There are several ways to qualify for the Olympiad, depending on the country in which the student is attending school during the 2025-26 and 2026-27 academic years. Please note that in addition to the methods described below, students who have medaled at past Olympiads continue to be qualified for future Olympiads (subject to age eligibility restrictions).
If you are unsure whether your student has already qualified, please email olympiad@iacompetitions.com.
Students residing in the United States
With the exception of students affected by the age or grade restrictions, students and teams in the USA who finish in the top half in the National History Bowl at the Varsity, Junior Varsity, Middle School, Intermediate, or Elementary School National Championships in the 2025-2026 or 2026-2027 academic years will be eligible to participate in the 2027 International History Olympiad. Students on History Bowl teams with at least a .500 winning percentage in the preliminary rounds at Nationals are eligible as well.
With the exception of students affected by the age or grade restrictions, students who finish in the top 2/3 of students in the National History Bee at the Varsity, Junior Varsity, 8th Grade, 7th Grade, 6th Grade, 5th Grade, 4th Grade, 3rd Grade, or 2nd Grade and Younger at the National Championships in the 2025-2026 or 2026-2027 academic years will be eligible to participate in the 2027 International History Olympiad.
Students who finish in the top third of students in the Varsity or Junior Varsity Division at any state or National History Bee Regional Tournament, or are members of any team that finishes in the top quarter of students in the Varsity or Junior Varsity Division at any state or regional National History Bowl Regional Tournament also qualify for the 2027 International History Olympiad. This holds for both the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 academic years.
Students who finish as the first or second-ranked student in any age division at any National History Bee Regional Tournament, regardless of the size of that age division also qualify for the 2027 International History Olympiad. If age divisions are consolidated, the student can qualify by placing as the first or second-ranked student in either the consolidated age division in which they play, or the age division to which their birthdate applies.
Students who finish in the top third of students in any Middle or Elementary School age division at any Regional Tournament for the National History Bee in either the preliminaries or final standings also qualify for the 2027 International History Olympiad (provided they are not rendered ineligible by the aforementioned grade restrictions). This is inclusive of ties for the final qualifying spot (which are not broken), and rounding up for fractional division sizes (so in a division with 13 students, 5 would qualify).
Students who finish as the first or second-ranked student in any age division at any National History Bee Regional Tournament, regardless of the size of that age division also qualify for the 2027 International History Olympiad. If age divisions are consolidated, the student can qualify by placing as the first or second-ranked student in either the consolidated age division in which they play, or the age division to which their birthdate applies.
If you are a student in the USA and are uncertain as to whether you qualify, please email olympiad@iacompetitions.com.
Students who reach the playoffs of any age division in the US History Bee at the US National Championships in either the 2025-26 or 2026-27 academic years qualify for the International History Olympiad.
Students in the USA may also qualify for the International History Olympiad by taking the International History Olympiad Qualifying Exam. The Exam costs $25 – please have a credit card number ready when you are click the link to take the exam. Students may take the exam with a parent or teacher proctoring them. The exam takes 20 minutes, and it contains 50 questions on all aspects and eras of world history.
Students must score 75 or higher if they take the exam while in 9th-12th grade, 65 or higher if they take the exam while in 7th or 8th grade, 55 or higher if they take the exam while in 1st-6th grade.
Regardless of when students finish schooling / homeschooling for a year, the cutoff to determine grades is June 23. Students are considered to be in their grade that they were in during the 2025-26 academic year until the end of June 23, 2026, and thenceforth in their subsequent grade.
If you have won an award at a Historical Simulation at a Model United Nations or similar conference, you are eligible to compete in the International History Olympiad. The 2027 International History Olympiad will feature an expanded program of Historical Simulations, and we welcome all students who have excelled in these! Note: a Historical Simulation is different from a standard Model UN committee. It must be a simulation of an event that has happened in the past. If you are uncertain as to whether a simulation that you have competed in and won an award at qualifies under this definition, please email olympiad@iacompetitions.com for a ruling.
Students residing outside the United States and foreign students residing in the United States
With the exception of students affected by the age restrictions as explained below, students who finish in the top half in the History Bowl at any Regional Tournament outside the USA in the 2025-2026 or 2026-2027 academic years will be eligible to participate in the 2027 International History Olympiad. Students on History Bowl teams with at least a .500 winning percentage in the preliminary rounds or a playoff win are eligible as well.
With the exception of students affected by the age restrictions as explained below, students who finish in the top half of students in the History Bee at any Regional Tournament outside the USA, or in the top 2/3 of students in the History Bee at any Championship Tournament (i.e. the European, Asian, or Canadian Championships) in the 2025-2026 or 2026-2027 academic years will be eligible to participate in the 2027 International History Olympiad. Students on History Bowl teams with at least a .500 winning percentage in the preliminary rounds or a playoff win are eligible as well.
You can find the closest tournament by visiting www.iacompetitionsasia.com, www.ihbbeurope.com, www.ihbbcanada.com, or www.ihbbanz.com (for Australia and New Zealand) and following the links to events in your area.
Please note that any student who qualified and was born on or before August 31, 2018 can compete. All students competing in the Elementary, Intermediate, and Middle School Divisions must come with a parent or guardian. Students who will have graduated high school prior to January 2027 are ineligible to compete in the Varsity Division.
Please note that students may not represent Belarus, Russia, or North Korea at the International History Olympiad, but students from these countries are welcome to attend as independent students if they fulfill other qualifying criteria. For further information, please contact olympiad@iacompetitions.com.
With the exception of students affected by the age or grade restrictions as explained above, all students currently living outside the USA and foreign Nationals living in the USA who are interested in attending the Olympiad also have the option of taking the multiple choice International History Olympiad Qualifying Exam, Please have a credit card ready when you are ready to take the exam. The exam costs $25 USD and must be taken with a parent or teacher proctoring the student who is taking the exam. The exam takes 20 minutes, and it contains 50 questions on all aspects and eras of world history.
Students who obtain a high enough outright score (i.e. at least 65 for the Varsity and Junior Varsity Divisions, 55 for the Middle School Division, and 45 for the Intermediate & Elementary School Divisions) on the Qualifying Exam qualify for the Olympiad. A student’s division is considered to be the division they were in during the Academic Year they took the Qualifying Exam. The divisions are separated by birthdate; for the 2025-26 Academic Year, the grade cutoffs for these are: A) born on or before 1 Sep., 2011 – Varsity or Junior Varsity B) born from 1 Sep. 2011 – 31 August, 2013 – Middle School C) born on or after 1 Sep., 2013 – Intermediate or Elementary School. Thus a student who takes the exam on January 1, 2026 and is born on September 2, 2013 only needs a 45 or higher, even though they would compete in the Middle School Division at the 2027 International History Olympiad (as they will be in the Middle School Division by then).
Please note that students may not represent Belarus, Russia, or North Korea at the International History Olympiad, but students from these countries are welcome to attend as independent students if they fulfill other qualifying criteria. For further information, please contact olympiad@iacompetitions.com.
Students outside the USA can also qualify for the International History Olympiad by providing proof of finishing in the top 50% of any nationwide history-themed competition or history-themed national Olympiad.
If you have won an award at a Historical Simulation at a Model United Nations or similar conference, you are eligible to compete in the International History Olympiad. The 2027 International History Olympiad will feature an expanded program of Historical Simulations, and we welcome all students who have excelled in these! Note: a Historical Simulation is different from a standard Model UN committee. It must be a simulation of an event that has happened in the past. If you are uncertain as to whether a simulation that you have competed in and won an award at qualifies under this definition, please email olympiad@iacompetitions.com for a ruling.