The 2025 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 2025 European Championships will be held at GRG-23 in Vienna, Austria on the weekend of Friday, 30 May through Sunday, 1 June! GRG-23 hosted the successful 2024 International Geography Championships, and we look forward to another excellent event held at their school. This will be the first time the European Championships will be held in Vienna, and we are looking forward to a great three days of competition in the Austrian capital. The schedule below is confirmed and is nearly identical to the schedule used at the 2024 European Championships. For further details, please contact nolwenn@iacompetitions.com.
General Information for the 2025 International Academic Competitions European Championships Weekend
1. Registration
Registration for the 2025 International Academic Competitions European Championships is done on the page linked here. The registration deadline is 11:59pm London Time on May 16.
2. Costs
The costs of the events of the weekend, as well as refund, late fee, and other payment policies are listed here.
3. 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 Austria, please consult this page.
4. Suggested Hotels and Hostels / How to get to the Host School
Here is a list of suggested Hotels for the 2025 IHBB European Championships in Vienna. This list was provided for last summer’s International Geography Championships, but these hotels are all good picks. Otherwise, as the school is on the U6 U-Bahn (i.e. metro) line, a 3 minute walk from the Alterlaa stop, any hotel on the U6 between Siebenhirten and Burggasse-Stadthalle is a good bet. We particularly recommend B&B Hotel Wien Stadthalle, which was the hotel we used for unaccompanied students at the 2024 International Geography Championships. If you are looking for a hostel, Wombat’s City Hostel Vienna at Kettenbrückengasse on the U4 (there’s a transfer required to the U6 at Längenfeldgasse, just go directly across the platform to the U6 train) is a good option.
(Note: It is not required to stay at any of these places.)
5. 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.
6. 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 2025 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 – May 30
International Academic Bowl European Championships
10:00 Schönbrunn Palace Visit (optional; requires prior registration for which we’ll provide details in Spring 2025)
12:00 Lunch
12:45 Austria-Hungary History Bee (held next to Schönbrunn Palace) – Round 1
1:30 Austria-Hungary Bee – Round 2
2:15 Austria-Hungary Bee – Final Round
3:00 Doors Open
3:25 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 – Prater (Finalists can join when finished)
Saturday – May 31
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!
3:05 Play In Game (Please be at the school by 2:50 if competing in the play in game!)
3:10 Historical Geography European Championship Exam (Please be at the school by 2:50 if taking this exam!)
3:25 Opening Meeting
3:45 Round 1
4:30 Round 2
5:05 Round 3
5:40 Round 4
6:20 Military History European Championship Exam (or as soon as Round 4 ends)
6:50 Finalists Announced
7:00 Finals
7:35 Awards
7:45 End
Sunday – June 1
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
11:20 Bowl Round 4
12:00 Bowl Round 5
12:35 Lunch
1:00 European History European Championship Exam
1:35 Quarterfinals and Optional Extra Round for teams who do not make playoffs
2:15 Semifinals
2:55 Finals / 3rd Place Game
3:30 Awards
3:40 End
International History Bowl Teams (no symbol = Varsity, * = Junior Varsity, # = Middle School, ! = Elementary)
1. City of London Freemen’s School
2. Internationale Deutsche Schule Brüssel A
3. Internationale Deutsche Schule Brüssel B *
4. Internationale Deutsche Schule Brüssel C !
5. Farnham Heath End School A *
6. Farnham Heath End School B !
7. École Internationale Differdange & Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg *
8. Landau School, Baku (registration pending for 1 team)
9. École Jeannine Manuel, Paris (registration pending for ± 8 teams)
10. Eton College (registration pending for ± 4 teams)
11. Berlin Metropolitan School (expressed interest)
12. New Castelar College, Spain (expressed interest)
13. St. Stephen’s School, Rome (registration pending for 1 team)
International Academic Bowl Teams (no symbol = Varsity, * = Junior Varsity, # = Middle School, ! = Elementary)
1. QSI Chisinau #
2. Eton College (registration pending for ± 4 teams)
3. École Jeannine Manuel, Paris (registration pending for ± 4 teams)
4. SIS Basel (registration pending for ± 2 teams)
Vienna International Airport is the only major airport serving Vienna directly and is typically about 35 minutes from the school by Uber / taxi, though Bratislava Airport (which can sometimes have good low cost options) can be reached in about 75 minutes without traffic. Vienna Hauptbahnhof is the main train station, and is likewise about 35 minutes by public transit. Please do not book flights out of Vienna International that leave prior to 5:30pm, or trains that leave prior to 4:30pm if you are competing in the History Bowl – if the only option is before that, please contact Mr David Madden at david@iacompetitions.com for advice. Certain age divisions may conclude their awards by 3:00, in which case a 5pm (for flights) / 4pm (for trains) departure time would work.