Thank you for your interest in this fall’s IQBT Rookie Challenges. They are being held on the Qblitz platform.
What and when are the Rookie Challenges?
The Rookie Challenges are remote quiz bowl competitions among teams representing high schools. They are called the Rookie Challenges because the questions for these tournaments should be accessible to new players and teams.
The three currently scheduled Rookie Challenge tournaments will be held on:
- Saturday, October 17
- Saturday, November 14 & Sunday, November 15
- Saturday, December 12 & Sunday, December 13
The results of a Rookie Challenge will stand completely on its own, and does not affect the results of a later or earlier tournament.
What is quiz bowl?
Quiz bowl is an academic competition where teams compete against each other, using buzzers. The player who buzzes first gets to answer the question for his or her team.
A good example of an in-person game is found in this YouTube video.
What does a Rookie Challenge consist of?
Each Rookie Challenge consists of sixty tossup questions. A question will appear on the screen, with clues that apply to one answer appearing in a decreasing order of difficulty. When you think you know the answer, press a button and type your answer in. The speed with which you gave the answer will be compared against that of every other team competing.
The Qblitz platform will “read” each question off by displaying them word-by-word until the player buzzes. Players can buzz in at any point by pressing the buzz button or pressing enter. After buzzing in, players can submit their answer.
What subjects will be covered?
The sixty questions will be divided between these categories:
12 Science questions
The science is divided the following way – 3 biology questions, 3 chemistry questions, 2-3 physics questions, and 3-4 other science questions, including astronomy, earth sciences, computer science, etc.
12 History questions
The history is divided evenly between four categories, with three questions each: American, European, World, and the combination of British and other history
12 Literature questions
The literature is divided the following way, by the nationality of the author: 4-5 American literature questions, 4-5 British literature questions, and 3 questions about European, world, and “other” literature.
3 questions each of:
Non-computation Mathematics
Mythology
Current Events
Pop Culture
Geography
1-2 questions each of:
Fine Arts Paintings
Classical Music
Other Fine Arts (Sculpture, Opera, Film, Ballet, etc.)
Religion
Philosophy
Social Science
Where can I find information about the Qblitz platform? How does it work?
It works by comparing the performances of teams playing the same questions. The first player to buzz will be given priority to answer. If they get it correct, their team gets the points, but if they miss it, they lock their team out of the question. If the opposing team misses a question, the opposing team gets the question correct if any players answers it correctly.
You can try some sample questions on the Qblitz platform here.
Can our team members work together on the questions? Can we use any resources during the event?
Each player must compete alone on these questions. They are not allowed to discuss the content of the questions until after the event is complete. You are also not allowed to use reference materials or otherwise look up information during the event for the purposes of improving your performance.
How do we register for the Rookie Challenges?
You may register for the Rookie Challenges at Qblitz’s website here.
How can we practice for the Rookie Challenges?
Qblitz has some practice questions, including a five-question sample written by IQBT as sample for this difficulty level. You can read these questions by clicking here.
IQBT is putting together study guides for novice players in various categories. Those can be found here.
There are also many free practice questions available here. These questions cover many difficulty levels; we recommend the following sets. Note that IQBT did not produce these sets.
SCOP – 2019, 2018, 2017
RAMS (Really Awesome Middle School)
LOGIC (Lots of Good, Interesting Content)
How many players can be on one team?
A single team can have up to four players. A team is not required to have four players.
Can my school have multiple teams?
Yes! Multiple teams would be denoted by letter (for example, East West High School A, B, C, etc.). The team expected to be a school’s best team should be designed the A team.
What if I don’t have a team? Can I play as an individual?
Yes! Teams do not have a minimum size, so a team can be made up of one person.
How will top teams and players be recognized?
The top performing teams overall will be recognized with plaques or trophies. We will also recognize champions for teams from small schools, very small schools, and underclassman teams, if we reach a certain number of teams in each of those categories. We will also recognize the top finishers from each state, if that state reaches a minimum number of teams.
Depending on the size of the field, a number of the top scoring individual players will receive recognition in the form of certificates, medals, or plaques. The top performers in each specific category of questions will be announced at the end of the competition.
What is a small school?
For the purposes of recognition, the following criteria must be met:
- The school must offer at least one grade between ninth and twelfth grade, inclusive.
- The school must have fewer than 600 students enrolled in the ninth through twelfth grades, inclusive.
- The school must be public.
- The school must not have a magnet program that attracts students outside of its home district.
- The school cannot limit enrollment or decline students who live in the school’s home district.
What is a very small school?
For the purposes of these events, recognition will be given to teams that qualify for the small school championships and have an enrollment of fewer than 250 students enrolled in the ninth through twelfth grades.
What is an underclassman team?
An underclassman team is defined as a team that does not have juniors or seniors on it.
Can a middle school or junior high team compete?
Middle school or junior high teams can compete in a separate division.
What teams and players will receive recognized?
A number of teams and players will be awarded for their play on the national level. Teams will be recognized on the state level if a certain number of teams compete from that state.
What grades can compete on my team?
Students in any grade can compete on a school’s team if they attend the same school. If a middle school or junior high school is a feeder to a high school, then they could not compete for that high school. If a seventh grader attends the same school as twelfth graders, they can be on the same team.
Can students from multiple schools be part of one team?
No. Teams are made up of players from the same school.
Can I compete for multiple schools?
No. Students are only allowed to compete for one school during a season, and just one team per tournament. If the student’s family moves or the student transfers schools during a season, the student would be allowed to change their affiliation by notifying Fred Morlan at fred@iqbtnasat.com.
What if I attend multiple schools?
You can only represent one of those schools at a time. If you are attending multiple schools at once, you must choose one school to represent in competition.
What if I attend an online school?
You can represent an online school in this competition if you are taking the majority of your classes there.
Can schools outside of the United States compete?
Yes. Please note that this is a United States-based competition, so please consider your local censorship laws before registering.