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TERMS & CONDITIONS

Welcome to [sir.nstp.com.my] (the “Site”). This Site is owned and operated by The New Straits Times
Press (Malaysia) Berhad (“[www.nstp.com.my],” “NSTP, “Organisers”, “we,” or “us”).

This Challenge is open to Malaysian citizens from Year 1 – Year 6 (Category 1 – Primary Level) and Form
1 – Form 5 (Category 2 – Secondary Level) who are enrolled in national, national–type and private
schools using the Malaysian national education system.

Participation is open to individuals and schools. Registration of Participants is on a first-come, first-

served basis.

Each Participant is only allowed to participate in the state that he or she is schooling in.

The successful registered Participants from each state will have to sit for the Preliminary Written
Spelling Test. The top 100 spellers from the Preliminary Written Spelling Test will be identified by the
Organiser for the State Challenge.

Registration can be made either through SIR2016 website, original entry form published in the New
Straits Times, via invitation letter sent to school/parent or our appointed roving team. Only completed
and original forms will be accepted. Incomplete, illegible and photocopied forms will not be accepted.

Proof of email is not a proof of receipt of entry forms. All Participants must register in advance.
Successful registrations will be notified via phone or email, which will be followed by a confirmation
letter.

The Organisers reserve the right to reject any entry without giving any reasons whatsoever.

By submitting the entry form, it is deemed that the Participants’ parents and/or guardians have given
their consent for the Participant to take part in the Challenge.
Each Participant must be accompanied by an adult (parents and/or guardians 18 years and above,
referred to as ‘Representative’) to accompany the Participant during the entire Challenge duration.
Participant hereby authorises the Representative to make any decisions necessary on his or her behalf.

In the event that the Representative in Clause 10 above is unable to attend the Preliminary Written
Spelling Test, he or she is required to find a replacement (‘nominated person’) to accompany the
Participant on the event date. The Representative shall issue an authorisation letter for his or her
replacement. The Organisers shall have the right to disqualify the Participant from the Challenge should
his/her replacement fail to produce the authorisation letter.

In reference to Clauses 10 and 11 above, the Representative shall be fully responsible for his or her
replacement’s actions. The Organisers shall not be responsible and shall be indemnified and be held
harmless against all actions, suits, claims, liabilities, losses, expenses and/or damages with respect to
any claims arising out of any death, or personal injury, loss or damage claimed by a third party as a result
of negligence, omission and/or willful act of himself/herself, the Participant or nominated person.

On the day of the Challenge, the Participant’s accompanying person MUST bring the confirmation letter
from the New Straits Times and certified true copy of the Participant’s Identity Card.

All Participants must be in full school uniform for Preliminary Written Spelling Test, State and National
Challenges.

No aids will be allowed in the hall, on stage or on Participants in any form. For example, no pens, paper,
MP3 players, electronic devices, gadgets or mobile phones will be allowed on stage. A breach of this rule
will be grounds for disqualification.

No discussion or prompting will be allowed between Participants or from anyone in the hall or on stage.
A breach of this rule will be grounds for disqualification.

No prompting by the audience (in any form). If there are violations, the panel of judges has the right to
withdraw the word or disqualify the Participant.

The time allocated to spell a word is twenty (20) seconds. For both state and national challenges,
Participants will lose a point if he or she fails to submit the spelling of the word in the given timeframe.

In the event of disputes (for example, mispronunciation, ambiguity/uncertainty of word use, time or
distractions), consultation will be made with the Members of the Organising Panel. Decisions made by
the Members of the Organising Panel will be final. The Organiser will have absolute discretion over the
conduct of proceedings. No appeals and objections for any reason whatsoever will be entertained.

Accommodation will be provided for Participants and accompanying person from Peninsular States
attending the National Challenge in Kuala Lumpur. Participants from Sabah and Sarawak will be provided
accommodation and transportation.

All finalists MUST use the centralised accommodation and transportation provided by the Organisers.
The Organisers may at their sole discretion refuse any entry and cancel or postpone the event without
due notice in the event of unforeseen circumstances. No claims of any kind arising from the
abandonment, cancellation and/or postponement of the event shall be entertained.

The Organisers and/or its sponsors including but not limited to NSTP will not be held responsible for any
mishap, injury, damage and/or loss suffered by any Participant, the Representative, and/or the
nominated person.

