2024 Hippo English Olympiad

Program Introduction

Hippo "English Without Borders" Olympiad is organized by the GLOBAL HIPPO ASSOCIATION, a non-profit organization founded in 2012 and based in Italy. With the mission "English without borders", the Hippo English Olympiad is based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages CEFR and is divided into 12 levels of dificulty for young people aged 6 to 19 from non-native speaking countries and regions. In the past ten years, more than 60 countries and regions around the world have organized students to participate, and more than 80,000 students worldwide participated in 2023, making it the world's most influential English (non-native) Olympiad challenge and assessment for youth.

Category	Grade	Preliminary Round CEFR Benchmarking	National & Global Round CEFR Benchmarking	Age Recommended	Corresponding School Grade
Regular Category	Baby HIPPO	CEFR Pre A1 YL	CEFR A1 YL	6-7 years old	Grade 1-2
	Little HIPPO	CEFR Pre A1 YL	CEFR A1 YL	8-9 years old	Grade 3-4
	HIPPO 1	CEFR A1 YL	CEFR A2 YL	10-11 years old	Grade 5-6
	HIPPO 2	CEFR A1	CEFR A2	12 years old	Grade 7
	HIPPO 3	CEFR A2	CEFR B1	13-14 years old	Grade 8-9
	HIPPO 4	CEFR B1	CEFR B2	15-16 years old	Grade 10-11
	HIPPO 5	CEFR B2	CEFR C1	17-19 years old	Grade 12
Special Category	HIPPO S1	CEFR A1	CEFR A2	10-11 years old	Grade 5-6
	HIPPO S2	CEFR A2	CEFR B1	12 years old	Grade 7
	HIPPO S3	CEFR B1	CEFR B2	13-14 years old	Grade 8-9
	HIPPO S4	CEFR B2	CEFR C1	15-16 years old	Grade 10-11
	HIPPO S5	CEFR C1	CEFR C2	17-19 years old	Grade 12

1. Baby HIPPO exam is the same level of difficulty as Little HIPPO exam.
2. Students may choose a higher HIPPO level than they are suggested based on their school grades, but not a lower HIPPO level. For example, a 7th grade student is recommended to take HIPPO 2, he may also choose to take HIPPO 3 and Hippo 4 if he'd like to, but not HIPPO 1 and lower level.
3. The Special Category is for students with very high English proficiency. The level corresponds to a difficulty level 1-2 levels higher than the Regular Category.
4. Students who enter the 2023 Hippo Global Finals cannot take the same difficulty level assessment as the 2024 Hippo.

*CEFR：

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is an internationally recognized standard for describing language competence and proficiency and is the most widely accepted reference standard for language assessment worldwide. In many countries, the CEFR has replaced their respective assessment systems for foreign language education. For example, many European education authorities have explicitly defined the CEFR levels that secondary school students should achieve, such as B2 for the first foreign language level and B1 for the second foreign language level.

Hippo English Assessment Preliminary Round

Registration

Deadline for Preliminary Round's Registration:2024 March 1st
Participants: Students aged 6-19 (must have an ID from China or another non native English speaking country)
Academic Supporting Materials:Sample test papers and answers will be provided by the organizing committee
Registration Methods: I.Scan the QR code on the right II.Batch registration by school

Scan the QR code for registration

Preliminary Round Info

Time: March 23rd 2024, Saturday, Starting at 10:00 a.m
Location: Nationwide Schools as Test Center / Online* * Online tests require participants to prepare: ①a computer with camera②a cell phone or Tablet/Ipad
Duration: 40-75 minutes

