adminbegins this month.
The new quiz tournament is a collaborative effort with ZBCTV and the 2013 national finals will be broadcast live on ZBCTV for 26 weeks during prime time.
The quiz contents shall run first at provincial level in June 2013 where the top four finalists from each province proceed to the national final scheduled for August.
According to the entry rules, a school in Zimbabwe can field only one team for the provincial group stages. Any A-Level student qualifies to enter for as long as the school is registered. A school can field a maximum of one team made up of three members. A school’s team may have a student who is in Lower Six or O- Level student.
Registration fee is US$210 per team and the hosting schools in the provinces shall be waived from registration fees. The registration fee covers refreshments and stationery during the tournaments as well as meals and accommodation during the national finals.
Once the registration form has been completed and signed by the school’s headmaster, the school shall make the required payment and attach the copy of the bank deposit slip to the provincial co-ordinating school together with the registration form.
Regarding the competition, there will be five categories from which questions shall be asked, namely English Language and Literature, History and Geography, Science and Nature, Arts, Culture, Religion and Sport and General Knowledge. A contest shall generally consist of four competing teams.
However, this may be amended in case of necessity. There can be no more than five nor less than two teams in a given contest and each team shall be asked three questions from each category.
If a team responds incorrectly the question shall be thrown to the floor as a bonus question. The team that would have registered their interest earliest will be awarded the chance to answer. No one question can be asked to three teams. The team that would have been initially asked the question is free to attempt answering the question as a bonus question.
If they answer the bonus question correctly they will be awarded one point. A wrong answer will warrant a penalty of one point.
A team will have 10 seconds to respond to a question. After the lapse of 10 seconds, five grace seconds shall be added. If the grace period ends without an answer, the question shall be declared as forfeited and therefore open to the floor as a bonus question and if there is a tie at the end of the contest a “sudden death” question will be fielded to the tied schools.
For the 2013 edition, the major prizes available are sure to get quiz teams sharpening their general knowledge on Zimbabwe and Africa. The first prize, courtesy of the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Dr Washington Mbizvo, are a scholarship to any State university in Zimbabwe for each member of the winning team, which means by winning the national final, the team members automatically win a university place without paying the tuition fees and also receiving a stipend for living expenses for the duration of their studies.
A consolation prize for the runners up, to be sponsored by the Book of African Records, is an educational trip to the Egyptian Pyramids whereas the third-placed team will get a trip to Victoria Falls, sponsored by Khanondo Safaris.
Errol Muzawazi, editor-in-chief of the Book of African Records, said the quiz tournament was an empowerment tool for the participating schools.
Online Reporter