Caya Academy: Your English Language Partner
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Hippo International English Language Olympiad, organized by the Global Hippo Association Italy and Gatehouse Awards United Kingdom, is a competition open to students aged 6 to 19 from around the world. It aims to promote the importance of English language knowledge and bring together children from different countries.
Hippo is aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), Internationally recognised and Ofqual regulated English language qualifications are used throughout the Olympiad. The qualifications are intended for candidates who are not native speakers of English and who wish to achieve high quality, internationally recognised qualification in English that is available and recognised worldwide.
The competition consists of four rounds: Preliminary, National Final, Qualifier (subject to Terms and Conditions), and the World Final round in Assisi, Italy.
Date
26, 27 or 28 April 2024
Duration
1 hour
Mode
(1) Online at home
(2) Paper-based at:
✧ Sri KDU International School (Klang, Selangor)
✧ Sekolah Sri UCSI (Cheras, KL)
✧ Sekolah Sri UCSI Springhill (PD, Negeri Sembilan)
✧ Seri Jubli International School (Kluang, Johor)
(3) Online or Paper-Based at your school (if your school is hosting)
Area of Test
• Reading
• Use of English
[All multiple choice questions]
Date
25 or 26 May 2024
Duration
1 hour
Mode
Online or Centralized Location (to be announced)
Area of Test
• Reading
• Writing
• Essay (except Baby & Little Hippo)
Date
July 2024 (exact date to be announced)
Mode/Venue
Paper-based at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Area of Test
• Use of English
• Crossword
Date
24 to 25 Sept 2024
Mode/Venue
Paper-based at Assisi, Italy
Area of Test
• Reading
• Listening
• Writing
• Speaking
• Use of English
• Crossword
The competition comprises 4 main rounds: Preliminary Round, National Final Round, Regional Qualifier Round and World Final Round.
PRELIMINARY ROUND
Option 1
Date: 26, 27 or 28 April 2024
Duration: 1 hour (during one of the dates above)
Mode: Online test
Host: The session will be conducted by Hippo team using Zoom
Option 2
Date: 27 April 2024
Duration: 1 hour
Mode: Paper-Based at the following locations (subject to first come first serve basis):
(1) Sri KDU International School at Klang, Selangor.
(2) Sekolah Sri UCSI at Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.
(3) Sekolah Sri UCSI Springhill at Port Dicson, Negeri Sembilan.
(3) Seri Jubli International School at Kluang, Johor.
Option 3
Date: 24, 25, 26, 27 or 28 April 2024
Duration: 1 hour
Mode: Either a Paper-Based test or an Online test conducted within your school/tuition premises.
Host: The session will be supervised by your respective school/tuition teachers (only if they decide to host). The date and mode can be anytime between 24 to 28 April 2024, with the decision to be made by teachers.
NATIONAL FINAL ROUND
Date: 25 or 26 May 2024
Duration: 1 hour
Mode: Online or at a centralized exam location (to be announced)
REGIONAL QUALIFIER ROUND
Date: Scheduled for July 2024 (exact date to be announced)
Mode & Venue: Paper-based test at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
WORLD FINAL ROUND
Date: 24 to 25 September 2024 (exact date to be announced)
Mode & Venue: Paper-based test at Assisi, Italy (finalists and their accompanying teacher will receive a complimentary 3-night stay, including breakfast and dinner)
Individual Registration
If you're parent, teacher or student seeking to register individually without using the school registration form, please click: Hippo Registration. You will be directed to our registration form, select "To register myself/my child/students individually" and fill in the rest of the form to register.
Group Registration
If you're a teacher and would like to register a group of students from your school or tuition center, please click: Hippo Registration. You will be directed to our registration form, select "I am a teacher, please send me bulk registration form" in the registration form to request. We will contact you soon.
[Registration Deadline]
Please note that the registration deadline is on 1 April 2024. We will not accept any applications beyond this date.
The participation fee is RM60 per student. There are no extra fees if you qualify for the National Final or World Final rounds.
Each participant will be given a COMPLIMENTARY Online Hippo-CEFR Preparation Workshop on a first come first served basis subject to availability.
For Hippo 2024, students should enroll according to their school grade or school year in 2024. There are 2 Hippo categories: Regular Category and Special Category.
Regular Category
Students from National (Public) or Private Schools (National Syllabus) are eligible to enroll in the Regular Category, equivalent to proficiency in "English as a Second or Foreign language".
