Competition Guidelines
1. General Provisions
1.1. These Competition Guidelines have been developed pursuant to the Regulations (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations") of the Multinational Youth Geography Olympiad (MY-GEO 2026) (hereinafter referred to as the "Olympiad"). Terms and abbreviations defined in the Regulations have the same meanings in these Competition Guidelines.
1.2. Eligibility to participate in the Olympiad and the age requirements for participants are established by the Regulations. Each team consists of between 2 and 6 participants. A team may be accompanied by up to two team leaders and up to two observers who have reached the age of eighteen.
1.3. Team leaders are persons appointed by the sending party who are engaged in teaching and/or academic teaching and research in geography or Earth sciences. The sending party is responsible for verifying that team leaders comply with the legal requirements of the sending party’s country, including requirements for eligibility to work with minors. The sending party must confirm the appointment of team leaders in the application. The sending party may be either a competent national education authority or another organization that has confirmed the team’s composition, including an overseas centre of the Russian Geographical Society (RGS) or another international partner that has received an invitation under the Agreement on Holding the Event.
1.4. The number and level of difficulty of the Olympiad tasks are determined by the Organizing Committee and the Methodological Commission of the Olympiad. The Methodological Commission ensures consistency in the format, structure and level of difficulty of the Olympiad tasks.
1.5. Teams must register by completing an application on the Olympiad Website between 14 August and 7 October 2026. The application must be accompanied by the sending party’s confirmation of the team’s composition and the appointment of team leaders; copies of identity documents of Olympiad participants; consents to the processing of personal data and consents to the dissemination of personal data; information on observers; and a request for special arrangements, where necessary. Registration may be refused on the grounds of failure to submit the above documents, failure to meet the application deadline, or participants' failure to meet the requirements of the Regulations. An Olympiad participant or a team leader may be replaced no later than 7 days before the start date of the Olympiad, upon a request from the sending party. The sending party must notify the Organizing Committee immediately if a registered team will not participate.
1.6. Special participation arrangements must be made for Olympiad participants with health limitations, persons with disabilities and children with disabilities, upon a request submitted together with the application, taking account of their health and the particular characteristics of their physical and psychological development. Such arrangements may include extending the time allowed for completing the Olympiad tasks by no more than 30 minutes, providing an assistant, adapting the route for the Field Research stage, or providing an alternative task equivalent in content and difficulty. The Organizing Committee must decide on the provision of special arrangements within 3 working days of receiving the request.
1.1. These Competition Guidelines have been developed pursuant to the Regulations (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations") of the Multinational Youth Geography Olympiad (MY-GEO 2026) (hereinafter referred to as the "Olympiad"). Terms and abbreviations defined in the Regulations have the same meanings in these Competition Guidelines.
1.2. Eligibility to participate in the Olympiad and the age requirements for participants are established by the Regulations. Each team consists of between 2 and 6 participants. A team may be accompanied by up to two team leaders and up to two observers who have reached the age of eighteen.
1.3. Team leaders are persons appointed by the sending party who are engaged in teaching and/or academic teaching and research in geography or Earth sciences. The sending party is responsible for verifying that team leaders comply with the legal requirements of the sending party’s country, including requirements for eligibility to work with minors. The sending party must confirm the appointment of team leaders in the application. The sending party may be either a competent national education authority or another organization that has confirmed the team’s composition, including an overseas centre of the Russian Geographical Society (RGS) or another international partner that has received an invitation under the Agreement on Holding the Event.
1.4. The number and level of difficulty of the Olympiad tasks are determined by the Organizing Committee and the Methodological Commission of the Olympiad. The Methodological Commission ensures consistency in the format, structure and level of difficulty of the Olympiad tasks.
1.5. Teams must register by completing an application on the Olympiad Website between 14 August and 7 October 2026. The application must be accompanied by the sending party’s confirmation of the team’s composition and the appointment of team leaders; copies of identity documents of Olympiad participants; consents to the processing of personal data and consents to the dissemination of personal data; information on observers; and a request for special arrangements, where necessary. Registration may be refused on the grounds of failure to submit the above documents, failure to meet the application deadline, or participants' failure to meet the requirements of the Regulations. An Olympiad participant or a team leader may be replaced no later than 7 days before the start date of the Olympiad, upon a request from the sending party. The sending party must notify the Organizing Committee immediately if a registered team will not participate.
