List of history competitions for K-12 students, organized from Elementary to High School

1. Elementary School (Grades 3–5)

At this level, competitions focus on building curiosity, memorization of key facts, and basic storytelling.

International History Bee (Individual)

What it is: A buzzer-based trivia competition for individual students.

Format: Students compete in rounds answering short-clue questions about world history (e.g., "Who was the first person to sail around the world?").

Why it's great: It builds quick thinking and rewards kids who love reading historical facts.

Website: iacompetitions.com/history-bee

International History Bowl (Team)

What it is: The team version of the Bee (usually 2–4 students per team).

Format: Students work together to answer multi-part history questions.

Website: iacompetitions.com/history-bowl

National History Day (NHD) – Elementary Division

What it is: A research-based project. While the main competition starts in 6th grade, many local regions hold a "Poster" or "Exhibit" contest for 4th and 5th graders.

Format: Students create a poster or a small display about a historical event.

Website: nhd.org

2. Middle School (Grades 6–8)

The focus shifts toward analytical thinking, primary source research, and academic writing.

National History Day (Junior Division)

What it is: The most prestigious history competition for middle schoolers in the US and international schools.

Format: Choose one of five categories: Paper, Documentary, Exhibit, Performance, or Website.

Theme: Every year has a theme (e.g., Frontiers in History or Turning Points).

Website: nhd.org

World Historian Student Essay Contest

What it is: Hosted by the World History Association (WHA).

Format: Students write an essay describing a personal family story or a local event within the context of world history.

Website: thewha.org

3. High School (Grades 9–12)

These competitions are highly regarded by top-tier university admissions (Ivy League, Oxbridge).

The Concord Review (TCR)

What it is: The only quarterly journal in the world that publishes academic research papers by secondary students.

Format: Not a "race," but a publication goal. Students submit a 4,000–8,000 word serious historical research paper.

Status: Getting published here is considered one of the highest honors for a history student.

Website: tcr.org

John Locke Institute Essay Competition (History Category)

What it is: An international essay prize judged by professors from Oxford and Princeton.

Format: Students choose one of the official "History" prompts and write a persuasive 2,000-word essay.

Website: johnlockeinstitute.com

International History Olympiad

What it is: A week-long global event for students who qualify through the History Bee or Bowl.

Format: Includes various exams, historical simulations, and buzzer rounds. It is held in a different historical city every two years (e.g., Berlin, Rome, Princeton).

Website: historyolympiad.com

Summary Table