Overview
The Department of Energy National Science Bowl is a quiz-style science and mathematics competition for school teams. Teams win a regional event and then go to the National Finals. The details below come from the 2026 rules.
Who can take it
Teams have four or five students, with four playing at a time. All members must attend the same school. Club teams (community or other non-school groups) are not approved. Home-schooled teams count as a school if each student provides the proof the rules list.
High school
Students must be in grades 9 to 12 and born between 5 May 2006 and 30 April 2016.
Middle school
Students must be in grades 6 to 8 and born between 1 September 2010 and 30 April 2016.
A student may compete at most 3 years in middle school and 4 in high school, and not in both in the same year.
Levels or stages
No school may compete in more than one regional. Each school is assigned a regional event and must take part in it to qualify for the National Finals; a team that requests a different regional will not qualify for the Finals. The winning team of each regional may be invited to the National Finals.
Important dates
Dates depend on the regional event. Check the Science Bowl site for the current year.
Preparation tips
Practise with buzzer-style rounds in your team.
Divide subject strengths across the four players.
Can a community club enter?
No. Teams must be school-based.