Competitions · Humanities and writing · IAC
IAC, International Academic Competitions.
Buzzer quizzes across science, geography and history - and two ways to advance from the qualifier. Be in the top half of your age group, or beat the threshold in a single subject.
Read this first
Two ways through the qualifier, and the streams do not mix.
Both of these decide how a student should approach the first round, and neither is obvious from the name of the competition.
Top 50% of your age group advances
The straightforward route: finish in the top half of your division by total score.
Or clear a single-subject threshold
A student can also advance by scoring above the published threshold in one subject - 45 for the primary division, 55 for junior, 65 for intermediate and 75 for senior. A specialist has a route that a generalist ranking would deny them.
English and Chinese streams stay separate
The English regional round is open only to English-stream qualifiers, and the Chinese regional round only to Chinese-stream qualifiers. The choice made at the qualifier holds for the season.
And the Asian Championship is English only
Only English-stream regional qualifiers reach it, and it runs in English. A student who qualifies in Chinese does not have that path.
At a glance
What IAC is.
International Academic Competitions began in the United States in 2010 and is among the most established general academic competition programmes for school students there. It also serves as the selection route for the US team at the international human geography olympiad. More than 50,000 students from a thousand schools in over thirty countries take part each year.
- Format
- Buzzer quiz competitions across several subject areas
- Age divisions
- Primary, junior, intermediate and senior
- Languages
- English and Chinese streams, which run separately after the qualifier
- Qualifier
- December, available online or in person. Either route can earn advancement
- How you advance
- Top 50% of your age group by total score, or above the single-subject threshold for your division
- Subject thresholds
- Primary 45, junior 55, intermediate 65, senior 75
- Qualifier awards
- An electronic participation certificate for everyone; an electronic merit award for the top 50%
- Regional round
- April to May, in your qualifying stream’s language
- Asian Championship
- June, for English-stream regional qualifiers, in English
- School stage
- Schools set their own internal selection - the organisers do not impose one
The competitions
Two of the subject bees, and what they cover.
IAC runs several subject competitions. These are the two set out in the published material, each following the same qualifier, regional and Asian championship structure.
| Competition | What it covers |
|---|---|
| International Science Bee | An individual science quiz. Questions may come from any scientific discipline - biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, earth science, astronomy, computer science, non-computational mathematics and the history of science among them |
| International Geography Bee | A global geography quiz for primary and secondary students, running through the same online regional qualifier, regional final and Asian championship each year |
The International History Bee and Bowl runs on the same model and is covered on its own page.
Choosing the stream
A decision made at the qualifier that holds all season.
Because the streams separate immediately, the language chosen in December determines what is available in April and June.
English opens the Asian Championship
Only English-stream regional qualifiers can reach it, and it runs in English. If that is the goal, the qualifier must be taken in English.
Chinese removes a language barrier
For a student whose science or geography knowledge is stronger than their English, the Chinese stream measures what they actually know rather than how fast they read.
The subject threshold works in either
A specialist can advance on one subject score regardless of stream, which makes the first round reachable for a student with a narrow but deep interest.
Decide before December
The qualifier is where the choice is made, and it cannot be revisited later in the season.
Preparation
How Hanlin prepares an IAC entrant.
Buzzer quizzes reward breadth and speed together, which is a specific and trainable combination.
Practising on the buzzer
Knowing an answer and producing it before someone else are different skills. Timed practice is the whole difference between a knowledgeable student and a competitive one.
Building breadth for the total score
The top-50% route rewards knowing something across everything. For most students that is the accessible path.
Or depth for the subject threshold
A student who genuinely knows astronomy, or historical geography, can clear the single-subject threshold without being broad. Deciding which route to aim at shapes the preparation entirely.
And choosing the stream deliberately
The Asian Championship is English only. If that is the destination, the qualifier has to be taken in English from the start.
Why Hanlin
Preparation for IAC at Hanlin is taught by full-time subject tutors, on a course tier chosen by placement paper rather than by year group.
Programme formats
Five ways this is taught.
Group size is the whole difference between these. It decides how much of the tutor's attention a student gets and how far the course can bend to them, so it is worth choosing rather than accepting.
| Format | Group size | What it suits |
|---|---|---|
| One-to-one | One student | Content, pace and emphasis set by what this student actually needs rather than by a syllabus. The only format that can be rebuilt mid-course. |
| Small group | Three to eight | Opens at three. Frequent discussion, and the tutor can slow down or move on according to what the group has absorbed. Most students chasing a higher award are taught in this one. |
| Class | Eight to twelve | Taught by the subject lead or a medal coach. Less back-and-forth, so it suits a student who will say when something is unclear. |
| Large class | Ten to twenty | For students in the middle of the placement range, and a way to try a competition before committing. Students often move to a small group or to one-to-one afterwards. |
| Past-paper class | No cap | Past papers worked through in sequence in the weeks before the sitting. Free to students already enrolled. |
Course length for IAC is set after a placement paper. The gap between where a student is and what the paper asks for is what the course has to close, and that gap is not the same for two students in the same year group.
