National Political Science Bee
Varsity & JV Divisions Homepage
2023 National Champions:
Ian Lu, 12th grade, Hunter College High School, NY (Varsity)
Reed Bernstein, 10th grade, Buchholz High School, FL (Junior Varsity)


The National Political Science Bee Overview

The National Political Science Bee is a quiz competition for individual students, testing knowledge of US & foreign politics, current events, political theory, political economy, and more. Students first take the National Qualifying Exam, and qualified students then compete at the National Championships, next held on April 24, 2024 in Arlington, VA. At Nationals, students also participate in dinner discussion groups with prominent figures in politics, government, the military, and related fields. Competitors can also opt to take part in a “Day at Presidential Classroom” which includes a Seminar with a U.S. Senator, a Briefing at an Embassy and a Cabinet Department Seminar.
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Competition Format
The National Political Science Bee is a two-stage competition, consisting of a National Qualifying Exam, and then the National Championships in Arlington, VA on April 25, 2024.
1
National Qualifying Exam
The first stage of the National Political Science Bee is a 50 question multiple choice exam on all aspects of political science, current events, government, and related fields. Students must score high enough on any one of the three versions of the NPSB National Qualifying Exam that are offered each academic year.
There are three versions of this exam; students need to qualify for the National Championships through any one version of it. The three versions of the exam are the A Set, B Set, and C Set versions of the exam. Please note the following about each version of the exam:
Students qualify for the National Championships by either finishing in the top half of students at a regional that they attend, by finishing above the National Median Score for their age division on any one of the three versions of the Exam, or by scoring 75 or higher. A lower score on any one version will not disqualify a student if they have a qualifying score on a separate version. To provide notification of Nationals qualification at as early a time as is possible, the official National Median Scores for both Varsity and Junior Varsity students are determined on December 3 for C Set, February 4 for B Set, and March 2 for A Set. After these dates, the National Median Scores do not change even though additional students can still take these exams up until the deadlines for taking them.
Register for the National Qualifying Exam:
2
National Championships
The 2024 Varsity & Junior Varsity National Political Science Bee National Championships will be held during the IAC Varsity/JV National Championships on Thursday, April 25, 2024 from 5pm-10pm in Arlington, Virginia.
The National Championships of the National Political Science Bee consist of two components. The first is the actual competition, which consists of three preliminary and two final rounds of buzzer-based quiz competition. Each round will have 35 questions.
The number of students who make the playoffs and who advance from the semifinals into the finals will be a function of the total number of registrants.
The second component of the National Championships of the National Political Science Bee is a dinner discussion group led by prominent figures in politics, the media, public service, and academia. These will take place at our National Championships (usually between the preliminary and playoff rounds). Participation is limited to National Political Science Bee players at Nationals, for whom it is also mandatory. A list of discussion group topics and leaders will be available in early 2024.
Day in DC
International Academic Competitions and Presidential Classroom are delighted to introduce a new component to the National Political Science Bee: a Day in DC! This will take place from 8am-4pm on Thursday, April 25, 2024. Participating students will have the opportunity to have a question-and-answer seminar with a US Senator on Capitol Hill, a briefing at an Embassy (the exact location is TBD), and with a Cabinet Department executive. The cost is $150 and includes transport to and from the host hotel (the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, VA). Students will return in time for the preliminary rounds of the Political Science Bee late that afternoon.
The Day in DC is a unique opportunity for participating students to see political life up close in the nation’s capital. Students will have a briefing at each location and a chance to ask questions about current issues plus the functions of Congress, Embassies, and the Executive Branch. The Day in DC is limited to the first 100 students who register, so sign up as soon as you can once Nationals registration opens! Further details (including the exact itinerary) will be posted as the dates approach. In the event of a crisis in government that precludes the scheduled meetings, we will have alternate briefings at think tanks, government offices, universities, and/or other sites of interest in the DC area.
Rules & FAQs
National Political Science Bee Results
Past National Champions
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Year | Division | National Champion | School | City | State |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2023 | Varsity | Ian Lu | Hunter College High School | New York City | NY ![]() |
2023 | Junior Varsity | Reed Bernstein | Buchholz High School | Gainesville | FL ![]() |
2022 | Varsity | Steve Yang | Horace Mann School | Bronx | NY ![]() |
2022 | Junior Varsity | Robert Wang | Livingston High School | Livingston | NJ ![]() |
2021 | Varsity | Stevie Miller | Winston Churchill High School | Potomac | MD ![]() |
2021 | Junior Varsity | Ian Lu | Hunter College High School | New York City | NY ![]() |
2020 | Varsity | Arjun Nageswaran | Adlai Stevenson High School | Lincolnshire | IL ![]() |
2020 | Junior Varsity | Kapil Nathan | Hoover High School | Hoover | AL ![]() |