1.6. Special participation arrangements must be made for Olympiad participants with health limitations, persons with disabilities and children with disabilities, upon a request submitted together with the application, taking account of their health and the particular characteristics of their physical and psychological development. Such arrangements may include extending the time allowed for completing the Olympiad tasks by no more than 30 minutes, providing an assistant, adapting the route for the Field Research stage, or providing an alternative task equivalent in content and difficulty. The Organizing Committee must decide on the provision of special arrangements within 3 working days of receiving the request.
2. Procedure for Conducting the Olympiad Rounds
2.1. The competitive rounds of the Olympiad are held at venues designated by the Organizing Committee within the territory of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Sochi National Park", including the territory of the Rosa Khutor resort, and at the Foundation’s facilities in the mountain cluster of the resort city of Sochi. The opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympiad and the leisure programme are held in the Sirius Federal Territory. Accommodation for Olympiad participants is provided at the Rosa Khutor resort. The Field Research stage is conducted within the national park under an agreement with the national park administration, within functional zones where the relevant activity is permitted, and in compliance with Federal Law No. 33-FZ of 14 March 1995 "On Specially Protected Natural Areas". No later than one month before the start of the competitive rounds, the Olympiad Website must publish sample Olympiad tasks, preparation materials, information on the Olympiad venues, marking criteria and examples of how to present completed work.
2.2. Olympiad participants must receive a safety briefing before the Olympiad Events begin, and an additional briefing before the Field Research stage on rules of conduct in the field, the route, weather-related risks and other risks. Completion of the briefing must be recorded in a register signed by Olympiad participants and team leaders. Medical support must be provided throughout the Olympiad Events. Organized transport of Olympiad participants to the Field Research stage venues must comply with the legislation of the Russian Federation. In the event of adverse weather conditions or other circumstances that threaten participants' safety, the Organizing Committee may change the route, shorten the Field Research stage or replace it with an equivalent task. Olympiad participants must be informed of any such change before the relevant stage begins.
2.3. Before the competitive rounds begin, the Organizing Committee assigns each Olympiad participant an individual code in the form of a three-digit number, for example 123, and assigns each team a team code in a format determined by the Organizing Committee. The individual code and the team code are used to identify the participant and the team throughout all competitive rounds, in place of the participant’s surname, first name and patronymic and the name of the country. The information linking codes to Olympiad participants and teams is confidential until the decoding procedure has been completed.
2.4. Registration of Olympiad participants for a competitive round (stage) begins 30−60 minutes before its start and closes at its start time. Registration takes place at the venue of each competitive round (stage). An Olympiad participant who has not registered before a competitive round (stage) begins must be registered upon arrival within the time limit specified in the first paragraph of Clause 2.5 of these Competition Guidelines.
2.5. Olympiad participants who arrive at the Olympiad venue more than 30 minutes after a competitive round (stage) begins will not be admitted to that round (stage). Participants who arrive late at the Olympiad venue will not be granted additional time to complete the Olympiad tasks.
2.6. Upon entering the venue of a competitive round (stage), Olympiad participants must leave all personal belongings in the area designated by the attendant, except for an identity document, water and food, and any medication required for health reasons. The organizers provide participants with writing and drawing implements (a pen with blue or black ink, a compass, a ruler and a protractor), a non-programmable scientific calculator, scratch paper and reference materials. Participants are prohibited from using their own writing and drawing implements, reference materials, communication devices, photographic and video equipment, computing equipment or other wearable electronic devices during any competitive round. Requirements concerning food that participants may bring with them must be communicated during the briefing. Olympiad participants may use specialized equipment and tools provided by the Organizing Committee for data analysis where necessary.