Preliminary Round Questions

All questions are Multiple Choice Questions

Category	HIPPO Grade	Test Content
		Duration	Reading	Use of English
Regular Category	Baby HIPPO	40 mins	30 Questions 1point each	20 Questions 1.5points each
	Little HIPPO	40 mins	30 Questions 1point each	20 Questions 1.5points each
	HIPPO 1	50 mins	30 Questions 1point each	20 Questions 1.5points each
	HIPPO 2	50 mins	34 Questions 1point each	20 Questions 1.5points each
	HIPPO 3	50 mins	34 Questions 1point each	20 Questions 1.5points each
	HIPPO 4	70 mins	34 Questions 1point each	20 Questions 1.5points each
	HIPPO 5	75 mins	40 Questions 1point each	20 Questions 1.5points each
高阶组别	HIPPO S1	50 mins	34 Questions 1point each	20 Questions 1.5points each
	HIPPO S2	50 mins	34 Questions 1point each	20 Questions 1.5points each
	HIPPO S3	50 mins	34 Questions 1point each	20 Questions 1.5points each
	HIPPO S4	70 mins	40 Questions 1point each	20 Questions 1.5points each
	HIPPO S5	75 mins	40 Questions 1point each	20 Questions 1.5points each

Award Setting

First Prize Top 10% in China
Second Prize Top 10%-25% in China
Third Prize Top 25%-40% in China
Excellence Award Top 25% by Province/Municipality/Autonomous Region/Special autonomous region (after First, Second and Third Prize)

*The First Prize winner will be invited to participate in the 2024 National Finals *All contestants will receive a certicate of participation from the HIPPO committee

Certificate of Participation(Sample)

Certificate of Achievement

Both certificates will identify the CEFR level that corresponds to the participant's level of entry.

National Finals

Hippo English Assessment National Finals

National Finals Registration Info

Deadline for Registration:late April,2024, please refer to the notice of National Round finalists for details
Participants:Preliminary Round Top 10% winners will be invited to National Finals
Sample test papers will be provided by the organizing committee upon registration
Registration Method:All qualified candidates will receive email and SMS notifications

I: Through ASDAN Mini Program II: Batch Registration by school

National Finals Info

Time: May 1st-5th, 2024
Location: Macao, China
Shortlisting Criteria: Students who win the First Prize in the Preliminary Round will be invited to participate in the National Finals
National Finals Duration:75-95 minutes

Hippo National Finals Round Reference Schedule

Date	9:00-12:00	14:00-18:00
5.1		Arrival
5.2	Opening Ceremony · Opening Ceremony Keynote Speech · Introduction of National Finals Schedule & Rules Grouping and Ice-breaker Games	Hippo English Assessment National Finals · Reading · Writing Creative Speech Workshop
5.3	Hippo All Star Carnival · Spelling King&Queen	Hippo All Star Carnival · 60s Elevator Pitch
5.4	Hippo All Star Carnival · Quiz Bowl · Hippo talk	Hippo Talent Show and Awards Ceremony · Talent Show · Closing and Awarding Ceremony
5.5	Return

National Finals Questions

Reading is a multiple-choice question and Writing is a subjective question

Group	HIPPO Grade	Test Content
		Duration	Reading	Writing
Regular Category	Baby HIPPO	75 mins	30 questions 1 point each	30 questions 1.5 points each, No Essay
	Little HIPPO	75 mins	30 questions 1 point each	30 questions 1.5 points each, No Essay
	HIPPO 1	75 mins	40 questions 1 point each	30 questions 1.5 points each, Essay*
	HIPPO 2	75 mins	34 questions 1 point each	30 questions 1.5 points each, Essay*
	HIPPO 3	85 mins	34 questions 1 point each	30 questions 1.5 points each, Essay*
	HIPPO 4	90 mins	40 questions 1 point each	30 questions 1.5 points each, Essay*
	HIPPO 5	90 mins	40 questions 1 point each	30 questions 1.5 points each, Essay*
高阶组别	HIPPO S1	75 mins	34 questions 1 point each	30 questions 1.5 points each, Essay*
	HIPPO S2	85 mins	34 questions 1 point each	30 questions 1.5 points each, Essay*
	HIPPO S3	90 mins	34 questions 1 point each	30 questions 1.5 points each, Essay*
	HIPPO S4	90 mins	40 questions 1 point each	30 questions 1.5 points each, Essay*
	HIPPO S5	95 mins	40 questions 1 point each	30 questions 1.5 points each, Essay*

*The Essay part is not counted for the total score, and is only used for the evaluation and ranking when multiple candidates have the same total score of Writing + Reading sessions.

