HIPPO

6th INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE

ENGLISH WITHOUT BORDERS

Introduction
GLOBAL INPUT and GLOBAL HIPPO ASSOCIATION are organising 6th International Competition in
English Language. The competition is open to students 9 – 19 years old from the whole world.
Students wishing to participate will take tests at either closest registered Pearson centre or in one of
the competition approved venues (state schools and schools that are part of the formal education
system, as well as private schools).

Hippo and its Aims

Hippo “English Without Borders“ Competition is an international competition which promotes
English language, challenges students around the globe to compete in English language knowledge,
and improves the co-operation between teachers. The competition encourages the development of a
shared sense of identity and integration, serves as a role model for young people living together as
one community.

The main goal is to create and nourish friendly relations, international understanding and a spirit of
sporting competitiveness between young people interested in English language from all around the
world.

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Competition Regulations

1. Dates and Venues

The competition will be run in three rounds: preliminary round, semi-final round and final round.

The preliminary round will be held on 16 / 17 and 23 / 24 February 2018, depending on the
region/zone, in registered Pearson centres or state and private elementary and high schools. The
participating schools enrolling a group of candidates will be required to host the preliminary round of
the competition. If they wish to enrol a group of candidates and run the preliminary round of the
competition on their premises, the schools need to contact GLOBAL INPUT (info@hippo-
competition.org) directly for venue approval.

Hippo semi-finals will be held in bigger towns in each of the participating areas (zones), on 16 and
17 March 2018. The network of semi-final venues will be based on the location of the semi-finalists.

The final round will be held in Lido di Jesolo (Venezia), Italy, on 12 and 13 May 2018. 68 finalists as
well as a school representative (chosen by the school), e.g. the student’s teacher, will be invited to
the final round of the competition.

GLOBAL INPUT keep the right to increase the number of finalists if the number of applicants
exceeds 10,000, all in accordance with the competition regulations.

2. Candidate Application and Fees

Every participating school needs to appoint one of their staff as the competition responsible/contact
person (the details should be provided in the submitted Venue Approval Form). This person will be in
charge of applications and will need to ensure that all the Pearson examination regulations are
followed.

HIPPO 2018 Online Applications

Upon venue approval, all schools will receive login details for Hippo Online Platform
(http://soa.hippo-competition.org) where they will register the candidates by entering the required
details. The system/database will be open until 3 February 2018 for all amendments. After the
application end date, no further amendments can be made. The system will automatically assign
candidate numbers to applicants. The lists of candidates will remain available for printing the
Preliminary Round attendance lists.

NB: School coordinators are required to print the attendance registers for the preliminary round of
the competition. They are also kindly requested to double check the accuracy of candidate details.

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Candidate entries can only be made in Latin letters (A - Z, no language specific letters).

Some of the participating zones accept individual candidates. To find out whether your zone
accepts individual candidates, please visit the registrations page of the Hippo website and contact
the local coordinator. In the zones where individual candidates are accepted, they will be given the
opportunity to compete in the nearest possible school/Pearson centre. The full list of venues will be
known after the application end date. Candidates will then be contacted and assigned to the nearest
approved venue.

Registration end date is 3 February 2018. No applications will be accepted after this date. For group
applications, payment instructions will be sent by email upon the receipt of the application.
Application fee payment needs to be made within 5 working days of the application submission. In
case Global Hippo Association does not receive the payment within 5 working days of the application
submission, the application will be cancelled.

For competition fees, please visit the Registration page of the competition website: www.hippo-
competition.org.

3. Definitions of Hippo Competition Zones

The competition will be divided into competition areas (hereinafter zones). The number of zones will
depend on the number of participants.

The International HIPPO Board in consultation with the Local Organisers will decide on the final
number of zones after the applications are finished, all in accordance with the regulations.

–Different zones have separate and independent governments or education systems, with independent
Ministries of Education, or potential funding bodies which treat those different zones separately.

–Different zones have a historical, linguistic divergence.

Based on the number and location of the participants in previous Hippo years, the preset zones have
been established.

In order to assign a new zone, the minimum number of applied candidates per category must be 90.

