Contest rules

The Institute of Geography, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, along with the Foundation for Modern Geography, the Hungarian Geographic Association and the Society of Geography Teachers jointly invite you to participate at the Hungarian Geographical Contest (hereafter: HunGeoContest), a science competition in geography running in English language. The financial resources for the contest are provided by the Ministry of Human Capacities.

 

1. Objectives of the contest

a. Our primary objectives are to stimulate active interest in geographical studies, to increase the reputation of geography in Hungary, to support talented students with outstanding knowledge in the fields of human or physical geography who are capable of utilising their wide knowledge in practice.

b. A further objective is to select members of the Hungarian national team for the International Geographical Olympiad (iGeo) having been held annually by the International Geographic Union since 2012.

 

2. Conditions of participation

a. The contest is open to students attending Hungarian public education institutions.

The contest runs in English, which is the official language for communication. Although high level of English proficiency is demanded for completing the written test sheets and for accomplishing the oral tasks, no English language exam is required as a condition for participation.

Contestants can apply regardless of their citizenship, provided that they meet the conditions set forth under 2/a.

 

3. How to apply

Application deadline: 3th November 2021, 10 p.m.

a. Application is allowed only on-line via hungeocontest.org by filling in the application form and submitting it within the deadline specified. Incomplete applications or submissions arriving later than the deadline are rejected, as are applications by telephone or by any other means.

b. Motto: participants must specify a motto on their application form and, throughout the contest rounds, must use it on their test sheets as a substitute for their names. The chosen motto should not be alluding to the contestant or the school (s)he is coming from. The results after each round are announced on the website with only the mottoes appearing. In case a contestant forgets the motto, the organisers inform him/her about the motto appearing on the application form through a private message or in person.

c. The number of contestants in the 1st round is not limited.

d. Contestants are informed about the results of the 1st round in an e-mail sent to the address specified in their application, by 20th November as latest.

e. The first 60 most successful contestants qualify themselves for the further rounds.

f. The first 10 best contestants of the 2nd round qualify themselves for the 3rd round.

Participation at the contest is free of charge!

 

4. Contest rounds

The contest has three individual rounds: the first one is online, the second is written, and the third, final round has written, oral and field assignments.

 

4/1. Online round

Date: 11th October 2021 -  5th November

In the 1st round contestants are asked to fill in an online test in English language.

The online test form is available through the web page specified under 3/a, and can be filled in within the specified time interval.

The test form can be opened and contestants can work on it or correct errors multiple times within the deadline, until its final submission.

The test form is made available to the contestants through a direct e-mail.

a. Type: Requiring up-to-date comprehensive geographic knowledge, the test form contains questions in physical as well as human geography.

b. For completing the test, contestants may use any type of assistance or resources. Computer and internet connection are necessary.

 

4/2. Written round

Date: 4th December 2021 (Saturday)

a. Venue: Pécs, Institute of Geography, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs. Depending on the 2nd round participants' place of residence or place of studies, organizers might decide to organise the written round in other locations too. In case multiple locations are specified, contestants qualified for the 2nd round may choose where to participate in the written round. Venues and dates are announced by the organizers in the website specified under 3/a. Results of the written part will be declared by 9th January 2022.

The costs of travel, accommodation and meals in the 2nd round should be entirely covered by the participants themselves.

b. Type: Composed of six sections with approximately equal proportions of physical geography and human geography questions, the test is based on the iGeo WRITTEN RESPONSE TEST in its structure and questions. Within each topic, single choice tests are followed by more complex questions and essay type of assignments.

Test questions of previous years are available at the following link:  http://www.geoolympiad.org/fass/geoolympiad/previous.shtml

 

Test questions are based on subjects published at the iGeo. At the Hungarian contest, questions of the various rounds focus on the following subjects:

1. Climate and climate change

2. Natural hazards

3. Natural resources and resource management

4. Environment and sustainable development

5. Land use and landscape management

6. Agriculture and food problems

7. Population and demography

8. Economic geography and globalisation

9. Spatial development and regional inequalities

10. Urban geography, urban planning, urban renewal and and reconstruction

11. Tourism

12. Cultural geography and regional identities

 

c. At the written round, contestants may use the followings: pen, pencil, coloured pencil, eraser, calculator, ruler.

Contestants are allowed to eat and drink during the contest. However, they may leave the examination room only in the company of a contest supervisor. Test sheets must not be taken out of the room.

The use of atlases, maps, dictionaries or any type of electronic mobile devices (cell phone, tablet) at the written round is prohibited. If prohibited devices are used or their use is attempted, the contestant will be instantly disqualified from the contest.

Contestants are informed about the time remaining for completing the test when half of the time has passed (in the 90th minute), and in every 10 minute in the terminal half hour.

d. Finalists: The first 10 contestants of the written round qualify themselves for the final round. Results are announced not later than 45 days after the written round. Finalists are notified electronically (by e-mail and by an announcement at the website).

e. Contestants carry 20% of their points gathered in the written round into the final.

 

4/3. Final – two-day event, with field work assignments and oral tasks

Date: 8-9th April 2022 (Friday-Saturday)

a. Venue: Pécs

b. Type: on Day 1 of the two-day contest, students participate in a field work during which they survey a spatial unit specified by the organisers, followed by solving tasks related to the target area in the second half of the day. The field day is organised on the basis of the iGeo FIELDWORK EXERCISE protocol.

