Frequently Asked Questions

Do we need to bring in two boxes for the Flight event?

No. Only one box is needed for the Flight event - this is different than what the rules currently state. Please refer to the rules for the necessary dimensions of the measurement box for size constraints.

Does our school/team have to pay or join the National Science Olympiad Organization in addition to Indiana Science Olympiad?

All teams nationwide must pay the state and national membership fees to participate. Here in Indiana we collect the National fee and forward your membership to Nationals on your behalf. So your Indiana Science Olympiad membership fees include your National Science Olympiad fees.

How many students are on a team?

Up to fifteen (15) students may be on your competitive team. Some tournaments allow teams to bring alternates and observers. Each tournament site is different due to size of facilities, etc. Please check with the tournament director to find out how many alternates and observers are allowed.

Can an individual student who wins a competition at their regional tournament compete in the State tournament if their team doesn’t qualify for State?

No, only teams advance to the State tournament, not individuals.

If our school has two teams, are students allowed to participate with both teams?

No, students may not compete on two teams in the same tournament.

May a 9th grade student compete in both the B Division and C Division, since B is 6-9th grade and C is 9-12th grade?

No, a student may not be on two rosters. Ninth grade students can participate in either division but must choose one or the other.

Why aren’t the schedules for regional, state and national tournaments all the same? It is very difficult to reorganize our team at every level of competition. Why aren’t all competitions required to be consistent?

There are 500+ different tournaments nationwide with 500 different sets of unique limitations. The Indiana State tournament schedule is posted in August and our invitational and regional tournaments all try their best to model their schedules to match. However that is not always possible due to their limitations such as the availability of space, event supervisors, equipment, etc.

Where is the best place to obtain information and materials on how to make devices for competitions?

Researching information is part of the competition and is the responsibility of the students. Some information is available from Indiana Science Olympiad and National Science Olympiad on their websites and is located under resources.

What is the policy on communication devices?

All cell phones, pagers, computers, iPads, walkie talkies, text messaging devices and any other device that can access wifi or internet must be turned off and placed in your backpack while in competition. Anyone caught using a device while competing will be disqualified from that event. Any team caught more than once will be disqualified from the tournament.

Can teachers, parents or alternates impound devices for our official competitors?

Yes, however during impound the supervisor may have questions so it is best if one of the students competing with the device is available during impound.

What is the registration fee and who do I make the check payable to?

Membership is $275 (this includes the National fee), schools fielding additional teams will pay $200 per additional team. Checks are to be made payable to INDIANA SCIENCE OLYMPIAD. If this is your first year competing, the fee is $75 for the first team only.

Do I need to include chaperones and parents on the final registration form?

No, all students attending the tournament including official competitors, observers, and alternates will be submitted on the final registration form for that tournament.