How it runs
Six steps, four people on your side.
The same process for every student, so that nothing depends on one tutor remembering to do it.
Step 1Pre-course assessment
A placement paper before anything is booked, so the course tier is chosen on evidence rather than on a year group.
Step 2Tutor matching
A subject tutor is matched to the result, and their full background is provided before you agree to it.
Step 3Plan and group
A study group opens with four people on one student: the tutor, a planner, a supervisor and an academic manager.
Step 4Scheduled teaching
The teaching office sets the timetable around the competition date and school term, and teaching begins.
Step 5After-class reports
What was covered, and how the student handled it, reported after every lesson.
Step 6Homework follow-up
The teaching assistant and the form teacher both check that homework is done, which is where most preparation quietly fails.
Free resource pack
Motions and case-file pack
The same material our own IAC students work from. Scan the code, say what you need, and an advisor sends it.
Tell an advisor which competition and year group, and the material comes back the same day. Free, and you do not have to enrol in anything. If we do not already hold what you need, we will go and find it.
- PDFPast motions and topic areas
- DOCXA case-file template, ready to fill in
- PDFFormat, speaking times and the judging criteria
- PDFEntry checklist and the dates for the current cycle
Teaching team
Who would teach it.
Three of the twenty-two tutors on the published Hanlin roster - the ones whose subject this is.
Lu
Master's in education from the University of Pennsylvania and a double major in psychology and philosophy at Mount Holyoke. Cross-cultural teaching experience across China and the US, with research work in child and adolescent development, cognition, and international students' identity.
Yang
Educated at American Heritage School, then English literature and philosophy at the University of British Columbia and a master's in language education at Toronto. Eleven years in North America, with a close working knowledge of the international curricula and overseas admissions.
Zhang
Master's in cognitive science at UC San Diego on full scholarship, after double honours in neurobiology and behaviour and in cognitive science at UC Davis. Ten years overseas, a perfect TOEFL speaking score, and named an outstanding education scholar at UCSD.
Where it is taught
Hanlin learning centres.
Teaching runs from Hanlin's own centres in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Hangzhou, and online for students elsewhere.
Talk to an advisor
Everything Hanlin does for IAC, in one conversation.
Entry, planning, coaching and the past papers. An advisor will tell you which of these a student actually needs, including when the answer is none of them.
Competition entry and planning
Which competitions suit this student, in what order, and by when - then we handle the registration, including the ones that can only be entered through a school or a centre.
Competition coaching
Taught by full-time subject tutors, on a course tier chosen by placement paper rather than by year group.
International curriculum tutoring
IB, AP, A-Level, IGCSE and the US high school curriculum, taught alongside school and timed around the exam calendar.
Competition past papers, free
A large library of past papers, mark schemes and syllabus breakdowns across every competition on this site. No charge and no enrolment.
Scan to add an advisor
Say which competition or course you are asking about. Replies in Chinese or English.
Or call +86 21 6352 6630FAQ
IAC, briefly answered.
What students and families ask before entering.
What is IAC?
International Academic Competitions, which began in the United States in 2010 and runs buzzer quiz competitions across subject areas. It also serves as the selection route for the US team at the international human geography olympiad.
How large is it?
More than 50,000 students a year, from over a thousand schools across more than thirty countries in North America, Europe, Asia and Oceania.
How do I qualify for the regional round?
Two ways: finish in the top 50% of your age group by total score, or score above the single-subject threshold for your division - 45 for primary, 55 for junior, 65 for intermediate, 75 for senior.
Can I take the qualifier online?
Yes. The qualifier is available online or in person, and either route can earn advancement.
Do the English and Chinese streams mix?
No. The English regional round is only for English-stream qualifiers, and the Chinese regional round only for Chinese-stream qualifiers.
Which stream reaches the Asian Championship?
English only. It is open to English-stream regional qualifiers and runs in English.
What awards are given at the qualifier?
An electronic participation certificate for everyone who takes part, and an electronic merit award for the top 50%.
When does each round run?
The qualifier in December, the regional round from April to May, and the Asian Championship in June.
Is there a school stage?
Schools run their own internal selection if they choose. The organisers do not impose a uniform requirement.
What subjects does the Science Bee cover?
Any scientific discipline - biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, earth science, astronomy, computer science, non-computational mathematics and the history of science among them.
Related
Other quiz and knowledge competitions.
What students enter alongside IAC.
IAC enquiries
Two routes through the qualifier, and one stream decision.
A specialist can advance on one subject score; a generalist can advance on rank. And the language chosen in December decides what is open in June. Tell us what the student knows and an advisor will pick the route.