About

Students reach the National Championships one of two ways: scoring 75+ on a 50-question multiple-choice National Qualifying Exam ($20/version), or placing in the top half of their division at a Regional Tournament ($54), where questions are read buzzer-style from hardest clue to easiest. The National Championships ($135) are held each April in Arlington, VA, entirely buzzer-based, with roughly 150 students competing nationally across both divisions.

Like its sister History Bee, the Science Bee's value is longevity and depth, not single-day rarity: qualification is genuinely accessible, but the national field is competitive, drawing repeat finalists from established STEM magnet schools such as Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology and Hunter College High School. There is no cash prize; the credential is the national title and, increasingly, a path to the newly launched International Science Championships or International Environmental Science Olympiad — both debuting in 2028 and 2029.

This is a good fit for a student with broad science knowledge who enjoys competitive quizzing and wants an emerging international pipeline — like the History Bee, a multi-year pursuit rather than a single-application credential.