Students can qualify for the 2026 International Geography Championships in a number of ways:
Within the USA (please see results linked here)
1. Students in the USA can qualify for the International Geography Championships by taking the International Geography Championships Qualifying Exam. This will be available beginning in mid-October 2025. 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. If students took the exam (or a Geography National Qualifying Exam as mentioned below) prior to that date in a given academic year, then they are considered to be in their grade until the end of that day, and thenceforth in their subsequent grade.
2. Students who finish in the top 2/3 of students competing at the National Championships of the National Geography Bee for any age division either in the 2024-25 or 2025-26 academic years.
3. Students who finish in the top 2/3 of students competing at the National Championships of the US Geography Championships for any age division either in the 2024-25 or 2025-26 academic years.
4. Students who finish in the top 1/2 of teams competing at the 2025 or 2026 National Geography Bowl for any age division.
5. Students who make the playoffs of the US Geography Bee for any age division.
6. Students who finish in the top 1/3 of students in an age division at any National Geography Bee Regional Tournament for any age division during either the 2024-25 or 2025-26 academic years.
7. Students who finish as the first or second student in an division at any National Geography Bee Regional Tournament, regardless of the size of that age division. 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.
8. All students who obtain a score of at least 75 on any version of the Varsity/Junior Varsity level National Geography Bee / US Geography Championships National Qualifying Exam during either the 2024-25 or 2025-26 academic years. All students in 7th or 8th grade who score 65 or higher on any version of these exams. All students in 6th grade and lower (who are age eligible) who score 55 or higher on any version of these exams.
Note: Students taking the exams in May or June are considered to be in the grade that they were during the academic year ending that spring, even if they have already moved into a higher grade once school or homeschooling finishes.
9. All students who medaled in any event at the 2018 International Geography Bee World Championships or at the 2022 or 2024 International Geography Championships are eligible to compete at the 2026 International Geography Championships as long as they meet age and grade level eligibility criteria.
10. Any student who wins a medal in a geography-themed National Championship Exam in the 2024-25 or 2025-26 academic years. These include the following: American Geography Exam; Asian Geography Exam; European Geography Exam; Geography Photo Quiz Exam; Historical Geography Exam; Indian History, Geography, and Culture Exam; International Affairs Exam, Map and Flag Exam; World Geography Exam.
11. Anyone who wins an award other than an honorable mention at a Model UN Conference in the 2023-24, 2024-25 or 2025-26 academic years in any committee that is not explicitly a Historical Simulation. Students who win awards in Historical Simulations qualify for the International History Olympiad instead. Students who win any award at the 2026 Model UN National Championships (including Honorable Mentions and Grade-level Commendations) also qualify.
Outside the USA
1. Students can qualify for the International Geography Championships by taking the International Geography Championships Qualifying Exam. This will be available beginning in mid-October 2025. Students must score 65 or higher if they take the exam while as a Varsity or Junior Varsity Division Student, 55 or higher if they take the exam while a Middle School Division Student, or 45 or higher if they take the exam while an Intermediate or Elementary School student. The grade cutoffs for these for the 2025-26 academic year 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
Regardless of when students finish schooling / homeschooling for a year, the cutoff to determine grades is June 23. If students took the exam (or a Geography National Qualifying Exam as mentioned below) prior to that date in a given academic year, then they are considered to be in their grade until the end of that day, and thenceforth in their subsequent grade.
2. Students who finish in the top 50% of students competing at Regional International Geography Bee Tournaments, or top 2/3 of students at the International Geography Bee Asian Championships, International Geography Bee European Championships or International Geography Bee Canadian Championships in the 2024-25 or 2025-26 academic years.
3. Students who finish in the top 25% within their age division for any particular version of the International Geography Bee Championships Qualifying Exam (in the European Division) or of the Online Regional Qualifying Exam (in the Asian or Canadian Division) among all students taking that version of the Exam – either at a particular site where it is offered, or across all sites in their region either in the 2024-25 or 2025-26 academic years. Students qualifying in any of these ways must still score at least 30 or higher to qualify (regardless of their position within their age division), however.
4. Students who obtain a score of at least 65 (if they are High School), 55 (if they are Middle School), or 45 (if they are Intermediate or Elementary) on any version of the Championships Qualifying Exam during either the 2024-25 or 2025-26 academic years.
5. At regional-level International Geography Bee tournaments, the top 50% of students in an age division qualify, unless this is held strictly at an intramural level, in which case, the winning student in each age division is the only one who would qualify outright.
6. Students who have ever competed for their country at the International Geography Olympiad (i.e. iGeo).
7. All students who medaled in any event at the 2018 International Geography Bee World Championships or 2022 or 2024 International Geography Championships are eligible to compete at the 2026 International Geography Championships as long as they meet age and grade level eligibility criteria.
8. Students who finish in the top 1/2 of teams competing at the 2025 or 2026 International Geography Bowl for any age division.
9. Any student who wins a medal, or who places in the top 3 in their age division, in a geography-themed Asian, Canadian, or European Championship Exam in the 2024-25 or 2025-26 academic years. These include the following: Asian Geography Exam; Canadian Geography Exam; European Geography Exam; Geography Photo Quiz Exam; Historical Geography Exam; Map and Flag Exam (not all exams are offered in all regions).
10. Any student who finishes in the top 50% of a nationwide geography-themed competition (e.g. any national qualifying competition for the International Geography Olympiad). Proof of these results must be submitted upon request.
11. Anyone who wins an award at a Model UN Conference in the 2023-24, 2024-25 or 2025-26 academic years in any committee that is not explicitly a Historical Simulation. Students who win awards in Historical Simulations qualify for the International History Olympiad instead.
Please note that students may not represent Belarus, Russia, or North Korea at the International Geography Championsihps, but students from these countries are welcome to attend as independent students if they fulfill other qualifying criteria. For further information, please contact igc@iacompetitions.com.