Field work results are evaluated separately, and they are incorporated in the final ranking. Combined with the results of the oral round, they are made available at the final announcement.

On Day 2, the oral section is held, composed of two parts.

Part 1: with the help of internet, students prepare a presentation (ppt slide show) in a specified subject. There are 15 minutes for preparation and 5 minutes for the presentation. (Organisers provide laptops with internet connection.)

Part 2: Students are given an exam subject, which they can elaborate on for 10 minutes. Having done the oral presentation, they are given a picture, which they are expected to talk about briefly, in a comprehensive way, with no preparation beforehand. For this part, contestants may not use any means of help, instead they must rely on their own knowledge.

The presentation and the oral exam are evaluated by the jury. Members of the jury are delegated by the Institute of Geography, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, the Hungarian Geographic Association and the Society of Geography Teachers.

c. Tools allowed:

Field assignment: pen and pencil, coloured pencils, eraser, calculator, ruler, callipers, writing pad holder.

Oral round: pen and pencil (paper, laptops and internet connection are provided by the organisers).

The costs of accommodation and catering for contestants – plus one accompanying teacher per student, if required – are covered by contest organisers.

d. The final ranking results from adding up points for the field work and the oral section of the final, completed with points from the 2nd, written round.

Altogether:

- 20% of points from the 2nd, written round, i.e. maximum 20 points

- points from the field work: maximum 30 points

- total points from the oral section: maximum 50 points.

The highest possible score obtained during the two-day final is 100 points. If two or more contestants reach equal scores in the final, the results and ranking of the written round will be decisive in the final order of contestants. If two contestants have equal scores from the 2nd round too, their final ranking will be decided based on the test sheet results of the 1st, online round.

e. The first four finalist will be eligible for representing Hungary at the iGeo contest. Should any of the first four ranked students fall out for whatever reason, the substitute team member will be the next ranked contestant, provided that the need for substitution arises at least 45 days before the first iGeo contest day.

 

5. Basic literature for the contest:

Currently used national and English language geography textbooks for secondary school students, and other electronically available information source shown in the homepage of the contest.

 

Recommended reading: Hagett, P.: Geography. A Global Synthesis. 2001.

iGeo test questions from previous years:

http://www.geoolympiad.org/fass/geoolympiad/previous.shtml

Hungeocontest written test questions from previous years are available under the contest archive menu: http://hungeocontest.org/vesenyarchivum/2015-2016

 

Further reading:

Nagle, G. (2000) Advanced Geography. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Waugh, D. and Bushell, T. (2002) New Key Geography for GCSE. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes.

Christopherson, R. (2003) Geosystems: An Introduction to Physical Geography. Prentice Hall.

Waugh, D. (2009) Geography - An Integrated Approach. Nelson Thornes. 

 

6. Contest awards

The ten best contestants in the final and their training teachers receive certificates of merit and valuable prizes.

In addition, the first three finalists and the training teacher of the contest winner are awarded a one-year membership to the Hungarian Geographic Association, accompanied by a one-year subscription for the A Földgömb magazine.

All participants of the final and their teachers are given various other prizes.

The first two finalist are entitled to represent Hungary at the annually held International Geography Olympiad. They are also given the possibility to participate at a one-week, early summer preparation training in Pécs, for which the organisers provide all the special programmes as well as they cover the costs of accommodation and meals.

The exact dates of the preparation week are negotiated with the four students and their teachers after the contest is over.

Travel costs of iGeo participation (airfare, insurance, visa) as well as accommodation and meals are free for the contestants, owing to the financial support provided by the Ministry of Human Capacities. Should funding from the ministry be discontinued, organisers are unable to provide financial resources that could cover such costs, thus in such a case covering the costs of iGeo participation is the responsibility of the contestants.

Students travelling to the iGeo are accompanied by two team supervisors. One of them is the current contest director, International Board Member in the Olympiad Committee, and the other person is one of the contest coordinators who is responsible for coordination, organising, training and preparations throughout the 11 months prior to the contest, also taking care of iGeo registration and travel administration, all this done on a voluntary basis.

 

7. iGeo participation

The first four finalists of the HunGeoContest are entitled to travel to the International Geography Olympiad held every August, provided that:

a. they are registered students attending Hungarian public education institutions,

b. their age is between 16-19 years in the current Olympiad year, but not reaching 20 years of age until 30 June,

c. they have not participated at the International Geography Olympiad more than twice.

The names of the four winners are announced in the final round, on the date of the grand final.

 

8. Contacts

Website: www.hungeocontest.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hungeocontest/?fref=ts

 

Further information about the contest:

Dr. András Trócsányi contest director

Coordinators: Makkai Bernadett, dr. Gábor Pirisi

Phone: +36-72/503-600 (ext: 24719)

E-mail: hungeocontest@gmail.com

 

Contest organiser's name, address and contacts:

Foundation for Modern Geography

Dr. Mónika Jónás-Berki, secretary

Mail address: Institute of Geography, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, H-7624 Pécs, Ifjúság útja 6.

Email: moderngeografus@gmail.com