In case of unexpectedly high number of applicants, zones can be further divided into two or more
smaller zones.

Also, in case of small number of participants in certain Hippo categories in established zones, the
zone with a small number of participants in a specific hippo category will be merged with the nearest
zone.


4. Competition Materials

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Tests for the preliminary round of the competition will be delivered to the approved venue 2 days
before the competition date and need to stay closed until the preliminary round start time. They
need to be sent back the Monday after the preliminary round date and must be delivered within 5
working days. The deadline for the return of materials is 3 March 2018. The return address will be
provided with the materials. Where the return address is not provided with the materials, schools
need to contact either the local coordinator or globalinput@hippo-competition.org for instructions.
The materials delivered after this date will not be considered.

5. Schedules and Inspections

Each centre decides on the start time of the test depending on the number of participants per
category. All centres must send their schedules to info@hippo-competition.org by the Wednesday
before the competition date for possible inspections. Pearson Examination Regulations will apply
throughout the competition.

6. Competition – Categories
The participants will compete in 5 categories based on the Common European Framework and will be
taking Pearson exams.

Category Grade Preliminary Semi-final &

Round Level Final Round
Level

HIPPO 1 Students born in 2006 and younger Below Scale CEFR A1

HIPPO 2 Students born in 2005 and younger CEFR A1 CEFR A2

HIPPO 3 Students born in 2003 and younger CEFR A2 CEFR B1

HIPPO 4 Students born in 2001 and younger CEFR B1 CEFR B2

HIPPO 5 Students born in 1999 and younger CEFR B2 CEFR C1

The students of lower grades than the ones in the table can also compete if they feel prepared for
the level. The age limit for the competition is 19. Bilingual students will not be admitted to the
competition. Students that are considered bilingual are the ones who were born or have lived and
attended school for at least 3 years in an English-speaking country as well as those who live in a non-
English speaking country but attend English/American International school.

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 7. Competition – Preliminary Round
The tests for the preliminary round of the competition will consist of two parts: test of reading
comprehension (multiple choice questions) and test of listening comprehension. The maximum
allowed time per part is shown in the table below. The tests are the same for all the participants of
a category. It is strictly forbidden to open the competition materials before the exam date. The
school coordinator can open the parcel to check that all the materials have been received. The
transparent envelopes with the tests however need to stay sealed and be opened in front of the
students, right before the start of the preliminary round tests.

The links to the listening test audios will available on the soa portal on the Wednesday before the
preliminary round date. The Hippo coordinator needs log in with their log-in details in order to
download the audios and have them ready for the preliminary round tests. At least one of the school
staff accredited by Hippo Association must be present during the tests.

The reading and the listening test samples are available on the competition website.

There is only one correct answer to every question. There are no negative marks. Ranking is based
on the average number of marks achieved on both the reading and the listening test.

HIPPO 1 HIPPO 2 HIPPO 3 HIPPO 4 HIPPO 5

READING 40 40 40 40 60
questions questions questions questions questions

(1 point (1 point (1 point (1 point (1 point

each) each) each) each) each)

LISTENING 20 20 20 20 30
questions questions questions questions questions

(1.5 points (1.5 points (1.5 points (1.5 points (1.5 points
each) each) each) each) each)

Answers (reading and listening) are given on an answer sheet (OMR form) and not in the test booklet.

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Maximum allowed times per category and part:

HIPPO 1 HIPPO 2 HIPPO 3 HIPPO 4 HIPPO 5

READING 30 30 35 40 45
minutes minutes minutes minutes minutes

LISTENING 30 30 30 30 45
minutes minutes minutes minutes minutes

8. Competition - Semi-final Round

After the preliminary round tests have been marked, the top 10% of participating students from
each participating zone will be invited to the semi-final round. The list of semi-finalists will be
expanded to include all the students whose number of points is the same as the number of points of
the last students in the first 10%. The list of finalists will be published on the competition website by
16 April 2018. The network of semi-final venues will be based on the location of the semi-finalists.

The exam level for the semi-final round will be one CEFR level higher than the one in the preliminary
round.