Participant is not able to limit the processing of his or her and the Representative and/or nominated
person personal information for the Challenge. If you do not consent to the Organisers including but not
limited to NSTP, its agents, employees, and/or contractors processing the personal information for the
challenge, then do not submit the entry for RHB New Straits Times National Spell-It-Right Challenge.

The Organisers including but not limited to NSTP, its parent company and subsidiaries reserve the right
to publish and display the winners’ names and their photographs and audio and/or visual recording for
advertising and publicity purposes without compensation and prior notification to the winners.

The Organisers shall reserve the right at its absolute discretion to substitute any of the prizes with that
of similar value at any time without prior notice. All prizes are non-transferable.

The Organisers reserve the right at any time without assigning any reasons to add, alter, modify, change
or vary the challenge procedures and terms and conditions, wholly or in part, at its absolute discretion.

By participating in this Challenge, Participant, Representative and/or nominated person are deemed to
have read, understood and agreed to be bound by the Challenge Procedures and Terms and Conditions
and decisions made by NSTP.

If there is any doubt over the interpretation of the terms and conditions, the decision of the Challenge
Committee shall be final and conclusive.

For enquiries, please call the SIR Registration Secretariat at 03-2056 9942 (Mon-Fri, 10am – 5pm).

CHALLENGE PROCEDURES AND RULES & REGULATION

A. Policy Statement

The RHB New Straits Times National Spell-It-Right Challenge is a spelling competition for students in
primary and secondary schools.
The challenge seeks to discover individuals at primary and secondary school levels who possess an
outstanding command of English vocabulary.

The RHB New Straits Times National Spell-It-Right Challenge also includes a qualifying round through a
Preliminary Written Spelling Test. The top 100 will then compete in the State Challenge which will lead
to the National Challenge.

As spelling is delivered through speech, the letters of the alphabet are to be clearly written (for
Preliminary Written Test) and enunciated (for State Challenge) to avoid disqualification or elimination.

The reference texts for the challenge shall be the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary 7th Edition,
Collins Cobuild Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary New Edition, Cambridge Advanced Learner’s
Dictionary Third Edition, Merriam-Webster Online and Dictionary.com.

B. Word List

The vast part of the word list can be found in the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary 7th Edition,
Collins Cobuild Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary New Edition, Cambridge Advanced Learner’s
Dictionary Third Edition, Merriam-Webster Online and Dictionary.com for both primary and secondary
challenges.

Some of the words may also be chosen from the New Straits Times publications. These may include
technical terms and jargon that represent a particular industry or trade.

In the challenge, no hyphenated words or phrases will be used. No prepositions or conjunctions will be
used. The word list will consist of noun, verb, adjectival and adverbial forms.

Each round will use words of greater difficulty. The gradation of difficulty will vary.

Any word that the content committee deems will raise the bar for the Participants will be included. No
requests to simplify or modify word lists will be entertained.

There will be different word lists for the Preliminary Written Test and, State and National Challenges.

The word lists, once compiled, will be handed over to the auditors and will only be released to
Presenters on the day of the challenge.
The word presentations will appear during the challenge in the following format:

Word : nonsensical

Definition : ideas, actions, or statements that are nonsensical are not reasonable or sensible.

Sentence : This is a nonsensical argument.

At the end of the State Challenge at each venue, the word list with all the notations made by Presenters
and Judges will be returned to the Auditor for safekeeping and evaluation.

C. Challenge Protocols

Challenge Administrators

For Preliminary State Challenge (Written Spelling Test)

The following people will be on the panel, i.e. the Emcee, the Timekeeper and the Auditor.

An additional three (3) exam hall marshals will manage the Participants during the written test to make
sure that each has a complete set of stationery before it begins and all the answer sheets are collected
at the end of the session.

Each Participant should have the Written Spelling Test Answer Sheet, a pencil and eraser.

At the start of the Written Test, the Emcee will introduce the panel and other administrators.

The Emcee will lay down the rules and do a brief on how the challenge process will work.

The test will begin when the Emcee says: Play the recording of the words now.

The recording will start with the first word to be spelt, read its definition and then use it in a sentence
before saying the word again.

The Participant will then have twenty (20) seconds to write the word on the answer sheet. Then, the
next word will be presented in the same order.
Once all the thirty (30) words are presented, the recording will repeat all the words again without the
definitions and sentences.

