6 reasons why academic competitions are for ALL students

For some schools, academic competitions are seen strictly as ways to compete. They’re targeted towards their elite students with the best chances of coming out on top. And using academic competitions to test, nurture and celebrate the talents of high performers can have a huge impact, with medal winners gaining invaluable insights, confidence, and accolades that can literally shape their future careers.

But increasingly, schools are finding that recommending academic competitions to all students (not just the “smart” ones) can yield amazing and often unexpected results. For those on the fence, here are a few reasons why academic competitions can be beneficial to students of every ability.

1. Competitions are not about book-smarts

For academic competitions like ICAS, test questions are posed in ways that evaluate higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills. We don’t want students to simply memorise facts – we want them to be able to think on their feet, to reason, and to analyse critically. After all, these are the life skills they will need to thrive in their future workplace.

This kind of testing identifies strengths and weaknesses for high-performers while also providing opportunities for seemingly underperforming students. By testing critical skills instead of knowledge on a specific subject, atypical learners – like Oxford academic Adam Ritchie – can discover abilities they never knew they had and find themselves on steep, exciting trajectory. And even if they don’t win medals or rank in the top percentiles, by uncovering their own strengths and skills, the competitions can give students of various backgrounds and abilities confidence and motivation.

2. Competitions give students a platform to try

Beyond accolades and academic achievements, academic competitions can give students a sense of purpose and direction. It opens their eyes to the fact that they can dream big and accomplish amazing things. They may never discover what they are capable of achieving without a platform to try.

A small community school I recently worked with had a student who was particularly gifted in Maths and Science. But, much to their surprise, the student actually won the ICAS medal for English. The student was particularly chuffed because English wasn’t their first language, and getting that accolade in an unexpected subject gave the school a reason to celebrate their achievements. This encouragement from their peers and teachers gave them a huge confidence boost and guides them towards the path of greatness.

3. Competitions celebrate growth

Competing every year gives students of all levels the chance to recognise and appreciate their own academic journey, no matter where they are on the scale. It’s all about growth, which is relative to each individual student. So, even if they score 5 out of 41, and the next year they get 6 – that’s a personal achievement. It’s progress and it’s worth celebrating!

4. Competitions help schools to improve

A lot of schools don’t realise that academic competitions, like ICAS, give them access to insightful student data. The more students that participate, the more data they can analyse to improve their school’s performance. This information can be used to tailor teaching practices and compare progress on cohort, class and individual levels. Schools can also utilise this data in conjunction with their own internal assessments.

Many ICAS questions apply to curricula across Australia, New Zealand, and other countries where the competition is hosted, so teachers can reduce lesson planning workloads by incorporating relevant questions from past papers. This also helps students to develop their higher-order thinking skills. It’s a win-win.

5. Competitions bring people together

Memorising information won’t help students in competitions like ICAS, but they can still practise. I’ve heard some great stories from both parents and teachers about how they’ve come together to help their students prepare for the competition. Some parents work on just a single question each night with their kids. They find it challenging themselves, and enjoy working with their children to find the answers. Some schools have ICAS clubs and some even host a trivia night where families compete against each other to answer past questions! This allows parents to become a supportive part of their children’s educational journeys – a worthy investment.

6. Competitions provide opportunities

Ultimately, teachers always want to provide opportunities for students wherever we can. It’s just who we are. If we can change the life of a single student, it’s worth it. So, if there’s one message I can give fellow teachers about academic competitions, it’s this: provide your students with the opportunity – you might be surprised.

Whether you’re a teacher or parent who is looking to explore the benefits of ICAS – chat to myself or another one of our assessment consultants today. Many of us are former teachers, we know the process from start to finish, and we’d love to hear from you.

Written by Nardin Hanna

Nardin is a former primary school teacher of 10 years. During her time as a teacher, she served as Head of Years for K-2, was a trained NAPLAN marker, and was part of the team that wrote the 2021 NSW English Syllabus 3-6. She is currently an assessment consultant for ICAS and Reach.