Started in 2004 by Professor Valentina Dagiene from the University of Vilnius, 'Bebras' is Lithuanian for beaver. This refers to their collaborative nature and strong work ethic.
The International Bebras Committee meets annually to assess potential questions and share resources. The Bebras international community has now grown to include 60 countries with over 2.9 million students participating worldwide!
Bebras Australia began in 2014 and is now administered through CSIRO Digital Careers. In Australia, the Bebras Challenge takes place in March and August-September each year. As of 2020, different challenges are offered for each round.
The Bebras Challenge is open twice a year, for two weeks, in March and August - September. Students may participate on any day during the two-week challenge periods. This is to accommodate the schedules of coordinators with multiple classes participating in the challenge.
Students can participate individually or in teams of up to four and the challenge is broken up into five age groups: Years 3+4, Years 5+6, Years 7+8, Years 9+10 and Years 11+12.
Students have 45 minutes to complete the Bebras Challenge, however Years 3+4 are given an additional 15 minutes to bring their total to 60 minutes. Students will be automatically logged out once their allotted time has expired. Students must complete the challenge in one session. Logging out does not stop the timer and will result in students not being able to access the challenge again.
Each challenge has 15 questions with the highest possible score being 135 points. The level of difficulty of a question determines how it will be scored. Easy questions are worth 6 points, medium questions are worth 9 points, and hard questions are worth 12 points. Any incorrect or unanswered questions are awarded zero points.
The Bebras achievement level breakdown is as follows:
- Participation 0-59 points
- Merit 60-86 points
- Credit 87-101 points
- Distinction 102-113 points
- High Distinction 114-134 points
- Honour Roll 135 points
Students who receive full marks in the Bebras Challenge are awarded a place on the Bebras Honour Roll.
Get involved!
Teacher?
Register as a Bebras coordinator for your school.
Student?
Talk to your teachers or parents about participating in the challenge.