The answer sheets are then collected for marking purposes.

The top 100 spellers qualified to compete in the State Challenge will be identified by the Organisers at a
later date, and will be notified via phone and email. They will also receive a confirmation letter to
participate in the State Challenge.

For State and National Challenges

At any one time, the following people will be on the panel, i.e.: a Judge, the Presenter, the Timekeeper,
the Scorekeeper and the Auditor.

An additional two (2) administrators will manage the aisles and assist Participants to come forward for
their turn to spell and return them to their seats, and escort Participants who are eliminated.

The Presenter will be the final authority after consultation with the judge and auditor on the spelling
submitted by a Participant.

At the start of the challenge, the Presenter will lay down the rules for the audience and do a quick brief
on how the challenge process will work.

The Presenter will introduce the panel and other administrators.

The challenge will begin when the auditor hands over the sealed word list to the Presenter.

The Presenter will share the word list to be used with the judge and the auditor.

The Presenter will first pronounce the word to be spelt, then define the word and then use it in a
sentence. The Presenter then invites the Participant to spell the word.

The Participant will then have twenty (20) seconds to spell the word. The buzzer will ring after twenty
(20) seconds.

The scorekeeper will note all the words a Participant spells correctly and allocate one (1) point for each
correctly spelled word. At the end of the day, the scorekeeper will tally the points scored by each
Participant.

Participants

Participants must register before the closing date. All participants will be given a confirmation letter
from the organisers prior to the challenge day.

All Participants must be Malaysian citizens.

For the Preliminary Written Test, all Participants will sit for the test at the same time.
The test will have a total of 30 words divided into 3 levels of difficulty. Participants will have to spell all
the words presented through an audio recording.

Participants are not allowed to ask for any word and sentences to be repeated. At the end of Round 3,
the recording will repeat all the words again for the Participants to check their answers. No other
prompts will be given.

For the State Challenge Preliminary Rounds, a maximum of ten (10) Participants will be called up on the
stage at any one time. These ten (10) Participants will form a group and will be seated on stage.

How it works: The Presenter will call the first Participant by name. The Participant will walk to the
microphone. The Presenter gives the Participant his or her first word to spell. The Participant has twenty
(20) seconds to pronounce the word, spell the word and pronounce it again. The second pronunciation
of the word is deemed as final submission of that word and its spelling.

If the Participant gets the spelling correct, he or she will be asked to return to his or her seat and enter
the next round.

If the Participant misspells a word or does not complete the spelling of the word when the time is up, he
or she is immediately eliminated from the challenge. No chances will be given for respelling a word.

If the Participant misspells a word, he or she must remain at the microphone until the Presenter
provides the correct spelling of the word.

If the Participant starts spelling and stops midway, he or she can restart spelling the word from the first
letter, provided (a) the final submission (see number 7) has not taken place and provided (b) that the
second attempt is completed within the twenty (20) seconds.

After the first Participant has finished his or her turn, the Presenter will call the next Participant.

The winners of the State Challenge Preliminary Rounds will proceed to the State Challenge Final Round
on the same day. At the State Challenge Final Round, each Participant will be asked to spell three (3)
words based on the ‘round robin’ system. At this stage, rules 8-9 and 11-13 will apply.

The state winners (1 individual each from the Primary and the Secondary categories) will participate
along with thirteen (13) others in the respective categories at the National Challenge in Kuala Lumpur.

There will be no staggering of times for the Participants. All Participants are expected to report by 9am
for registration and to attend the briefing by the Presenter before the start of the challenge.

All Participants MUST be in their full school uniforms.

All Participants and accompanying persons are required to stay until the end of the challenge duration in
the event of a tie between Participants and to participate in the prize-giving ceremony.

The National Challenge will see fourteen (14) Participants in their respective categories pitting their skills
against each other.
The Participants in the National Challenge will be required to spell five (5) words each based on the
‘round robin’ system to determine the five (5) best spellers. In the event of a tie, a tie-breaker round
shall be held using the ‘sudden death’ system.

The five (5) best spellers will enter the final round. Participants will be required to spell seven (7) words
each based on the ‘round robin’ system to determine the five (5) best spellers.

