2014 australian geography competition

school information
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Important dates
Entry deadline Fri 28 Feb
Competition in schools Mon 24 Mar - Wed 2 Apr
Deadline to post answers Thurs 3 Apr
Prize-winners notified mid May
Results returned early June
International Geog Olympiad Tues 12 - Mon 18 Aug
Geographys Big Week Out Sun 28 Sep - Fri 3 Oct
enter your school in the
2014 australian geography competition
Why enter?
For you: to promote interest in geography in your school
and to reward student excellence. For your students: to
compete for great prizes overseas trips to represent
Australia in international competitions, trips to Sydney,
books, medals and to get certificates for their portfolios.
Competition format
The Competition is made up of multiple-choice questions
testing geographical knowledge and skills. We supply
the questions and answer sheets. You run the 35-minute
Competition and return the answer sheets. We mark
them and send back results and certificates.
International teams
Australian team members to the 2015 National Geographic
World Championship and to the 2015 International
Geography Olympiad in Russia will be chosen from
students who excel in this Competition the first from
students 14 to 15 years old; the second from students 16
to 18 years old via Geographys Big Week Out.
Who can enter?
Students taking geography, or an integrated social science
which includes geography, may enter. Students are graded
at three levels depending on their age on 31 August 2014
junior for students 13 and under; intermediate for students
14 to 15 years old; senior for students 16 to 18 years old.
How to enter
1 Publicise and promote the Competition (flyers
enclosed one side for students, the other for
teachers).
2 Collect $3.00 entry fee from each participating
student (if students are paying individually).
3 Send us the enclosed entry form, or enter online at
www.geographycompetition.org.au, by Friday 28
February.
Any queries?
Check under Competition Details. If the answer is not
there, contact us on phone 07 3368 2066 or email admin@
rgsq.org.au.
Thanks to our sponsors
School of the Environment
SCHOOL OF GEOGRAPHY, PLANNING
AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
enter your school in the
2014 australian geography competition
Running the Competition
1 We send you a question booklet and answer sheet
for each participating student.
2 You run the Competition under test conditions over a
35-minute period between 24 March and 2 April. The
multiple-choice questions test knowledge and skills,
within the time constraints of responding to stimulus
material.
3 You send the completed answer sheets to us,
postmarked no later than Thursday 3 April 2014, to
be received by us no later than Monday 14 April 2014.
4 The answer sheets are computer marked.
5 Students individual results and certificates high
distinction, distinction, credit or participation are
returned to you by early June. All students correctly
filling in their identification receive a certificate.
Dates of Competition
We recommend that all students from one school
complete the Competition on the same day. It is up to the
school which of the days between 24 March and 2 April
is chosen. We realise that not all schools can arrange to
have all their students compete on the same day so, if
necessary, schools may spread the Competition over two
or more days.
If your school cannot compete between 24 March and
2 April, then you may hold the Competition as soon
as possible before those dates. The planned dates for
the Competition to be put into the mail to schools are
11-13 March. If for any reason you are forced to hold
the Competition after 2 April then you must notify the
organisers of this. In that event, and as long as we receive
the answer sheets by 14 April, your students will be
marked and receive the appropriate certificates, but will
not be eligible to receive prizes.
Changes to your entry
If a school wishes to increase or decrease the number of
students entered, or to withdraw its entry, the organisers
must receive notification of this by email or fax by 10.00 am
Monday 10 March 2014. If required, a refund will be made,
less a $25.00 handling fee. No refund will be given if
notification is received after this time.
You may use any spare answer sheets sent in the
Competition pack for additional late students and send
the extra payment back with the answer sheets. You may
use our blue answer sheets from last year. You may NOT
use old pink/red answer sheets or photocopies as they
cannot be read by the current computer program.
Receipt of question sets
Please check that you have received the right number of
question booklets and answer sheets when they arrive.
We are not infallible. If your school has not received its
question pack by Thursday 20 March, double-check with
the school office as to whether the package has arrived. If
not, notify us by 6.00 pm on 20 March and we will send a
replacement set express mail. Schools that do not notify
us of non-arrival of material by 20 March 2014 will not be
eligible for any refund.
Age levels
Students are graded at three levels depending on their
age on 31 August 2014. This cut-off date is determined
by the age requirements of the international competitions,
participation in which forms the major prizes. The
students printed scores, percentiles and certificate
categories are calculated within their age cohorts.
Junior level For students 13 years or younger on 31
August 2014. These students scores and certificates
are graded using Questions 1-30. The highest-scoring
student in Australia, in each State and in the combined
Territories (ACT, NT and the External Territories), and
a small number of other high-scoring students, each
receive a book prize and special certificate.
Intermediate level For students 14 or 15 years
old on 31 August 2014. These students scores and
certificates are graded using Questions 1-40. The
highest-scoring student in each State and in the
combined Territories each receive $100, a book
prize and special certificate. A small number of other
Continued on back cover
Competition Details
high-scoring students each receive a book prize and
special certificate. At least eight of these students
will be invited to sit the qualifying test for Australian
team selection to the 2015 National Geographic
World Championship. The top student from that
test will win an all-expenses-paid trip to the World
Championship. The second-placed student may also
make the team if they out-score next years second-
placed student.
Senior level For students 16 to 18 years old on 31
August 2014. These students scores and certificates
are graded using Questions 16-50. Prizes at this
level use scores with a weighting on the final 10
questions and tied students may be separated using
school assessment. The highest-scoring student
in Australia, in each State and in the combined
Territories each receive a medal, book prize and
special certificate. For students in Year 11 or lower,
the highest-scoring male and female students in
each State and the combined Territories each win a
place at Geographys Big Week Out. A small number
of other high-scoring students may also be awarded
either of these prizes.
School prizes
A book prize and framed certificate will be awarded to
the top school in Australia, each State and the combined
Territories, based on the scores of the schools best 5
intermediate students and best 5 senior students.
Geographys Big Week Out
The 2014 Geographys Big Week Out will be held in
Sydneys Northern Beaches from 28 September to 3
October. The event is a mix of stimulating and hands-
on geography activities designed to challenge and
extend high-performing senior students. Costs (airfares,
accommodation, meals, activities) of participation in
the Big Week Out are met by the organisers. The four
members of Australias team to the 2015 International
Geography Olympiad near Moscow, will be selected
based on students performances during the Big Week
Out. Australias team to the 2014 Olympiad in Krakow,
Poland, has been selected from participants in the 2013
Big Week Out. Geographys Big Week Out and Australias
participation in the International Geography Olympiads
are supported by the Australian Government.
Security
Competition question sets must be under the teachers
control until 3 April 2014. Although the possibility exists
of a student hearing some questions from another, such a
student would not succeed in the selection processes for
the international teams. On balance, we believe that the
disadvantages of insisting that the Competition be held
everywhere at the same time outweigh the problem of
possible cheating.
Distance education, home school and vision-
impaired students
We can be more flexible with dates for Schools of
Distance Education. Teachers should contact us to
discuss any problems. For distance education and
home school students to be eligible for prizes they
must complete the Competition under test conditions.
Teachers of vision-impaired students should contact us
to discuss options.
Past questions
Past Competition questions are on our website www.
geographycompetition.org.au or schools can obtain
single copies from past years by sending us an A4-sized
stamped envelope addressed to a school.
Website
Our website, www.geographycompetition.org.au,
includes general information, specific information for
schools, results and photos from the 2013 Competition,
and past questions. Schools may enter and pay online.

