About the International Geography Bee
The International Geography Bee is a worldwide geography quiz competition for primary and secondary school students. The International Geography Bee consists of the Online Regional Qualifying Exam, Regional Finals, and Asian Championships. IGB Online Regional Qualifying Exams, Regional Finals, as well as the IGB Asian Championships are held annually. Participation in IGB can also qualify students for the biennial International Geography Championships, a week-long celebration of geography with numerous quiz tournaments, other geography competitions, field trips and more. The next International Geography Championships will be held in the Summer of 2026.
The International Geography Bee consists of Varsity, Junior Varsity, Middle School, and Elementary divisions.
Stage 1: Online Regional Qualifying Exam
All students must first take the Online Regional Qualifying Exam (ORQE). ORQE consists of 50 multiple-choice questions and is free for all students. ORQE is a 50 question multiple-choice exam free for all students. A parent or teacher must first register as a sponsor on the ORQE site in order for their students to take the exam. A parent and teacher can sponsor multiple students. Qualifying scores will be determined by the results of all students who take the exam. Qualified students can compete in the Regional Finals. The ORQE exam will be open in September, and the exam will remain open until early May. Students must complete the ORQE before the registration deadline of the regional finals that they wish to compete in.
Stage 2: Regional Finals
Students who qualify through the ORQE can take part in the Regional Finals. Regional Finals are buzzer-based competitions that are held in-person or online. The top two-thirds of students from each division of the online regional finals and top half of students from each division of in-person regional finals will qualify for the annual International Science Bee Asian Championships.
Stage 3: Asian Championships
The Asian Championships of the International Geography Bee will be held in conjunction with the Asian Championships of the International Academic Bee, International Academic Bowl, International Science Bee, and the International History Bee and Bowl.
World Events
Highly qualified students can take part in the International Geography Championships. The next International Geography Championships will be held in the summer of 2026.