Level Assignment based on School Grade/Year as of March 2024:
Primary 1 & 2: Baby Hippo
Primary 3 & 4: Little Hippo
Primary 5 & 6: Hippo 1
Secondary 1: Hippo 2
Secondary 2 & 3: Hippo 3
Secondary 4 & 5: Hippo 4
Form 6 & College students: Hippo 5
Special Category
Students from English medium private/international schools or those who have studied for at least 3 years in an English-speaking country will have to choose the Special Category, equivalent to proficiency in "English as a First Language".
Students from the Regular Category wishing to challenge higher levels can participate in the Special Category.
Level assignment based on School Grade/Year as of January 2024
Year 1: Baby Hippo
Year 2 & 3: Little Hippo
Year 4 & 5: Hippo S1
Year 6: Hippo S2
Year 7 & 8 (or Sec 1 & 2): Hippo S3
Year 9 & 10 (or Sec 3 & 4): Hippo S4
Year 11, 12 & 13 (or Sec 5, form 6, college): Hippo S5
[Important Notes]
1) Both Regular and Special Categories combine the grading of Baby Hippo and Little Hippo without distinct categorization.
2) Baby Hippo will be of the same difficulty level as Little Hippo. The Use of English test for Baby Hippo will assess receptive knowledge only in both the preliminary and national finals rounds.
3) Hippo S1 mirrors Hippo 2; Hippo S2 mirrors Hippo 3; Hippo S3 mirrors Hippo 4; and Hippo S4 mirrors Hippo 5. Despite the similar content, they are evaluated separately based on their respective categories.
4) Students who reached the Hippo 2023 final round cannot compete at the same level in Hippo 2024. They will be recommended to enter the Special Category or participate one level higher.
5) Students from lower levels may compete at a higher level if they feel adequately prepared for that level.
6) The Global Hippo Association reserves the right to verify the school's curriculum, language of instruction, and the hours dedicated to English education.
7) The Global Hippo Association reserves the right to disqualify those who do not comply with the regulations.
Baby Hippo / Little Hippo
Preliminary Round: CEFR Pre A1 YL (Young Learners)
National Final & Final Round: CEFR A1 YL (Young Learners)
Hippo 1
Preliminary Round: CEFR A1 YL (Young Learners)
National Final & Final Round: CEFR A2 YL (Young Learners)
Hippo 2 / Hippo S1
Preliminary Round: CEFR A1
National Final & Final Round: CEFR A2
Hippo 3 / Hippo S2
Preliminary Round: CEFR A2
National Final & Final Round: CEFR B1
Hippo 4 / Hippo S3
Preliminary Round: CEFR B1
National Final & Final Round: CEFR B2
Hippo 5 / Hippo S4
Preliminary Round: CEFR B2
National Final & Final Round: CEFR C1
Hippo S5
Preliminary Round: CEFR C1
National Final & Final Round: CEFR C2
If you wish to learn more about CEFR, click here.
There are 4 competition rounds.
1) Preliminary Round (April 2024)
• Participants compete in Reading and Use of English tests (50 to 54 multiple-choice questions) across various categories.
• Top 10% (or more with the same marks) of participants from Malaysia proceed to the National Final round in May 2024.
2) National Final Round (May 2024)
• The National Final round includes Reading, Writing (30 questions), and a free-writing task (100–200 words, excluding Baby & Little Hippo) with difficulty one level higher than the preliminary round.
• The essay is assessed only if two or more candidates have the same scores on both reading and writing test.
3) World Final Round (Italy, September 2024)
• Top scorers from the National Final qualify for the World Final Round in Assisi, Italy in September 2024.
• Three-day half-board accommodation will be provided for all the candidates and their teachers free
of charge, while the costs of travel will be borne by the participants.
• In the World Final, participants take the Gatehouse Awards exam covering all four language skills, Use of English test (30 questions), and a crossword test to determine the winners.
4) Regional Qualifier Round (Malaysia, July 2024)
• Best ranking participants from the National Final round, who did not qualify for the World Finals will be invited to join the qualifiers.
• Triggered if Maritime Southeast Asia reaches 5,000 participants (minimum 500 per category).
• The number of participants admitted will be proportional to the number of preliminary round participants in each category per country.
• The Qualifier Round will be held in Malaysia in July 2024, featuring Use of English open-ended questions and a crossword.