2.7. All competitive rounds and stages, except the Field Research stage, are conducted under video surveillance. Video recordings must show Olympiad participants and their workspaces and, where tasks are completed using computers, the computer screens as well. At least two cameras must be used to ensure the required coverage. Video recordings must be retained in accordance with the procedure and for the period established by the Regulations. During the Field Research stage, attendants appointed by the Organizing Committee monitor compliance with the rules for completing the Olympiad tasks.
2.8. Before the competitive rounds begin, Olympiad participants must attend a briefing covering the duration of the rounds and stages, permitted reference materials and technical equipment, rules of conduct, applicable prohibitions, the dates for publication of results, and the procedure for viewing completed Olympiad work.
2.9. During all competitive rounds, Olympiad participants are prohibited from exchanging any materials or items and from using communication devices or computing equipment, except for technical equipment provided by the organizers.
2.10. During a competitive round (stage), Olympiad participants may consume food, drinks and medication and may briefly leave the room, one at a time, accompanied by an attendant. A participant’s absence from the room does not change the end time of the competitive round (stage). The times at which the participant leaves and returns to the room must be recorded on a special form signed by the participant. When completing team tasks, team members may leave the stage venue only as a full team.
2.11. Olympiad tasks in paper and/or electronic form, answer sheets and scratch paper must not be removed from the rooms or Olympiad venues. Copying Olympiad tasks is also prohibited.
2.12. Olympiad participants may submit questions about the task instructions on a special form provided by the attendant in the room. Questions must be written in the working language of the Olympiad. The question form must not contain any indication identifying the participant, their team or their country. The question must specify the task number and the relevant section and/or subsection of that task. A question may concern the context of the task, spelling or syntactic errors in the task, or other matters that help clarify the task; the answer to the question does not constitute a direct answer to the task. An answer relevant to all Olympiad participants must be communicated to all participants in the competitive round (stage) concerned.
2.13. Scratch paper must consist of white A4 sheets marked "draft" (the mark is added either by the organizers when preparing the scratch paper or by participants themselves during the briefing). Draft work is not marked. Scratch paper must be handed in to the organizers and retained as part of the Olympiad materials for the period established by the Regulations.
2.14. A clock must be available in every room where competitive rounds are held. The organizer must record the start and end times of the competitive round (stage) on an information board.
2.15. The organizers must inform Olympiad participants of the time remaining 30 minutes and 5 minutes before the time allowed for completing the tasks expires.
2.16. Olympiad participants who finish the tasks early may submit their work to the organizers and leave the venue of the competitive round (stage).
2.17. Olympiad participants who have left the venue of a competitive round (stage) may not re-enter to complete tasks or make corrections to answer forms (sheets) or answer files.
2.18. Olympiad participants who violate these Competition Guidelines must be removed from the venue of the competitive round (stage). Their removal must be recorded in a report using the form approved by the Organizing Committee. A decision to annul a participant’s Olympiad work and to disqualify the participant must be made by the Organizing Committee jointly with the Olympiad Jury and recorded in minutes. Work that has been annulled will not be marked.
2.19. The theoretical competitive round consists of an individual stage and a team stage. The individual stage lasts 120 minutes, and the team stage lasts 180 minutes. Participants must complete all tasks in the individual stage independently; tasks in the team stage are completed through group work. The results of the individual stage count towards the individual competition, and the results of the team stage count towards the team competition.
2.20. Each Olympiad participant is provided with a computer for completing the tasks. Access to the Internet is restricted to a list of information resources permitted by the Organizing Committee; this list must be communicated to participants during the briefing. All computers provided must have an operating system and software in English, together with documentation for the programs used. The technical equipment requirements established by these Competition Guidelines are minimum requirements and are supplemented by the technical specifications attached to the set of Olympiad tasks.
2.21. Olympiad participants are provided with a word processor and a spreadsheet application for completing the tasks of the individual stage. Participants may use only these programs during the individual stage. Participants are prohibited from communicating with one another or moving freely around the room during the individual stage. When completing written tasks, participants must be seated individually at separate workstations (tables or desks).
2.22. On completing the individual stage, each Olympiad participant must save their answer file in the folder specified by the organizers, using their assigned individual code as the filename. The attendant in the room receives the work and enters the filename, the number of pages in the file and the time at which it was saved in the submission register. The participant must confirm submission of the work with their signature. The organizers must ensure that answer files are backed up immediately after the stage ends. If equipment failure causes the loss of an answer file, the participant must be granted additional time equal to the time spent resolving the failure.