Australian Geography Competition
237 Milton Road, Milton Qld 4064
Phone: 07 3368 2066; Fax: 07 3367 1011
Email: admin@rgsq.org.au
Website: www.geographycompetition.org.au
Competition Details
(continued)

Front cover photo: Funafuti, Tuvalu WideScenes Photography;

celebrating the International Year of Small Island Developing States
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The Royal Geographical Society of Queensland Inc
ABN 87 014 673 068
237 Milton Road, Milton Qld 4064
Ph: 07 3368 2066 Fax: 07 3367 1011 Email: admin@rgsq.org.au
2014 Australian Geography Competition
ENTRY FORM / TAX INVOICE
(when completed)
17 January 2014

School Name:
Contact Teacher:
Address:

Postcode:
Telephone: ( )

Fax: ( )
Email
:
The number of students participating from our school will be:
Note: students of all ages use subsets of the same question booklets.
Total Entry Fee @ $3.00 per student: $ .
Note: GST exempt as non-commercial activity of a charity.
PAYMENT
Note: schools sending a Purchase Order need to pay using this Tax Invoice. Please give a copy to your
Accounts staff. No other invoice is issued except to schools that complete the online entry form. Those
schools are emailed a computer-generated, individualised Tax Invoice.
A cheque, payable to RGSQ, is enclosed
or
A school Purchase Order is enclosed
or
Please debit: Visa

Mastercard
Card number:

Cardholder name:

Expiry date:
/

Cardholder signature:
RETURN THIS FORM OR ENTER ONLINE BY FRIDAY 28 FEBRUARY
www.geographycompetition.org.au
From geographical phenomena, to
learning about various cultures, to
creating a sustainable future for all,
geography is such a broad subject,
and thats why I love it. Theres so much
variety and depth.
Sarah Naco
Australian team member, 2013 International Geography Olympiad, Japan