The five (5) clear winners shall be established at this point. In the event of a tie for any one of the top
five (5) positions, a tie-breaker round shall be held using the ‘sudden death’ system.

The Organiser reserves the right to change the challenge procedures, mechanics, rules & regulations at
any time without prior notice.

D. Rules and Regulations

The Participant (for Preliminary Written Test and, State and National Challenges) will begin on time.
Punctuality is to be observed. There should be no disruptions when the challenge starts.

Only Participants who registered are allowed to take part. There can be no walk in or substitution. All
Participants must appear at the appointed time. No requests for rescheduling will be entertained.

The challenge administrators will try to accommodate Participants who have special needs. All such
requests should be made in writing to the challenge administrators well in advance of the challenge.

Any complaint from the audience/teachers/parents/guardians on any matter pertaining to the

proceedings must be presented in writing to the Organiser. The complainant must give his or her full
name, address and contact details.

For Written Test

All Participants will be seated in a hall at the same time to sit for the test.

No student has access to a mobile phone, iPad, table or any other possible spelling aid. Food and drinks
are not allowed in the hall.

The Organiser will provide the stationery for the written test.

Parents/guardians/teachers/audiences are not allowed to be in the hall.

Participants must not communicate with each other, distract or help each other during the test.
The allocated twenty (20) seconds to write the word will start after the recording says: Spell the word
now.

The Participant will write the word in CAPITAL LETTERS on the answer sheet.

The Participant cannot request to repeat the recording of the words.

In the event of disputes (for example, mispronunciation, ambiguity/uncertainty of word use, time or
distractions), consultation will be made with the Members of the Organising Panel. Decision made by
the Members of the Organising Panel will be final. The Organiser will have absolute discretion over the
conduct of proceedings. No appeals and objections for any reason whatsoever will be entertained.

It is important that the Participant to see every letter spelt clearly written. Letters not clearly written will
be declared as incorrect spelling.

For State & National Challenges

Participants are required to face the Presenter and Judge when pronouncing and spelling the word.

No aids will be allowed on stage or on Participants. For example, no pens, paper, MP3 players or mobile
phones will be allowed on stage. A breach of this rule will be grounds for disqualification.

No discussion or prompting between Participants or from anyone on stage. A breach of this rule will be
grounds for disqualification.

No prompting by the audience (in any form). If there are violations, the panel of judges has the right to
withdraw the word or disqualify the Participant.

The audience may not clap until after the Presenter declares the word CORRECT or INCORRECT.

The allocated twenty (20) seconds for spelling will start after the Presenter says: Your time starts now.

The Participant will first pronounce the word, then spell the word and then pronounce it again to
indicate that he or she is submitting the word for judgment.

The Participant can ask the Presenter to repeat the word BUT the timer will NOT be stopped to
accommodate the request. He or she must complete spelling the word within the twenty (20) seconds
allocated.

If a Participant starts spelling a word and stops midway to try and spell it again, he or she must go back
to the first letter of the word to spell again. The Participant cannot continue from the letter he or she
left off.

If the Participant exceeds the twenty (20) seconds timeframe given for spelling the word, points will NOT
be awarded even if they are correct.

Every word spelt correctly will be awarded one (1) point.

In the event of disputes (for example, mispronunciation, ambiguity/uncertainty of word use, time or
distractions), consultation will be made with the Members of the Organising Panel. Decision made by
the Members of the Organising Panel will be final. The Organiser will have absolute discretion over the
conduct of proceedings. No appeals and objections for any reason whatsoever will be entertained.

E. Brief to teachers, parents and guardians

This Challenge is a SPELLING competition. Participants are judged on their spelling of a word. However,
spelling is delivered through speech. You are encouraged to coach Participants to enunciate each letter
clearly. Letters not clearly written or spoken even if the Participant knows the spelling WILL NOT be
accepted and will form grounds for elimination.

You are encouraged to conduct mock challenges in schools or at home so that Participants acquire a
familiarity with the competition. Use your discretion to select words of varying difficulty and words that
are interesting, complex in structure and in meaning, familiar and unfamiliar.

Please ensure that your nominated candidate has no other activities or commitments on the challenge
day. Punctuality is crucial. There will be no rescheduling and no changes to the line-up.

Personal Data Protection Notice

Copyright © 2016 - RHB NST National Spell-it-Right Challenge 2016.

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