• There is a participation fee ranging from €60 to €100, depending on the location for the regional qualifier round.
• The winner of each category will proceed to the World Final Round in Italy.
Play-Off Qualifier Round (New)
• Offers a chance for additional participants to qualify for the World Finals.
• Open to select categories and regions, held in the UK in August 2024.
• Participants take an intensive five-day Hippo English Language preparation course followed by a test on day 6. The fee will be announced after the National Final round.
• Winners proceed to the World Finals, with entries proportional to the number of preliminary round participants in each category per country.
PRELIMINARY ROUND
The tests for the preliminary round of the Olympiad will consist of two parts: Reading Comprehension test & Use of English test (multiple choice questions). The maximum allowed time for each part is specified below.
There is only one correct answer to every question. There are no negative marks.
• Baby Hippo & Little Hippo (similar paper content)
- Reading: 30 questions | 1 point each | 20 minutes max
- Use of English: 20 questions | 1.5 point each | 20 minutes max
• Hippo 1
- Reading: 30 questions | 1 point each | 30 minutes max
- Use of English: 20 questions | 1.5 point each | 20 minutes max
• Hippo 2 & S1 (similar paper content), Hippo 3 & S2 (similar paper content)
- Reading: 34 questions | 1 point each | 30 minutes max
- Use of English: 20 questions | 1.5 point each | 20 minutes max
• Hippo 4 & S3 (similar paper content)
- Reading: 34 questions | 1 point each | 40 minutes max
- Use of English: 20 questions | 1.5 point each | 30 minutes max
• Hippo 5 & S4 (similar paper content), Hippo S5
- Reading: 40 questions | 1 point each | 45 minutes max
- Use of English: 20 questions | 1.5 point each | 30 minutes max
Note: Answers are recorded on an answer sheet (OMR) for the paper-based test; there is no OMR for the online test.
NATIONAL FINAL ROUND
The exam level for the National Final Round will be one CEFR level higher than the one in the Preliminary Round. The tests for the National Final Round of the Olympiad will consist of Reading test, Writing test (30 questions) and Essay test (except for Baby & Little Hippo).
The essay will be assessed only in case two or more candidates have the scores on both the reading and the writing test, to decide who will enter World Final Round.
There is only one correct answer to every question. There are no negative marks.
• Baby Hippo & Little Hippo (similar paper content)
- Reading: 30 questions | 1 point each | 30 minutes max
- Writing: 30 questions | 1.5 point each | 45 minutes max
• Hippo 1
- Reading: 40 questions | 1 point each | 30 minutes max
- Writing: Free-writing task (essay) + 30 questions | 1.5 point each | 45 minutes max
• Hippo 2 & S1 (similar paper content)
- Reading: 34 questions | 1 point each | 30 minutes max
- Writing: Free-writing task (essay) + 30 questions | 1.5 point each | 45 minutes max
• Hippo 3 & S2 (similar paper content)
- Reading: 34 questions | 1 point each | 40 minutes max
- Writing: Free-writing task (essay) + 30 questions | 1.5 point each | 45 minutes max
• Hippo 4 & S3 (similar paper content), Hippo 5 & S4 (similar paper content)
- Reading: 40 questions | 1 point each | 45 minutes max
- Writing: Free-writing task (essay) + 30 questions | 1.5 point each | 45 minutes max
• Hippo S5
- Reading: 40 questions | 1 point each | 50 minutes max
- Writing: Free-writing task (essay) + 30 questions | 1.5 point each | 45 minutes max
Note:
• Reading test answers are recorded on an answer sheet (OMR), while Writing test answers are given in the test booklet for the paper-based test.
• For the Online test, all answers will be submitted through the online system.
The participants of the Olympiad will be categorized into Olympiad regions (hereinafter regions) for the purpose of organising regional qualifiers. The pre-set regions are as follows:
1. Mediterranean Europe
2. Continental Europe
3. Middle East
4. Central Asia
5. Indian Subcontinent
6. Maritime Southeast Asia
7. Far East
8. Africa
9. Central & South America
The 2024 Qualifiers will be held in:
1. Venice, Italy for Mediterranean and Continental Europe
2. Istanbul, Turkey for Central Asia, Middle East and Africa
3. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for Indian Subcontinent & Maritime Southeast Asia
4. Macau or Hong Kong for the Far East
5. The location for Central & South America will be announced
Where the number of enrolments in a specific region reaches 5,000 students in the 2024 edition, with a minimum of 500 candidates per Hippo Category, Qualifiers will be organised.