The tests for the semi-final round of the competition will consist of: a reading test, a writing test (30
questions) and an essay.

There is only one correct answer to every question. There are no negative marks. Ranking is based
on the average number of marks achieved on both the reading and the writing test.

HIPPO 1 HIPPO 2 HIPPO 3 HIPPO 4 HIPPO 5

READING 40 40 40 60 60
questions questions questions questions questions

(1 point (1 point (1 point (1 point (1 point

each) each) each) each) each)

WRITING free-writing free-writing free-writing free-writing free-writing

task task task task task
(essay)+ 30 (essay)+ 30 (essay)+ 30 (essay)+ 30 (essay)+ 30
questions questions questions questions questions

(1.5 points (1.5 points (1.5 points (1.5 points (1.5 points
each) each) each) each) each)

Answers for the reading test are given on an answer sheet (OMR form) and not in the test booklet.

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The writing test will consist of a free-writing task (100 – 200 words depending on the category) and
30 questions. The level of difficulty of all the questions will be one level higher than the one in the
preliminary round. The essay will be assessed only in case two or more candidates have the scores on
both the reading and the writing test.

Maximum allowed times per category and part:

HIPPO 1 HIPPO 2 HIPPO 3 HIPPO 4 HIPPO 5

READING 30 30 35 45 45
minutes minutes minutes minutes minutes

WRITING 45 45 45 45 45
minutes minutes minutes minutes minutes

9. Competition – Final Round

In the final round of the competition, the candidates will be taking a Pearson exam, all 4 skills
included. The test samples / past papers are available on www.hippo-competition.org. The exam
level for the final round will be one CEFR level higher than the one in the preliminary round that is
the same as the semi-final round test.

10. Marking and Ranking

Tests of reading and listening are marked by an OMR device and for that reason need to be properly
filled in. Candidates are required to use a pen while completing the OMR form. An OMR sample form
will be available on the website two weeks before the preliminary round of the competition at the
latest.

Considering that in the semi-final round, candidates complete the reading and writing tests only and
not the listening test, the OMR will be used for the reading test only.

In case an OMR form is not properly filled in and the OMR device cannot read it, the candidate will
automatically be disqualified.

In the semi—final round, the essay will be marked only if two or more candidates have the same
number of points on both the reading and the writing test.

The ranking list for all categories as well as the names of the candidates who qualified for the semi-
final round will be available on www.hippo-competition.org by 5 March 2018 at the latest.

The ranking list for all categories as well as the names of the candidates who qualified for the final

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round will be available on www.hippo-competition.org by 17 April 2018 at the latest.

The final round places will be assigned in the following way:

Top 60 finalists will be admitted directly from the semi-final ranking list (12 candidates per
category);

Additional 8 places will be assigned to the two categories with the highest number of enrolments
independent of the zone and in accordance with the ranking list.

GLOBAL INPUT keep the right to increase the number of finalists if the number of applicants
exceeds 10,000, all in accordance with the competition regulations.

The finalists will have to confirm their participation in the final round by 18th April 2016. In case a
candidate is unable to travel to the finals, the next one on the ranking list will be invited.

11. Final Round

The final round of the competition will be held in Lido di Jesolo, Italy, on 12 and 13 May 2018. All
candidates will be accompanied by a school representative.

Two-day half-board accommodation will be provided for all the candidates and school representatives
free of charge. Three-day accommodation will be provided for the non-European participants.

The programme of the final round will be available on www.hippo-competition.org one week before
the final round at the latest and will include the competition schedule as well as sightseeing options.

Finalists will be contacted and helped with organizing their travel.

12. Prizes
All preliminary and semi-final round candidates will receive a certificate of participation.

All candidates who pass the final round tests (score 50% minimum) will be awarded an internationally
recognised certificate in English.

Prizes for the finalists will be announced in due course and before the start of candidate enrolment.

13. Certificates
The preliminary round candidates who pass the preliminary or semi-final round tests with a minimum

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score of 50% and do not qualify for the finals, will be given the opportunity to complete their
certificate (all four skills) and take the same level exam at a discounted price. The candidates who
pass the tests with a minimum score of 75% and do not qualify for the finals, can either take the same
level exam or one level higher at a discounted price. These exams will have to be taken in one of the
Pearson centres. The application deadline as well as exam dates will be announced in due course.

