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Check the Rules

**These rules apply only at the National Semifinal and Final Championship levels. For rules and eligibility at the state level, please contact your local Challenge coordinator**

2010 National Economics Challenge Rules and Eligibility

  1. GENERAL STRUCTURE
    1. There will be one open division
    2. Teams shall be comprised of four (4) members.
    3. Competing with only three (3) members, if necessary, is possible and permissible.
    4. All members of a team must be enrolled for high school credit at some time during the 2009-2010 academic year.
    5. All members of a team must be from the same public, private, or home-based high school.
    6. A school which qualifies for national semifinal level, and those schools subsequently qualifying for the national final level, may reconstitute the members of its team prior to the competition. Students must, however, meet above eligibility conditions.
    7. A school qualifying for the national semifinal from a state that holds a two-division competition may choose to reconstitute their team to include students from either or both division(s). All students must, however, meet above eligibility conditions.
  2. CONTEST FORMAT – NATIONAL SEMIFINALS
    1. Each state participating in the National Economics Challenge will identify a state champion, which will represent the state at the national semifinal round.
    2. The national semifinal round will be a written test held within the time frame of 2-5 pm EDT at the schools of all state champions. Principals at the state champion schools will be responsible for identifying a test room and a proctor, and for affirming that test conditions were conducive to ensuring fair results.
    3. There will be four rounds of competition in the national semifinals:
      1. Rounds I-III will be 20-minute rounds with 15 five-option, multiple-choice questions in each round. In Rounds I-III each member competes individually; the team score in each of the first three rounds is the sum of the top three individual scores.
      2. In round IV members compete as a team and submit one answer sheet. The format will be the same as the first three rounds: a 20-minute round with 15 five-option, multiple-choice questions. The score on the Round IV test will be multiplied by three so that this round is weighted equally with each of the first three rounds.
    4. The content covered in Rounds I through III is as follows: Round I - Microeconomics; Round II - Macroeconomics; Round III – International Economics and Current Events.
    5. The content covered in Round IV will be drawn from all topics in economics.
    6. Scoring in all rounds is based on the following system: +10 points for each correct response, -5 points for each incorrect response, and 0 points for no response.
    7. The top six scoring teams at the national semifinal round will be invited to compete in the finals of the National Economics Challenge, to be held in New York City.
    8. The first tie-breaker for for placement at the national semifinal round is the team score in Round IV. The second tie-breaker is the total team score in Rounds I through III counting the scores of all four team members. In the event that more than one team ends up in sixth place after all tie-breakers, all teams scoring in the sixth position will be invited to compete in the finals in New York City.
  3. CONTEST FORMAT – NATIONAL FINALS
    1. The top six scorers among the national semifinals participants will be invited to compete in the finals of the National Economics Challenge. All teams will begin the finals with a score of zero, i.e. scores from the national semifinals round will not accrue to the finals.
    2. There will be three preliminary rounds of competition (Rounds I-III), with the highest scoring teams advancing to Round IV.
    3. Rounds I-II will be 20-minute rounds with 15 five-option, multiple-choice questions in each round. In Rounds I-II each member competes individually. The team score in each of the first two rounds is the sum of the top three individual scores.
    4. In Round III members compete as a team and submit one answer sheet. The format will be the same as the first two rounds: a 20-minute round with 15 five-option, multiple-choice questions. The score will be multiplied by three to arrive at a team score so that this round is weighted equally with each of the first two rounds.
    5. The content covered in Rounds I through III is as follows: Round I - Microeconomics; Round II - Macroeconomics; Round III – International Economics and Current Events.
    6. Scoring in the preliminary rounds is based on the following system: +10 points for each correct response, -5 points for each incorrect response, and 0 points for no response.
    7. Round IV has a quiz-bowl format covering all topics in economics.
    8. The two highest scoring teams after Rounds I-III advance to Round IV and compete to be awarded national champions and national runner-up. Teams with the third and fourth highest scores after Rounds I-III advance to Round IV and compete for third and fourth place.
    9. The first tie-breaker for placement and advancement to the Round IV quiz bowl is the team score in Round III; the second tie-breaker is the total team score in Rounds I and II counting the scores of all four team members. In the event of a continued tie, the team with the member having the highest total individual score will advance, with subsequent team member scores being used if both teams have an equivalent highest individual score.
    10. Further rules governing Round IV are as follows:
      1. One student on each team is designated as the spokesperson for that team. Only responses from the designated spokesperson are considered official.
      2. One point is awarded for each question answered correctly by a team.
      3. Team members may buzz in at any time a question is being read, however, should they buzz in before the entire question has been read, they will have to answer based solely on the information they have heard up to that point.
      4. Once a team member has buzzed in, the team has 15 seconds to consult and have a response given by its spokesperson.
      5. If an incorrect response is given, the other team will have the opportunity to hear the entire question and then have 15 seconds to respond.
      6. Teams found to be “blitzing” by providing an excessive amount of information in response to a question will have their answer declared incorrect.
    11. Round IV is over as soon as one team leads by more points than there are questions remaining.
      1. A maximum of 30 questions will be asked.
      2. In the event of a tie after 30 questions, the first team to correctly answer a tie-breaking question will be declared the winner.
    12. Use of Support Materials
      1. The use of books, notes, calculators or other support materials is not allowed during the competition.
      2. Students will be provided a pencil and a piece of scratch paper in all rounds.

 

 

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