Award Setting

Global Award Top 140 Ranking Globally
Gold Award Top 30% in China
Silver Award Top 30%-60% in China
Bronze Award Specific score line in China

* The contestants who win the Global Award will successfully qualify for the Global Finals * All participants will receive a Certificate of Participation from the organizing committee

Certificate of Participation(Sample)

Certificate of Achievement(Sample)

Both certificates will identify the CEFR level that corresponds to the participant's level of entry

Hippo English Assessment Regional Qualifiers

Time: July 16th-18th, 2024
Location: Hong Kong, China
Shortlisting Criteria: Students with the best ranking among those not qualified for the Global Finals
will be admitted to the Qualifiers.
Test Content: Use of English | Crossword
Test Form: Paper-based and Speaking Test

Participants:Certain percentage of the students with the best ranking among those not qualified for the
Global Finals
Participation Deadline and Method：Until Further Notice

Regional
Qualifiers

Regional Qualifiers

Hippo English Assessment Global Final Round

Time: The end of September, 2024
Location: Assisi, Italy
Shortlisting Criteria: Top 180 contestants worldwide（Include National Finals and Regional Qualifiers
promoted contestants）
Test Content: Reading | Listening | Writing | Speaking | Use of English
Test Form: Paper-based and Speaking Test

Award Setting: Global Golden Award, Global Silver Award, Global Bronze Award
All the candidates will receive a certificate of participation. The winning contestants will be selected into the official honor list of the Global HIPPO Association.
Participants: National Round Global Award and Regional Qualifiers Round champion players (must have an ID from China or another non-native English speaking country)
Participation Fee: Free of Charge for participation fees and three-day half-board accommodation fees during the Global Finals. Finalists will be responsible for their own international airfare and visa fees to and from Italy.
Participation Deadline and Method: Until Further Notice

Global Finals

Student Xiao
Tianfu No.7 Primary School | Grade 3

2023 Hippo Result
HIPPO Grade:Hippo 3
Preliminary Round:First Prize Award
National Finals:Gold Medal Award

Hippo English assessment is interesting and moderately difficult, it is very suitable for students who hope to gain small achievements while learning English in a fun way.Hippo English Assessment helped me summarize my previous English learning. Taking Hippo Assessment also helped me find the direction for future English learning and improvement. Hippo’s preparation process also helped me train my reading skills and increase my English vocabulary.Contestants who will participate in 2024 Hippo English Assessment, I hope you can enjoy it!

Student Luo
Shanghai Experimental School International Division | Grade 3

2023 Hippo Result
HIPPO Grade:Little Hippo
Preliminary Round:First Prize Award
National Finals:Gold Medal Award

Hippo English Assessment is moderately difficult and very interesting! By taking the Hippo English assessment,my vocabulary and grammar knowledge have been significantly improved. I encountered challenges when preparing for the exam,but I tried hard to overcome them and make positive changes.In order to achieve the ideal assessment target result, I had to start accumulating more vocabulary,I mainly made it by reading more extracurricular books and communicating with my classmates and teachers in English,I also recommend contestants to practice write English stories for improving productive skills. All in all,I assume the best way to improve our overall English ability is to read more, write more, travel abroad and use the language.
Student Liu
Gems Wellington Academy- Al Khail | Grade 4

2023 Hippo Result
HIPPO Grade:Little Hippo
Preliminary Round:First Prize Award
National Finals:
Global Honor Award & Gold Medal Award(successfully qualified for the 2023 Global Finals)

In 2023 Hippo English Assessment,I scored full marks in the written test and listening session, I lost some marks in speaking.