All non-final candidates wishing to obtain a certificate will need to re-take the listening and reading
test too.

14. Liability
By applying for the competition, the participants accept the conditions of the competition,
organisation of the competition, marking criteria, assessment and prizes.

The personal data of the participants will be used only for the purposes of the competition and will
not be disclosed to third parties except for the needs of the competition.

ADDENDUM 1

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Hippo Online Platform

Instructions for School Coordinators

1. Login

Use your unique user name and password for school login on http://soa.hippo-
competition.org/ or by selecting the LOGIN button on the official Hippo website: www.hippo-
competition

2. Registering candidates

After logging in, you will be able to fill in student details in the ADD NEW STUDENT section.
After completing the required fields, press the ADD NEW button.

3. Amendments

Left-click on any of the data columns (name, date of birth, Hippo category) to change the
details.

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4. The system will automatically assign candidate numbers to registered students. Candidate
numbers cannot be amended.

5. Attendance Lists

Attendance Lists per category can be found in the bottom right corner of the window.

School coordinators are required to print the attendance registers for the preliminary
round of the competition. Please select list by list (category by category). The selected
list will appear in a new window in printable format.

Full list of candidates is available by selecting the EXPORT TO EXCEL button.

6. If you experience any technical problems or have further questions, please contact us at
info@hippo-competition.org.

ADDENDUM 2

Examination Regulations

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Test Materials
- Do not open test materials until the time of the test.

- Store all test materials in a locked safe, or cabinet, in a locked and secure room.

Invigilators
- At least one invigilator must be present throughout the test.

- At least one teacher of English must be present throughout the test. The teacher of English can
also be an invigilator.

- No person who has taught any of the candidates in English may act as the sole invigilator.

- No relative of or person directly interested in a candidate may invigilate a test when this
candidate is present.

- Where there are more than 25 candidates, one additional invigilator will normally be required for
each additional 25 candidates, or part thereof.

- When only one invigilator is present, this invigilator must be able to contact immediate assistance
without disturbing candidates or leaving the room.

- Check the attendance register is available and correct (downloaded from. SOA) is available and
correct. This document must be completed and returned with the completed tests.

- Only candidates whose names appear on the attendance register should be permitted to take part
in the competition. No tests from unregistered candidates will be accepted.

Tests
- After the tests, pack and seal the papers, sorting by level.

- Post the tests on the first working day to the address that will be provided with test materials.

- GLOBAL HIPPO ASSOCIATION can only be responsible for the tests from the point of receipt.

Instructions for Invigilators

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Arranging the Room
- Check that any display material that might be useful to candidates has been cleared from the
walls.

- Check that desks are positioned at least 1 metre apart.

- Check that a wall clock is clearly visible to all candidates.

- Display a board showing the test start and finish times.

Identifying Candidates
- Make sure you know the identity of every candidate in the room, by checking if necessary.

Before the Tests

- Check that candidates have not brought into the examination any material they are not allowed
such as revision notes, mobile phones, dictionaries, etc.

- Give out answer sheets (OMR forms). Give time to the candidates to complete the personal
information part of the form. The personal information boxes need to be completed in BLOCK
CAPITALS.

- Read out the instructions on the front of the question paper.

- Tell candidates when they may begin and how much time they have to complete the test.

During the Examination

- Do not allow candidates to enter the room if the test has already started.

- Be vigilant and supervise the candidates at all times to prevent cheating.

• If you discover cheating, take away any unauthorised material and allow the candidate to

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 continue. Make a note on the attendance register next to the candidate’s name.

• Candidates can leave the room only to go to the toilet and must be accompanied by a responsible
adult.

- Tell the candidates to stop writing at the end of the test.

After the Tests

- Collect the tests and answer sheets before candidates leave the examination room ensuring that
all details on the front page have been completed.

- Sign the attendance register.

- Pack and post the answer sheets together with attendance register.

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