The History Bee is the precursor to the National History Bee, a buzzer-based history quiz competition. The National History Bee is a division of International Academic Competitions, which organizes events in over 30 countries around the world,

The McClure’s History Bee is comprised of 3-4 stages:

Eligibility and Initial Testing:

• All students in grades 6-8 are given a qualifying test in either their social studies class or during their 10th period class

• Students will be notified of qualifying status via email and should check their email regularly

Online Qualifying Exam:

• Students will take the online qualifying exam during their 10th period 

• Top scorers from each grade are invited to take an online qualifying exam administered by International Academic Competitions (the organizers of the History Bee).

Regional History Bee:

• Based on their performance on the online qualifying exam, students may qualify to participate in the Regional History Bee, which usually takes place in March, often in Lincolnshire.

• In the Regional History Bee, students compete in three buzzer rounds against others in their age group.

• Scores from these rounds are accumulated to determine eligibility for the next stage.

National History Bee:

• High-scoring students from the Regional History Bee may qualify for the National History Bee, typically held in the last week of May or the first week of June in a different U.S. city each year.

• Registration and travel expenses for the National History Bee are the responsibility of the parents.