For English learning, I built up a little bit from the alphabet to natural spelling to picture books to articles, and it's a perennial method of learning the liberal arts to focus on building up. I keep reading every day for 365 days and never let up. The scope of reading includes news, novels, popular science books, speeches, theatre lines, diaries of famous people, biographies of famous people and so on. I would slack off occasionally at first, but I found that persistence itself is a cool thing, so the more I learnt, the more fun it became!

I want to run into tougher opponents which will make me improve more as well. I'm glad the world has a group of like-minded friends like you guys, it's one of the greatest spiritual joys of this world.

Student Shi
Nanjing Foreign Language School International Division | Grade 10

2023 Hippo Result
HIPPO Grade:Hippo 4
Preliminary Round:First Prize Award
National Finals:Silver Medal Award

I think Hippo English Assessment is moderately difficult. It cleverly uses objects in daily life to assess the language ability of the contestants. The scope of the assessment is comprehensive and detailed, and it is highly practical: the writing,grammar and other questions included in the assessment restore the experience of studying abroad.Participating in Hippo English Assessment is a good chance to know how studying abroad is like. In addition,the assessment of some difficult phrases and words can also help me lay the foundation for future academic study: as when I pursuit university academic study in the future,most literature is written in English,so it requires me to have profound vocabulary foundation. In addition,Hippo English Assessment questions are quite interesting: the stories told in the Reading questions are quite humorous,but always tell us life philosophies from them. I highly recommend everyone to take part in Hippo English Assessment!
Student Jin
Green Oasis School | Grade 4

2023 Hippo Result
HIPPO Grade:Hippo 1
Preliminary Round:First Prize Award
National Finals:Silver Medal Award

I think the difficulty level of the Hippo English Assessment is relatively fine. The questions test some points that we might ignore in life, which is very unique. Participating in Hippo English Assessment made me more confident in my English skills,and there was no big challenge for me! Hippo 2024 contestants,if you have the opportunity to successfully advance to the later rounds don’t be proud, because the difficulty of the assessment in each round has increased,so keep learning,you can do it!

Student Jiang
Huili School Hangzhou | Grade 6

2023 Hippo Result
HIPPO Grade:Hippo 1
Preliminary Round:First Prize Award
National Finals:Bronze Medal Award

I think the Hippo English Assessment is very interesting and relatively easy to take. Participating in the Hippo English Assessment helped me detect my weak links in English learning,so that I can study and improve in a targeted manner; and during the preparation period,I insisted on reading every day,which improved my English vocabulary and ability to organize and use English words,and helped me form a reading habit. Finally, I would like to tell future contestants that short-term sprints are not advisable,English learning should be put on every day,and English should be treated as a language rather than a subject. The use of language itself is very important and interesting. Take more Hippo English Assessments and use the language to communicate with your classmates!
Student Qian
Shanghai United International School HongQiao Campus |
Grade 3

2023 Hippo Result
HIPPO Grade:Little Hippo
Preliminary Round:First Prize Award
National Finals:
Global Honor Award & Gold Medal Award(successfully qualified for the 2023 Global Finals)

Participating in Hippo English Assessment can help me self-test my English level, understand my English weakness, and make improvements to help me learn English better. When I prepare for 2023 Hippo English Assessment,I mainly relied on the knowledge I learned in school and the accumulation of previous English grammar knowledge. In my opinion, the most important thing in learning English is to develop the habit of daily reading, and the second suggestion is to focus on some difficult grammar points. In fact, I have also encountered challenges during the various rounds of 2023 Hippo English Assessment.And I would also like to let all the contestants know that You have done a great job,don’t be arrogant when you win or lose when you lose,you can use the current result as a starting point to encourage yourself and enjoy English learning.

