Updated 10/29/26

Overview

Middle School and Elementary School students can participate at History Bee and Bowl events in the National History Bee and/or National Qualifying Exams as individuals, and can form National History Bowl teams.

Please read below for more details concerning each event.

National History Bowl

As with high school teams, Middle School Bowl teams can be made up of up to 6 players, with up to 4 players competing at any one time.

Middle School teams are welcome to choose whether they want to participate in the JV or MS division of the National History Bowl, but will only qualify for either the JV or MS Nationals as appropriate. Teams can opt to play in the JV division at some History Bee and Bowl events, and the Middle School division in others if they wish.

At our B and C Set events, there will be a Middle School set of Bowl questions, but there will not be a Middle School question set at our A Set events. Middle School divisions of the bowl can still be formed at those events, but they would use our Varsity/JV Bowl questions.

Teams qualify for Nationals by doing one of the following:

  • finish in the top 50% of their division
  • have a .500% winning percentage or better in their division’s preliminary matches
  • win a playoff game
  • win a game versus a team from a higher division, in the event of divisions being combined

If at least three MS teams choose to play in the MS division, a MS division will be created. If there are not enough teams to create a MS division, those teams will be combined with the next highest division for prelims, using the Small Field Rules as needed.

National History Bee

Middle/Elementary school students are welcome to choose whether they want to participate in the JV or MS division of the National History Bee as well. MS/ES students that choose to participate in the JV division can only attempt to qualify for JV Nationals, and MS/ES students that choose to participate in the MS division can only attempt to qualify for MS/ES Nationals. Students can choose to play in the JV division at some History Bee and Bowl events and the Middle School division at others if they wish.

The National History Bee proceeds the same way as the National History Bee at our National Science/History/Geography regional events, using the Small Field rules if needed.

MS students still need to take the ORQE to participate in the Middle School division of the National History Bee, unless they are also playing on a MS Bowl team at that event. They do not need to take the ORQE to participate in the JV division.

National Qualifying Exams

Middle school students can take Middle/Elementary School National Qualifying Exams at History Bee and Bowl events in order to qualify for Middle/Elementary School Nationals, though the exams offered are not all in the same subjects as the Varsity/JV NQEs. Those exams are:

Middle/Elementary School students that take our Varsity/JV National Qualifying Exams can only be classified in the JV division and thus would qualify for Varsity/JV Nationals only as these tests were intended for high school students. Middle/Elementary School students cannot take the V/JV version of the Biology and Humanities NQEs, as both Nationals for those events happen at the same time and they will be required to compete in the Nationals that pertains to their grades.

Other Middle/Elementary Student Opportunities

Middle/Elementary School students interested in competing in the National History Bee, National Science Bee, or National Geography Bee at their grade level can sign up for our National Science/History/Geography Bee events, however they cannot play up to the JV level like they can at History Bee and Bowl events. For more information, email help@iacompetitions.com . Please note that the National Political Science Bee is not contested at EMS Nationals, though there is a Political Science National Championship Exam offered there that is available to any Middle/Elementary school student.

Middle/Elementary School students can also participate in our regional Academic Bee and Bowl events, which are all-subject quiz bowl tournaments for teams of up to 6 students.

Qualifying for International Events at V/JV events

  • International History Olympiad: Finish in the top 33% of students in your division in the National History Bee, or be on a team that finishes in the top 25% in their division. If a Bee field is 4 or fewer, the Small Field rules will be consulted.
  • International Geography Championships: Score a 65 or higher as a 7th/8th grader, or 55 or higher as a 2nd through 6th grader on the V/JV Geography NQE exam.
  • International Science Championships: Score a 65 or higher as a 7th/8th grader, or 55 or higher as a 2nd through 6th grader on the V/JV Science NQE exam.

For more information on our international events, including alternate qualifying methods, please check out our international websites.