Regional Competitions

Each February regional competitions are held at 25 locations across the country.  Teams of 4-5 students are tested on their knowledge of scientific and technical disciplines through quick answer buzzer questions and more complex team challenge questions (TCQs).  The winning team from each of the 25 regional competitions is provided transportation and room and board accomodation to advance to the NOSB Finals Competition held in a different location each year in April.  The teams that place 1st-4th in the NOSB Finals win an experiental award trip to exciting locations.

General Format of the Competition

The NOSB is a timed competition (defined as the use of “lock-out” type buzzer systems and clocks) between two teams. Each match consists of a series of toss-up questions that individual team members must answer without collaboration. A team that correctly responds to a toss-up question is given a bonus question to answer as a team.

Additionally two TCQs are provided in written form and require teamwork and extra time to complete. Unlike the toss-up and bonus questions, both teams can answer the TCQ and win points for their correct responses.  Each match has two TCQs and approximately 14 toss-up questions paired with an equal number of bonus questions. Matches consist of two 6-minute halves with a 2-minute break.  Competitions consist of ~15 matches (or rounds) including tie-breakers, as necessary. Additional time is given during the break for team challenge questions.  Please see the Competition Rules for more details.