2.23. For completing the tasks of the team stage, Olympiad participants are provided with a web browser, a word processor, a spreadsheet application and presentation software, as well as an online editor for collaborative work.
2.24. On completing the team stage, a team representative, selected by the team itself and identified in the submission register, must save the answer file in the folder specified by the organizers, using the team code as the filename. The attendant in the room receives the work and enters the filename, the number of pages in the file and the time at which it was saved in the submission register. The team representative must confirm submission of the work with their signature. The provisions of the fourth paragraph of Clause 2.22 of these Competition Guidelines concerning backups and the consequences of equipment failure also apply to the team stage.
2.25. Answer files and forms containing solutions must not contain any marks or indications identifying an Olympiad participant, their team or their country, other than their assigned codes. The consequences of violating this requirement are established by Clause 4.2 of these Competition Guidelines.
2.26. After the team stage, a roundtable is organized for teams to present the results of their work on tasks set by Olympiad partners to invited experts. Teams must present their results in English. Participation in the roundtable is voluntary, and its results do not count towards determining the winners and prize winners of the Olympiad. Results of intellectual activity created by Olympiad participants may be transferred to Olympiad partners with the consent of the participants and their legal representatives, on terms determined by the Organizing Committee. Olympiad partners do not process participants' personal data.
2.27. The tasks of the practical round are designed to assess participants' ability to solve applied geographical problems using field and desk study research methods.
2.28. The practical round consists of two stages: the Field Research stage and the Desk Study stage. During the Field Research stage, each Olympiad participant completes the tasks in the field notebook. During the Desk Study stage, participants process and analyse the data obtained in the Field Research stage and submit a team report on the work undertaken and the results. The Field Research stage lasts 180 minutes, and the Desk Study stage lasts 180 minutes. The results of the Field Research stage count towards the individual competition, and the results of the Desk Study stage count towards the team competition.
2.29. Olympiad participants are prohibited from using personal electronic communication devices throughout all stages of the practical round and until those stages have ended. This prohibition also applies to team leaders and observers present at the stage venue. Communication devices required to ensure safety are held by attendants appointed by the Organizing Committee.
2.30. The Field Research stage involves travel by Olympiad participants to natural sites used as venues for the competitive round. The Olympiad tasks on all routes and at all stations of the Field Research stage must be identical or equivalent in content and level of difficulty. During the Field Research stage, participants undertake the following activities: familiarization with the field notebook tasks, a comprehensive study of the area used for the competitive round, sampling, and collection of the necessary data and materials. The quantities sampled and the sampling methods must be agreed with the national park administration. A scientific and educational excursion is also organized for Olympiad participants. On completing the Field Research stage, participants must hand in their field notebooks to the organizers, with submission recorded in the submission register. The field notebooks are returned to participants during the Desk Study stage for processing data and completing the Desk Study stage tasks. No new field observations may be added to the field notebooks during the Desk Study stage.
2.31. Team leaders and observers accompanying Olympiad participants may be present at the Field Research stage venues. Team leaders and observers are prohibited from taking part in the work or advising participants. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in annulment of the team’s results for the Field Research and Desk Study stages and the team’s disqualification, by a decision of the Organizing Committee made jointly with the Olympiad Jury. The team members' individual results in other competitive rounds remain valid.
2.32. The Desk Study stage involves analysing the data collected, processing the results, conducting additional research, writing an analytical essay, presenting the team’s solution on the Olympiad task form, and submitting the solution for marking by the Olympiad Jury. The Desk Study stage is conducted in a laboratory setting where participants may use specialized equipment and tools for data analysis where necessary.
2.33. Team leaders and observers are not permitted to enter the Desk Study stage venue.
2.34. The multimedia competitive round counts towards the team competition. The round lasts 210 minutes. The multimedia round is held in a room where team members complete the Olympiad tasks jointly.
