Frequently Asked Questions | Geography competition for pupils in Years 1-11

Who can participate in the competition?

We are pleased to invite all students from grades 1 to 11, as well as students from other educational institutions, such as colleges, technical schools, and other institutions in the United Kingdom. Unlike an Olympiad, our competition has tasks of different difficulty levels, so that every student can take part in it, regardless of their level of training.

When can I participate in the competition?

You can enter "Brain Ring 2025 - Spring session" contests at any time from the 1 to 31 of March 2025. Participation can take place both at school and at home.

How do I participate in the competition?

To take part in the contest, you must register and then pay for participation.

When is the deadline for student registration?

You can register your students until the end of the contests (31 March inclusive).

How much does it cost to participate in the competition?

If a teacher registers a student, the cost of participation in all "Brain Ring" competitions for children is £4.99.

The cost of individual participation in all competitions is £6.99.

How to pay for participation in the competition?

Information on how to pay for participation can be found on the "Pricing" page.

Why does is there a participation fee?

The contribution covers the organisational costs associated with the event. This includes the purchasing of prizes and memorable gifts, production of high-quality award documents (certificates, diplomas, certificates of merit), monetary rewards for teachers who organised participation in the competition, salaries for teachers who prepared the competition tasks, programming, design, maintenance, consulting, postal services and other necessary expenses.

Do I have to pay for each subject separately if I want to participate in several competitions?

No, once you have paid for participation, you will be able to take part in competitions in all available subjects.

Do I need to register again if I have already registered for a previous contest?

No, you don’t. You only need to register once, and you can use the same account to participate in all subsequent "Brain Ring" contests.

I have registered and paid for my students’ participation, but more people are willing to join. Can I add them and pay for their participation?

Yes, you can add them to the list of participants and pay for their participation before the end of the competition. In this case, you will receive compensation in your favour.

Can I register and participate in the competition individually, without involving a teacher?

Yes, you can. The cost of individual participation is £6.99.

Our advice: ask your teacher to organise your class’s participation in the "Brain Ring" competition and participate at £4.99 instead of £6.99.

How to register students for the competition?

Any teacher or school administrator can register students for the "Brain Ring" competition. After registration, they will receive passwords for logging students into the system, which we recommend are printed, cut and distributed to students. If it is not possible to print out passwords for students, you can use the list in PDF format and rewrite the passwords manually or tell them verbally.

If students want to register individually, they can do it themselves or their parents can do it for them. To do this, please visit our website and complete the registration form.

I work in two schools; do I need to create two accounts?

Yes, if you work in two schools and want to register different students in the contest, you need to create two accounts with different email addresses. Each account is assigned a unique school or building address where prizes, diplomas, certificates and certificates will be sent. Please note that you can edit the address of each account as needed.

Can several teachers from the same school register students independently of each other?

Yes, teachers from the same school can register and pay for the participation of students independently. Alternatively, one teacher can register all students by specifying the names of other teachers helping to organise it. All teachers involved will also be awarded certificates at the end of the competition.

Can students take part in the competition from home?

Yes, students can take part in the competition from home at any time that suits them. However, teachers are advised to organise participation in a school classroom during or after school hours where possible. We recommend reserving a computer lab for this purpose in advance. If being undertaken at home, teachers will need to distribute passwords to students so they can log in.

Can a participant enter multiple contests on different days?

Yes, a student can complete tasks from different contests on different days, anytime until 31 March. It is not recommended to postpone the completion of tasks until the last day to avoid possible technical problems and guarantee the success of your participation.

Is it possible for a student to take several levels of the same competition?

No, students can only participate in each competition once in each subject and at the level corresponding to their grade. Repeated participation is not allowed to ensure a fair environment for all participants and to maintain the objectivity of the results.

Do I have to fill in information about the students, including their names, grades and level of difficulty?

No, it is not necessary. If you have not entered the student’s details, they can enter this information themselves once they have logged in to the contest using their given passwords.

Do all students have to participate at the same time?

No, students can participate at any time.

Do I need to inform the organisers of the date and time I will be participating in the competition?

No, you do not need to.

What can and cannot be used during the contest?

You are allowed to use a draft, a writing utensil and a calculator during the competition.

It is forbidden to use auxiliary devices (internet, mobile phone, etc.) and to receive help from other people during the competition.

What level should I choose?

Choose the level that corresponds to your year (including the autumn session).

Can a student participate in a competition at a higher level than their grade?

Yes, they can, but if they choose a lower level, they will not be able to compete for prizes. The chosen level will be applied to all competition subjects.

How can teachers prepare their students for the competition?

Information about the competition can be found on the "Instructions for teachers" page. It will help teachers prepare their students for competitions.

What should I do if I can’t log in to the contest?

If the teacher is unable to log in, the possible reasons could be:

- The teacher’s email address or password was entered incorrectly.

- A different text input language is selected.

- The “Caps lock” key is pressed (capitalisation mode is enabled).

If the student is unable to log in, the possible reasons could be:

- The student’s password was entered incorrectly.

- A different text input language is selected.

If you still cannot log in to the contest, please contact us at [email protected].

What are the computer requirements to participate in the contest?

Participation in our contest does not require any special equipment. In rare cases, however, JavaScript may be disabled in your browser. In this case, after clicking the “Participate” button, you will see a message asking you to follow the instructions to enable JavaScript.

If you experience any problems with the system, it may be due to your browser settings. We recommend you try again using another browser such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Safari. We also suggest using the latest versions of browsers for more reliable operation.

To check the performance of the system, you can review it in the demo version of the contest.

What should I do if I encounter technical problems during the competition, such as an internet connection or computer shutdown?

In the event of technical problems or other circumstances that prevent a student from continuing to participate in the competition, do not worry! The participant will be allowed to complete the tasks at any convenient time until the end of the competition. An interrupted contest will continue from the last question answered, and no progress or testing time will be lost.

When will the "Brain Ring 2025 - Spring session" contest results be announced?

- Preliminary results and detailed response reports will be published on the 2 April.

- Appeals can be submitted between the 2-4 April.

- Final results and announcement of winners will be available on the 6 April.

How can I see the mistakes I made?

Detailed reports with answers will be available on the “Results” page from the 2 April.

How do teachers get an electronic certificate?

To get electronic certificates for your students’ achievements, log in to your account, click on “School Rating” in the menu and select their teachers on the page that opens next to the students. The digital certificates will appear at the bottom of the page.

I found an error. How do I report it?

If you find an error, please let us know by emailing [email protected].

What should I do if I don’t find the answer to my question?

If you have any questions, please contact us via email [email protected]. We will be happy to assist you!