The 2026 International Academic Competitions European Championships
Featuring the International History Bowl, International Academic Bowl, International History Bee, International Geography Bee, International Science Bee & European Championship Exams
International Academic Competitions is delighted to announce that our 2026 European Championships will be held in Berlin! This will be the second time the European Championships will be held in Berlin, and the first since 2016. We are looking forward to a great three days of competition in the German capital. The exact dates, along with the host school will be confirmed shortly, but the most likely weekend is May 29-31. The schedule below is considered tentative for now, but will be confirmed shortly. It is nearly identical to the schedule used at the 2025 European Championships. For further details and questions, please contact nolwenn@iacompetitions.com.
General Information for the 2026 International Academic Competitions European Championships Weekend
- Registration
Registration for the 2026 International Academic Competitions European Championships will open in December 2025 and is done on the page linked here. The registration deadline is 11:59pm London Time on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. - Costs
The costs of the events of the weekend, as well as refund, late fee, and other payment policies are listed here. - Visas
If you need help in obtaining letters to apply for a visa to attend the competition, please email nolwenn@iacompetitions.com to begin this process. If you are unsure of whether you need a visa for Germany, please consult this page. - Suggested Hotels and Hostels / How to get to the Host School
A list of suggested hotels and hostels for the 2026 IAC European Championships will be provided soon, along with directions to the host school. - Academic Bowl Qualification
The Academic Bowl is open to any team that has qualified through participation in an Academic Bowl regional tournament by finishing in the top 50% of their age division or winning a playoff game or having at least a .500 winning percentage in their preliminary rounds.
Teams are also eligible to compete in the Academic Bowl if at least one team member has qualified for the European Championships of the History Bowl, History Bee, Science Bee, or Geography Bee, and will be competing in that event at the European Championships. - Academic Bowl & History Bowl Qualification – Elementary Division
The Elementary Division of the International History Bowl and the International Academic Bowl is open to all schools and does not require prior qualification.
Schedule of Events for the 2026 International Academic Competitions European Championships Weekend
Information on European Championships Exams
International Academic Competitions offers a set of European Championship Exams at the European Championships. These will be offered in the following ten subjects: Biology, Environmental Science, European Geography, Map and Flag, Geography Photo Quiz, Historical Geography, Military History, Ancient History, Recent History, and European History. None of these require prior qualification, and all can either be registered for either in advance or at the European Championships. Each exam has 75 questions and is scored on the basis of 2 points for a correct answer, -1 for an incorrect response, and 0 points for a question left unanswered. There will be separate age divisions and awards for Varsity, Junior Varsity, Middle School, and Elementary Division students – the age cutoffs are the same as for the Bee competitions.
Friday – (likely May 29)
International Academic Bowl European Championships
12:30 German History Bee – Check-in – Held outside the Reichstag – Meeting point is the exit for the Bundestag U-Bahn station.
12:45 German History Bee – Opening Meeting
1:00 German History Bee – Round 1
1:30 German History Bee – Round 2
2:15 German History Bee – Final Round – Held inside the Brandenburg Gate!
3:00 Doors Open for the International Academic Bowl
3:30 Opening Meeting – Please arrive no later than this time if you are competing in the International Academic Bowl!
3:45 Round 1
4:25 Round 2
5:00 Round 3
5:35 Round 4
6:10 Round 5
7:00 Round 6 – Semifinals
7:35 Round 7 – Finals
8:00 Group Dinner – Location TBD (Finalists can join when finished)
Saturday – (likely May 30)
International Science Bee European Championships
8:20am Check-in Begins
8:30 Environmental Science European Championship Exam (Please be at the school at 8:20 if taking this exam!)
8:40 Please arrive no later than this time if you are competing in the International Science Bee!
8:50 Opening Meeting
9:00 Round 1
9:30 Round 2
10:00 Round 3
10:30 Biology European Championship Exam
10:55 Finals
11:25 Awards / Snack Break / Geography Exams
International Geography Bee European Championships
11:00am Check-in Begins
11:35 European Geography & Map and Flag European Championship Exams (Please be at the school at 11:30 if taking either or both of these exam!)
11:45 Please arrive no later than this time if you are competing in the International Geography Bee!
12:05 Opening Meeting
12:25 Round 1
1:00 Round 2
1:30 Round 3
2:05 Geography Photo Quiz European Championship Exam
2:35 Finals
3:05 Awards / Snack Break
International History Bee European Championships
2:30 Check-in Begins
3:00 Please arrive no later than this time if you are competing in the International History Bee!
3:10 Historical Geography European Championship Exam (Please be at the school by 2:50 if taking this exam!)
3:15 Play In Game (Please be at the school by 2:50 if competing in the play in game!)
3:30 Opening Meeting
3:50 Round 1
4:35 Round 2
5:10 Round 3
5:45 Round 4
6:30 Military History European Championship Exam (or as soon as Round 4 ends)
7:00 Finalists Announced
7:10 Finals
7:45 Awards
7:50 End
Sunday – (likely May 31)
International History Bowl European Championships
8:00am Doors Open, Check-in Begins
8:10 Ancient and Recent History European Championship Exams (Please be at the school at 8:00 if taking either exam!)
8:25 Please arrive no later than this time if you are competing in the International History Bowl!
8:45 Opening Meeting
9:05 Bowl Round 1
9:55 Bowl Round 2
10:40 Bowl Round 3
11:15 Bowl Round 4
11:50 Bowl Round 5
12:20 Lunch
12:45 European History European Championship Exam
1:20 Quarterfinals and Optional Extra Round for teams who do not make playoffs
2:00 Semifinals
2:40 Finals / 3rd Place Game
3:15 Awards
3:30 End