1. What is the difference between the Bee and the Bowl? Do I have to compete in both at a tournament?
The Bee is for individual students; the Bowl is for teams. That said, “teams” of 1 student are welcome in the Bowl too- this is not that uncommon. You do not have to do both.

2. How much will it cost to participate in The National History Bowl?
For the 2022-23 year, preregistration costs are as follows:

$95 – National History Bowl team of 3-6 students
$75 – National History Bowl team of 2 students
$55 – National History Bowl team of 1 student

More information about costs can be found here.

3. When and where will the Bee and Bowl events take place?

Events will take place across the country, as well as online. Check here to see where tournaments will be taking place this year.

For High School, Bee and Bowl are offered at the Regional and National Levels.

NOTE: Elementary and Middle School students can compete in the History Bowl at our High School events. If at least three middle/elementary school teams sign up at a given High School event, a middle or elementary school division will be created just for them. If that doesn’t happen, middle school teams are welcome to compete with the Junior Varsity division at a High School tournament.

4. What about The National History Bee? Can someone compete in both the Bee and the Bowl?
Yes. The primary difference is that the Bee is an individual competition whereas the Bowl is a team competition. The History Bee is held at different times as the Bowl on a tournament day, so students can compete in both. Likewise, students qualifying for the High School National Championships of The National History Bee will also be able to play in all rounds at the High School National Championships of the Bowl if their teams have qualified. Middle/Elementary School students can not participate in the National History Bee at the high school level; they must proceed through the ORQEs and Regional Finals(see below).

5. What are the ways to qualify for the National Championships?
At each tournament, generally the top half of teams qualify for Nationals, and the top 50% of individuals qualify for the Bee. Teams qualify for Nationals by winning half of their preliminary games or a playoff game. For JV or MS/ES teams having to play in higher divisions due to a small field size, they can also qualify for Nationals by defeating an higher division team during prelims or playoffs. (e.g., a middle school team defeating a JV team).

6. Can a school enter more than one team to a tournament?
Yes! Schools can register an unlimited number of teams for a regional tournament.

7. Can a team compete at more than one tournament throughout the year?
Yes! Teams are encouraged to play our A set, B set, and C set Leagues over the course of the year. Each set is an entirely different set of questions, so please come and play multiple tournaments.

8. Can a player play for two different teams during the year?
Yes, but only if they transfer schools, and they cannot go back and play for their old school. All players must be enrolled at the school they play for. Note that participating schools do not have to “officially” sanction their teams, however, thus still allowing teams to compete where the school the kids are enrolled at opposes participation for whatever reason. Also, all students cannot play for more than one team (e.g. transferring from a B team to an A team after the prelims) during any one event, but they can transfer from one event to the next, including the National Championships.

9. Will there be prizes for the winning teams and students? If so, what?
Medals (in the Bee) or plaques (in the Bowl) are awarded to top players at each regional event. Nationals prizes consist of trophies, plaques, and medals, depending on the student or team’s finish.

10. Is it possible to fundraise to cover registration costs?
Sure! We have a list of fundraising ideas here.

1. How do I participate?

• The first step is to take the Online Regional Qualifying Exam (ORQE) and earn a qualifying score.
• Students must create a new ORQE account each year and take the current academic year ORQE.

2. What do I do once I qualify?

• Once you have your qualifying score(s) you can register for a regional final competition by visiting our registration page. We offer both in person and online regional finals.
• Select the event you wish to participate in and fill out the registration form to pay and submit your registration. Registration cost is $45 per bee subject per student.

3. What do I do if I missed the registration window for my event of choice?

• Registration closes 19 days (3rd Monday) before the date of the tournament.
• Once the registration closes you will have the option of being put on a waitlist and if there is room in the tournament you will be contacted and asked if you still wish to register.
• There is a 15% surcharge for late registration.

4. How many regional finals can I participate in over the season?

• Students can participate in up to 3 regional finals per academic season, once per question set being offered.
• We will offer question set C in the fall, question set B in the winter, and question set A in the spring.

5. How do I qualify for EMS Nationals and Internationals?

• Students qualify for nationals by finishing in the top 50% of their competing division at their regional final.
• Students qualify for internationals by finishing in the top 25% of their competing division at their regional final or by finishing in the top 50% of their competing division at their national competition.