2.35. The multimedia round consists of a series of questions accompanied by visual materials (maps, photographs and diagrams). The tasks cover general geography and are designed to assess participants' geographical thinking, map-reading and navigation skills, and understanding of general geographical patterns.
2.36. Remote participation in the Olympiad is not provided for.
2.1. The competitive rounds of the Olympiad are held at venues designated by the Organizing Committee within the territory of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Sochi National Park", including the territory of the Rosa Khutor resort, and at the Foundation’s facilities in the mountain cluster of the resort city of Sochi. The opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympiad and the leisure programme are held in the Sirius Federal Territory. Accommodation for Olympiad participants is provided at the Rosa Khutor resort. The Field Research stage is conducted within the national park under an agreement with the national park administration, within functional zones where the relevant activity is permitted, and in compliance with Federal Law No. 33-FZ of 14 March 1995 "On Specially Protected Natural Areas". No later than one month before the start of the competitive rounds, the Olympiad Website must publish sample Olympiad tasks, preparation materials, information on the Olympiad venues, marking criteria and examples of how to present completed work.
2.2. Olympiad participants must receive a safety briefing before the Olympiad Events begin, and an additional briefing before the Field Research stage on rules of conduct in the field, the route, weather-related risks and other risks. Completion of the briefing must be recorded in a register signed by Olympiad participants and team leaders. Medical support must be provided throughout the Olympiad Events. Organized transport of Olympiad participants to the Field Research stage venues must comply with the legislation of the Russian Federation. In the event of adverse weather conditions or other circumstances that threaten participants' safety, the Organizing Committee may change the route, shorten the Field Research stage or replace it with an equivalent task. Olympiad participants must be informed of any such change before the relevant stage begins.
2.3. Before the competitive rounds begin, the Organizing Committee assigns each Olympiad participant an individual code in the form of a three-digit number, for example 123, and assigns each team a team code in a format determined by the Organizing Committee. The individual code and the team code are used to identify the participant and the team throughout all competitive rounds, in place of the participant’s surname, first name and patronymic and the name of the country. The information linking codes to Olympiad participants and teams is confidential until the decoding procedure has been completed.
2.4. Registration of Olympiad participants for a competitive round (stage) begins 30−60 minutes before its start and closes at its start time. Registration takes place at the venue of each competitive round (stage). An Olympiad participant who has not registered before a competitive round (stage) begins must be registered upon arrival within the time limit specified in the first paragraph of Clause 2.5 of these Competition Guidelines.
2.5. Olympiad participants who arrive at the Olympiad venue more than 30 minutes after a competitive round (stage) begins will not be admitted to that round (stage). Participants who arrive late at the Olympiad venue will not be granted additional time to complete the Olympiad tasks.
2.6. Upon entering the venue of a competitive round (stage), Olympiad participants must leave all personal belongings in the area designated by the attendant, except for an identity document, water and food, and any medication required for health reasons. The organizers provide participants with writing and drawing implements (a pen with blue or black ink, a compass, a ruler and a protractor), a non-programmable scientific calculator, scratch paper and reference materials. Participants are prohibited from using their own writing and drawing implements, reference materials, communication devices, photographic and video equipment, computing equipment or other wearable electronic devices during any competitive round. Requirements concerning food that participants may bring with them must be communicated during the briefing. Olympiad participants may use specialized equipment and tools provided by the Organizing Committee for data analysis where necessary.
2.7. All competitive rounds and stages, except the Field Research stage, are conducted under video surveillance. Video recordings must show Olympiad participants and their workspaces and, where tasks are completed using computers, the computer screens as well. At least two cameras must be used to ensure the required coverage. Video recordings must be retained in accordance with the procedure and for the period established by the Regulations. During the Field Research stage, attendants appointed by the Organizing Committee monitor compliance with the rules for completing the Olympiad tasks.
2.8. Before the competitive rounds begin, Olympiad participants must attend a briefing covering the duration of the rounds and stages, permitted reference materials and technical equipment, rules of conduct, applicable prohibitions, the dates for publication of results, and the procedure for viewing completed Olympiad work.
2.9. During all competitive rounds, Olympiad participants are prohibited from exchanging any materials or items and from using communication devices or computing equipment, except for technical equipment provided by the organizers.
