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Vocabulary - Virtual
Rules & Guidelines
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Contestants must have access to a laptop with Zoom to participate in both rounds. All rounds will be recorded, but only the oral round will be live to the public. Parents should not be present during the written round.
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Round 1 - Written Round: Of the total 25 words, 15 will be from the 350-word list (study list). The remaining 10 words will be from undisclosed sources. All of the questions will be multiple choice. Contestants will be required to select their answers on an online testing form.
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During the round, a proctor and judge will be present. The pronouncer will say the word, the word's spelling (if it's a homonym), part of speech, and use the word in a sentence. All of the information will be repeated and included on the form.
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Contestants must have their cameras on and microphones muted. It is the contestant's responsibility to make sure s/he can hear the pronouncer clearly. Contestants should ask their questions before the bee begins. Once the contest begins, questions will not be allowed. Contestants may go at their own pace, but they only have 40 minutes to answer the questions.
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Qualifying to Round 2: To qualify for the oral round, contestants will have to meet or exceed a benchmark score on the written round. Each grade will have its own benchmark score. This score will determine who and how many students will compete in the oral round.
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There are no limits on the number of students, who can compete in the oral round. If all of the students meet / exceed the benchmark scores, they will all compete; however, if only five meet / exceed the benchmark scores, then only those five will move on to the oral round.
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Round 2 - Oral Round: Contestants, who qualify, will answer questions about the words the 500-word list and other undisclosed sources. All of the definitions will come from the Merriam Webster Dictionary. Contestants will answer multiple choice questions until only one contestant is left.​​​
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During the round, a judge and time keeper / presenter will be present. ​All of the contestants will be in a Zoom session together. One contestant at a time will be asked to unmute and spell the word. Cameras must be on at all times.
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Contestants will have 90 seconds to answer the question. During this time, they may ask to hear a word pronounced. They may also request the word's part of speech, language of origin, or use of the word in a sentence. It is the contestant's responsibility to make sure s/he understands the word.
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The timekeeper will announce when the 90 seconds begins, when there are 60 seconds remaining, and when there are 30 seconds left. If a contestant does not provide an answer in 90 seconds, s/he will be eliminated.
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If a word has one or more homonyms, the pronouncer will identify the word as a homonym and provide the spelling.
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Disqualification / Consequences: As with any event, we ask that you are honest. Anyone suspected of cheating will be disqualified and will not be allowed to compete in any future events.
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