Student Gong
Hangzhou Dipont School of Arts and Science | Grade 5

2023 Hippo Result
HIPPO Grade:Hippo 1
Preliminary Round:First Prize Award
National Finals:Silver Medal Award

I think the Hippo English Assessment is moderately difficult, the questions are very interesting, and they are very close to daily life. Participating in the Hippo English Assessment has helped me in two major ways: first, it can effectively test my daily English learning results; second, it has made me more confident and competitive in English learning, and I have become more passionate about learning. Regarding the preparation for the Hippo English, I actually did not prepare very deliberately, but relied on a lot of daily exercises. This also made me realize that if you really love a subject, just devote yourself to it and enjoy it. It’s a long-term learning process and I believe you can do better!
Student Wang
The Fourth Primary School affiliated to Fuzhou Institute of Education | Grade 6

2023 Hippo Result
HIPPO Grade:Hippo 1
Preliminary Round:Excellence Award

The Hippo English Assessment is very suitable for students of different ages, using it as a testing standard for daily English learning, because the Hippo English Assessment is based on the European Language Assessment Framework CEFR, which is a global standard; It can also help students like me enhance their motivation and self-confidence in English learning. For me, I want to overcome my English weakness and strive for a better ranking in the 2024 Hippo English Assessment! Let’s work together and use English as fluently as our native language!

Student Shi
Shanghai United International School HongQiao Campus |
Grade 6

2023 Hippo Result
HIPPO Grade:Hippo S10
Preliminary Round:First Prize Award
National Finals:Silver Medal Award

For me, Preliminary Round of Hippo English Assessment was easier. The difficulty of National Finals round increased: the daily vocabulary test in the writing part was quite interesting, but some of the grammar and vocabulary were still challenging for me. Taking Hippo English Assessment has made me more confident in my English proficiency! I hope more contestants from China will be shortlisted for the Global Finals! I also believe I will do better next time!

Q: How do I select the right exam level for my students? How do I select between regular category and special category?

A: The Hippo English Assessment Committee has strict age and grade restrictions for each level of entry, candidates must apply for the exam in accordance with their school grade as indicated on the exam details page. The examinations team allows students to apply for a higher level than the school grade they are enrolled in. For example, a 7th grade student is recommended to take HIPPO 2, he may also take HIPPO 3/4, but not HIPPO 1.

Students with excellent English skills are welcome to challenge the special category. The Special Category level corresponds to a difficulty level 1-2 levels higher than the Regular Category.

Q: How do the test scores correspond to the CEFR levels? How do I obtain the corresponding language proficiency certificate?

A: CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) is an internationally recognized reference standard for assessing language ability and proficiency. The content of Hippo English Olympiad questions is based on the CEFR assessment framework, so the difficulty level of the questions corresponds to the difficulty level of CEFR level (see page 4 for details of the level comparison table). Hippo English Olympiad's award certificates are marked with the CEFR level corresponding to the student's enrollment level. Schools and parents can also consider Hippo English Olympiad as an authoritative CEFR-based English language proficiency assessment, which provides a better reference basis for subsequent English grading teaching and learning.

Q: Is it still worth participating for me if my ability is not qualified for the National Finals or Regional Qualifiers?

A: From the academic point of view, the most signicant value of Hippo English Assessment is that it is completely based on the European language standard CERF and can be benchmarked against other authoritative English assessment standards in the world, which can truly reflect the English level of students and provide references for English learning. Awards and subsequent National Finals and Regional Qualifiers are meant to be fun, and interactive.

Q: Where will the offline test sites be located? Will students be able to choose between taking the online and offline exams on their own?

A: Offline test centers are usually ASDAN China partner schools that organize registration across the country. Please check with your school teacher to see if the school will organize the test. If your school does not organize the test, the organizing committee can assist you in reserving a place at another test center in the same city. Students who fail to obtain a reservation seat offline will take the exam online. The content of the test, test duration and marking criteria are identical between the online and offine exams.

Q: What are the requirements for venue & equipment for online exams?

