarship Program The scholarship competition you enter by sitting the PSAT/NMSQT in your junior year, whether you meant to or not.

Grades11 to 12
CostFree to $30
FormatIndividual
WhereIn person

49 days left

Science National Science Bowl A fast buzzer competition across all sciences and maths, run free by the Department of Energy since 1991.

Grades6 to 12
CostFree to $50
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereIn person

72 days left

Engineering Odyssey of the Mind Teams solve a long-term creative problem over months, then face a spontaneous problem they have never seen.

Grades1 to 12
Cost$290 to $400
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereIn person

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Academic Quiz Bowl (NAQT HSNCT) Buzzer-based team quiz across every academic subject, with a huge published archive of past questions.

Grades6 to 12
Cost$50 to $2,000
FormatTeam
WhereIn person

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Academic Scripps National Spelling Bee The most watched academic competition in America, reached through school, district and regional bees.

Grades1 to 8
CostFree to $225
FormatIndividual
WhereIn person

139 days left

Writing The Concord Review The only journal in the world that publishes academic history papers by secondary students.

Grades9 to 12
Cost$40 to $100
PreparationA research essay with endnotes and a bibliography, at a standard close to undergraduate work
FormatIndividual
WhereOnline

50 days left

Debate and speech World Scholar's Cup A team academic competition combining debate, collaborative writing, a quiz bowl and a scholar's challenge, with rounds in dozens of countries.

Grades6 to 12
Cost$100 to $3,000
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereBoth

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