Students with the best ranking among those not qualified for the World Finals will be admitted to the Qualifiers. The number of students admitted to the Qualifiers per category and country will be proportional to the number of preliminary round participants in each category per country.
Regional Qualifiers will be held in person. Online examinations will not be available and no exemptions will be made. If a student does not confirm their participation within 5 working days of the invitation to the Regional Qualifiers, the next student in the ranking list from the same country will be invited. The minimum percentage of achievement for a student to be invited to the Qualifiers will be 70% of the first ranked student points.
Students invited to the Regional Qualifiers will be requested to pay a participation fee ranging from €60 to €100, depending on the location. The participation fee will cover the costs of insurance, merchandising (given to the participants upon arrival), participation in the organised activities and examination materials. Where applicable, a package including accommodation and participation fee will be proposed to the participants through an exclusive service provider. Students and accompanying teachers or parents will need to cover the costs of travel and accommodation. Travel arrangements will need to be made by the participants themselves, while Hippo will propose accommodation options.
Students and one accompanying teacher or parent are expected to arrive at the venue one day before the examination date. The examinations will take place on the morning after while the proclamation of winners will take place in the evening.
Winners of each Hippo category and for any of the Region will proceed to the World Finals.
The final round of the Olympiad will be held in Assisi, Italy, in September 2024. All candidates can be accompanied by their English language teacher, or an English-speaking teacher from their school.
Parents who wish to accompany their children need to make their own travel and accommodation arrangements as the hotels where the students are accommodated are booked exclusively for the Olympiad participants.
Three-day half-board accommodation will be provided for all the candidates and their teachers free of charge, while the costs of travel will be borne by the participants.
Finalists are expected to arrive the day before the examinations start; examinations will be held over two days while the proclamation of winners and awarding ceremony will be held on the evening of the second day of examinations.
The programme of the final round will be sent directly to the finalists who confirmed their participation one week before the event.
Finalists will be contacted and helped with making their travel arrangements.
The Global Hippo Association will organise the Play-Off Qualifier Round in order to give additional
participants the opportunity to reach Hippo 2024 World Finals by offering an intensive five-day Hippo English Language preparation course followed by a Hippo Test to be taken on day 6.
Play-Off Qualifiers are open to Hippo 2, Hippo 3, Hippo 4 and Hippo 5 students of both regular and special categories.
Participants will be divided into Olympiad regions (hereinafter regions) for the purpose of organising Play-Off Qualifiers. The same pre-set regions as for the Regional Qualifiers have been established.
Pre-set regions are as follows:
1. Mediterranean Europe
2. Continental Europe
3. Middle East
4. Central Asia
5. Indian Subcontinent
6. Maritime Southeast Asia
7. Far East
8. Africa
9. Central & South America
Where the number of enrolments in a specific region reaches 3,000 students in the 2024 edition, with a minimum of 300 candidates per Hippo Category, Play-Off Qualifiers will be organised.
Play-Off Qualifiers will be held in the United Kingdom in the first week of August 2024.
Students with the best ranking among those not qualified for the World Finals or for the Regional Qualifiers will be admitted to Play-Off Qualifiers. The number of students admitted to Play-Off Qualifiers per category and country will be proportional to the number of preliminary round participants in each category per country.
Play-Off Qualifiers will be held in person. Online examinations will not be available and no exemptions will be made.
If a student does not confirm their participation within 15 days of the invitation to Play-Off Qualifiers, the next student in the ranking list from the same country will be invited. The minimum percentage of achievement for a student to be invited to the Qualifiers will be 70% of the first ranked student points.
Students invited to the Play-Off Qualifiers will be requested to pay a participation fee.
Students will need to make their own travel arrangements and cover the costs themselves. The participation fee will cover the costs of teaching, learning materials, half-board accommodation, insurance, merchandising (given to the participants upon arrival). Costs and other details are available in a separate document.
No accompanying teachers or parent are accepted. Students will be accommodated in a college open to students only, supervised by guardians 24/7.
The courses will be taught by Hippo examiners, 4 hours a day, for a total of 20 hours. Students will be divided into groups based on the category in which they had participated. Lessons will be tailor-made and will include Hippo mock examinations. Play-Off Qualifiers examinations will take place on the morning of the 6th day of their stay, while the proclamation of winners will take place in the evening.
