Knowledge Bowl

Knowledge

Regional Knowledge Bowl is a high school academic competition sponsored by NEWESD 101.

2025 Regional Tournament Date and Location: February 21, 2025 at East Valley High School    

Registration Deadline: Registration is closed for 2025

Registration form: No longer available until the 2026 competition.

2025 State Tournament Date and Location: Wenatchee HS on March, 22, 2025. Updates can be found at WA KB. 

Competitors at the regional tournament will be presented oral and written questions drawn from secondary curriculum areas including math, science, history, language, literature, music and geography. Current events and topics of general interest will also be included in the seven-round competition.

To compete at state, each team has to first qualify in a regional competition sponsored by NEWESD 101. The 2025 regional tournament has 27 teams registered to compete.

Top finishers in the 2024 regional competition, all qualifying for the state finals plus alternates, are:

1B: Wilbur-Creston 98 (#1 at State), Valley Christian 71 (#7 at State), Garfield-Palouse 63 (#8 at State), Almira-Coulee-Hartline (48)…alternate Odessa (34)

2B: Liberty 108 (Division 1 #1 at State), St. George’s School 87 (#7 Wild at State), Northwest Christian (78), Colfax (68)…alternate Lind-Ritzville-Washtucna (64)

1A: Lakeside (85), Medical Lake 74 (#4 at State), Freeman 73 (#9 at State)…alternate Deer Park (29)

2A: West Valley 99 (#6 at State), Pullman (92)…East Valley (68)

3A: Ridgeline 114 (#7 at State), University 103 (#5 at State)…no alternate, there were only 2 teams who came

4A: Gonzaga Prep 109 (#8 at State)…alternate Lewis & Clark (106)



Background

During the 1982-83 school year, NorthEast Washington Educational Service District 101 and the Washington Association of School Principals initiated the Knowledge Bowl. This activity is an interdisciplinary academic contest in which teams of students compete on the basis of their ability to recall information related to practically any and all areas of learning typical of secondary educational programs.

Who Participates?
Four members and two alternates per team; one Varsity team per high school. The alternates may replace two of the team members after twenty-five questions in a round.

What is the Cost to High Schools?
Travel to the Regional Knowledge Bowl Tournament in Spokane

A registration fee for Regional Tournament of $250 per team. (At this time there is no charge for "JV" or "extra" teams. Extra teams are not eligible to qualify for state.)

Travel to the state tournament in March, if school qualifies.

How are Students Selected?
Each school selects team members using whatever criteria they think are significant. Sometimes team members are National Merit winners, other times they have high GPA's, and some are simply selected by teachers using subjective criteria. Since speed or answering are important, schools have found it beneficial for students to be aggressive, to risk wrong answers, and to be upper-grade students.

How are Regional Winners Determined?
Teams are placed within one of four divisions based upon their WIAA classification and date of registration. Each division will consist of nine teams who will compete against each other in four oral rounds and one written round. Divisions 1 and 2 will be for B teams. Division 3 will be for A and 2A teams. Division 4 for 3A and 4A teams. At the end of five rounds the winners of 1 and 2, the top team of A, 2A, 3A and 4A teams plus the next 3 highest scores regardless of WIAA classification will form the entrants into round 6.

Round seven will have the first place teams in round 6 competing for the top three spots, second place teams for spots four through six and third place teams for spots seven through nine. Trophies will be given to each team in positions one through nine.

Who Goes to State?
State representatives will be determined by the total scores achieved at the end of the first five rounds. Representing NEWESD 101 at state this year will be determined after regional competition.

How Do Students Practice?
Since questions are new and from many different sources, it is not really possible to actually study for the contest. However, it is beneficial to provide your students with practice sessions in which they get used to responding to questions quickly, as well as becoming familiar with the timing equipment. Practice interschool competition can be held as coordinated by local schools.

Oral Rounds
Each oral round consists of fifty questions. Knowledge Bowl reader/judges will read the questions aloud. Team members may discuss among themselves who is going to answer each question, and they may discuss the question itself. Participants may attempt to answer questions before they are completed. In the event of an incorrect answer, no penalties are assessed. The remaining teams simply have a chance to answer. Once a team member signals for an answer, he/she will have a maximum of 15 seconds to answer.

Written Round
Four team members plus two alternates may participate in the written round. The written round is of the multiple-choice variety and consists of fifty questions. Team members may consult with one another on all items. Items are all objective questions. One point for each correct item is awarded. The time limit is 35 minutes.
 

Judging
Electronic judging devices are used to determine which team has the right to answer first and to determine the allowed 15-second response time. In the event of a disputed question, the decision to accept the challenge is made by the reader/judge and is final. If the reader/judge accepts the challenge, a challenge form must be completed  immediately following the round of the disputed question and given to an ESD employee with the score sheet for the round. The challenge will be reviewed and the decision will be posted outside the door of the ESD team.

Scoring
One point is awarded for each correct answer. Points will be accumulated throughout five rounds.

Knowledge Bowl Equipment

Quiz Equipment LLC
Attn: Steve Kirkman
736 Ashley Drive
Chaska, MN 55318
(248) 398-1161
[email protected]

V & V Systems                                                
Attn: Mike Verstegen
10024 NE 13th St 
Bellevue, WA 98004-3517            
 (425) 868-9600
[email protected]


Knowledge Bowl Questions

 

Academic Hallmarks
P.O. Box 998
#5 Woodland, Suite B
Durango, CO 81302
Toll Free 1-800-321-9218
Ph. (303) 247-8738

Questions Unlimited
P.O. Box 14798
Columbus, OH 43212
Ph. (614) 846-7108

Patrick's Press
P.O. Box 5189
Columbus, GA 31906
Toll Free 1-800-654-1052


Contact:

Erik Wolfrum, Director
(509) 789-3551, [email protected]

Kimberly Runkel, Knowledge Bowl Tournament Coordinator
(509) 789-3547, [email protected]

Maegan Gomes, Knowledge Bowl Coordinator
(509) 294-9076 [email protected] 

 


 

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