A: There are no restrictions on the venue for the online exam, so candidates can complete the exam at home. Good internet access needs to be ensured throughout the exam and students need to complete all responses independently once the exam begins. Candidates need to use a laptop with a web camera as the exam device (can't use cell phones, tablets, etc.) and a fixable electronic device with a camera such as a cell phone, tablet or computer as the proctoring device. Before the exam, the organizing committee will send detailed instructions for the exam, arrange for equipment testing, and open the the real exam system for a mock exam practice. Please pay attention to the email and SMS notification sent by that time.

Q: Can parents help with the test if the child is young?

A: Online exams allow candidates aged 12 and under to be assisted by their parents in setting up the equipment and taking the mock exam. Parents are required to leave the room where the student is after the test has officially started. If parents are found to be involved in the exam answering process, the exam results shall be disqualified.

The offline exams will be proctored by the school teachers at the test site, and parents are not allowed to enter the test room.

Q: How do I get past test papers and study guide?

A: After registration, you can download the Hippo English Olympiad sample papers and answers from the "My ASDAN" → "My Project" → "Hippo English Olympiad" → "Material Download" in the ASDAN WeChat Mini-program.

Q: What kind of targeted tutoring can schools and teachers do?

A: Teachers at the test site can obtain the Examination Syllabus for each level provided by the Hippo committee, which can be used as the study and teaching guidance. The Hippo sample questions and answers can also be used as reference materials for teachers in their daily teaching and preparation for the test.

Q: How long does it take to receive the test results and certificates?

A: The results and the semi final round admission list will be announced within 3 weeks after the preliminary round, at which time candidates and parents can check the results and admission results in the ASDAN WeChat mini-program. For students who register collectively,Preliminary Round certificate will be sent to the school about 6 weeks after the exam (for schools that organize exams in a unified way). For students who do not register as a group, Hippo organizing committee will collect the certificate mailing intentions after Preliminary Round. The certificate will be sent (at your own expense) to the recipient address reserved by the student about 6 weeks after the exam. The National Finals results and Global finalists will be announced within 6 weeks after the National Finals Round, For students who register collectively,National Finals certificate will be sent to the school about 8 weeks after the exam (for schools that organize exams in a unified way). For students who do not register as a group, Hippo organizing committee will collect the certificate mailing intentions after National Finals. The certificate will be sent (at your own expense) to the recipient address reserved by the student about 8 weeks after the exam.

2024 Hippo English Assessment

Hippo English Assessment

The Global Youth English (Non-native) Olympiad Challenge & Assessment

Program Introduction

Academic Support

Advancement System

Preliminary Round

National Finals

Regional Qualifiers

Global Finals

Previous Hippo Test Center Schools

Click to see more previous Hippo Test Center Schools countrywide

Participating Countries and Regions

Difficulty Level and Age

*CEFR：

Benchmarking of CEFR with different language measurement systems

Advancement System Details

Hippo English Assessment Preliminary Round

Registration

Scan the QR code for registration

Preliminary Round Info

Preliminary Round Questions

Award Setting

Certificate of Participation(Sample)

Certificate of Achievement

National Finals

National Finals

Hippo English Assessment National Finals

National Finals Registration Info

National Finals Info

Hippo National Finals Round Reference Schedule

National Finals Questions

Award Setting

Certificate of Participation(Sample)

Certificate of Achievement(Sample)

Hippo English Assessment Regional Qualifiers

Regional Qualifiers

Regional Qualifiers

Hippo English Assessment Global Final Round

Global Finals

Global Finals

Sample Test

Preliminary Round Sample Test

National Finals Sample Test

Preliminary Round Syllabus

Hippo Hall of Fame

* Below feedbacks are translated version

2023 Hippo Highlights

Q&A

Regional Academic Specialists

Preliminary
Round

National
Finals

Regional
Qualifiers

Global
Finals

Regional
Qualifiers

Preliminary Round
Sample Test