Winners of each Hippo category and for any of the Region will proceed to the World Finals.
Certificate of Participation
All candidates in the preliminary round, national final round, regional qualifier and the world final round will receive a certificate of participation after the competition.
Regional Qualifier Round
Winners of each regional qualifier round will proceed to the World Finals.
World Final Round
• All candidates who pass the final round tests (scoring a minimum of 55%) will be awarded a Gatehouse Awards internationally recognized certificate in English.
• Winners of Hippo 1, 2, and 3 will receive the Bucksmore Golden Ticket Prize, entailing a one-week stay at one of Bucksmore Education colleges. The prize is fully inclusive of tuition, accommodation, excursions, meals, and airport transfers. Air travel costs will be the responsibility of the winning recipient.
• Winners of Hippo 4 and 5, as well as Hippo Special 1 to 4, will receive a Mizzou K-12 online course. The winner of Hippo Special 5 will receive a full Mizzou K-12 Online Diploma program.
• Second-place winners of Hippo 1 to 3 will receive a Mizzou K-12 online course.
Additional prizes will be available for the teachers of the winners.
The reading test answers are marked by an OMR device and for that reason need to be properly filled in. Candidates are required to use a pen while completing the OMR form. Our OMR sample form is available here.
In case an OMR form is not properly filled in (e.g., incorrect or missing candidate number) or scanned and the OMR device cannot read it, Global Hippo Association keeps the right to disqualify the candidate if the identity of the candidate cannot be established.
In the national finals, the essay will be marked only if two or more candidates have the same number of points on both the reading and the writing test or in case of suspected cheating or malpractice.
For online examinations, in case of suspected malpractice, Hippo Association keeps the right to re-test the candidates using a parallel test and under the invigilation of the Hippo staff.
The ranking list for all categories as well as the names of the candidates who qualified for the national finals will be available on http://www.hippo-olympiad.org within three weeks of the preliminary round date.
The ranking list for all categories as well as the names of the candidates who qualified for the final round and eventually regional qualifiers will be available on http://www.hippo-olympiad.org within three weeks of the national finals date.
The final round places will be assigned in the following way:
Top 140 finalists will be admitted directly from the national finals ranking list. The number of finalists per category and country will be proportional to the number of preliminary round participants in each category per country. In order to promote a multicultural environment, wildcards will be granted to the best participant from each of the countries that does not have a finalist. In addition to the above, winners of regional qualifiers will be admitted to Finals.
Global Hippo Association keep the right to increase the number of finalists if the number of applicants exceeds 83,295, all in accordance with the Olympiad regulations.
The exact date of the final round as well as the participation confirmation deadline will be announced in due time.
Registered Hippo participants will receive past-year questions free of charge. Upon verification of your submission and payment, the organizer will send you a WhatsApp message containing the link to download the past-year question papers, with login username and password.
Sample papers to practise are available to download on https://hippo-olympiad.org/sample-papers/.
By registering for the competition through our online form, WhatsApp, direct contact, or schools, you agree to allow us to use your personal data, including your full name, phone number, and email, to send you communications such as welcome letters, payment reminders, updates, announcements, and materials related to future competitions and classes from Caya Academy Sdn Bhd.
RM60 per participant
Kindly online transfer to the following account:
Name: Caya Academy Sdn Bhd
Bank: Maybank
Account Number: 512884095226
Ensure you include the participant's name in the payment details. We will cross-check your payment with the registration form for accuracy. Additionally, please attach the payment receipt when submitting the registration from! You can also WhatsApp your payment receipt, and state the participant name to 011-6550 5400 or email to [email protected]
A refund is permissible if you are unable to attend the competition on the scheduled date due to a health condition, and the replacement date is not available. To request a refund of the participation fee, please ensure you provide a valid medical certificate.
For additional information about the competition, feel free to contact us via WhatsApp at 011-65505400 or 018-3733218.
Be part of Hippo today. Register now.
Join our weekly online lesson to better prepare for the competition and get familiar with CEFR syllabus.
Global Hippo Association is a non-profit organisation founded in 2012 with the purpose of promoting the importance of English language knowledge and bringing together children from different countries.
Hippo 2023
12,000 Malaysian participants from 1,200 schools
Hippo 2022
6,500 Malaysian participants from 1,000 schools
Hippo 2021
6,800 Malaysian participants from 950 schools
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