2.10. During a competitive round (stage), Olympiad participants may consume food, drinks and medication and may briefly leave the room, one at a time, accompanied by an attendant. A participant’s absence from the room does not change the end time of the competitive round (stage). The times at which the participant leaves and returns to the room must be recorded on a special form signed by the participant. When completing team tasks, team members may leave the stage venue only as a full team.
2.11. Olympiad tasks in paper and/or electronic form, answer sheets and scratch paper must not be removed from the rooms or Olympiad venues. Copying Olympiad tasks is also prohibited.
2.12. Olympiad participants may submit questions about the task instructions on a special form provided by the attendant in the room. Questions must be written in the working language of the Olympiad. The question form must not contain any indication identifying the participant, their team or their country. The question must specify the task number and the relevant section and/or subsection of that task. A question may concern the context of the task, spelling or syntactic errors in the task, or other matters that help clarify the task; the answer to the question does not constitute a direct answer to the task. An answer relevant to all Olympiad participants must be communicated to all participants in the competitive round (stage) concerned.
2.13. Scratch paper must consist of white A4 sheets marked "draft" (the mark is added either by the organizers when preparing the scratch paper or by participants themselves during the briefing). Draft work is not marked. Scratch paper must be handed in to the organizers and retained as part of the Olympiad materials for the period established by the Regulations.
2.14. A clock must be available in every room where competitive rounds are held. The organizer must record the start and end times of the competitive round (stage) on an information board.
2.15. The organizers must inform Olympiad participants of the time remaining 30 minutes and 5 minutes before the time allowed for completing the tasks expires.
2.16. Olympiad participants who finish the tasks early may submit their work to the organizers and leave the venue of the competitive round (stage).
2.17. Olympiad participants who have left the venue of a competitive round (stage) may not re-enter to complete tasks or make corrections to answer forms (sheets) or answer files.
2.18. Olympiad participants who violate these Competition Guidelines must be removed from the venue of the competitive round (stage). Their removal must be recorded in a report using the form approved by the Organizing Committee. A decision to annul a participant’s Olympiad work and to disqualify the participant must be made by the Organizing Committee jointly with the Olympiad Jury and recorded in minutes. Work that has been annulled will not be marked.
2.19. The theoretical competitive round consists of an individual stage and a team stage. The individual stage lasts 120 minutes, and the team stage lasts 180 minutes. Participants must complete all tasks in the individual stage independently; tasks in the team stage are completed through group work. The results of the individual stage count towards the individual competition, and the results of the team stage count towards the team competition.
2.20. Each Olympiad participant is provided with a computer for completing the tasks. Access to the Internet is restricted to a list of information resources permitted by the Organizing Committee; this list must be communicated to participants during the briefing. All computers provided must have an operating system and software in English, together with documentation for the programs used. The technical equipment requirements established by these Competition Guidelines are minimum requirements and are supplemented by the technical specifications attached to the set of Olympiad tasks.
2.21. Olympiad participants are provided with a word processor and a spreadsheet application for completing the tasks of the individual stage. Participants may use only these programs during the individual stage. Participants are prohibited from communicating with one another or moving freely around the room during the individual stage. When completing written tasks, participants must be seated individually at separate workstations (tables or desks).
2.22. On completing the individual stage, each Olympiad participant must save their answer file in the folder specified by the organizers, using their assigned individual code as the filename. The attendant in the room receives the work and enters the filename, the number of pages in the file and the time at which it was saved in the submission register. The participant must confirm submission of the work with their signature. The organizers must ensure that answer files are backed up immediately after the stage ends. If equipment failure causes the loss of an answer file, the participant must be granted additional time equal to the time spent resolving the failure.
2.23. For completing the tasks of the team stage, Olympiad participants are provided with a web browser, a word processor, a spreadsheet application and presentation software, as well as an online editor for collaborative work.
2.24. On completing the team stage, a team representative, selected by the team itself and identified in the submission register, must save the answer file in the folder specified by the organizers, using the team code as the filename. The attendant in the room receives the work and enters the filename, the number of pages in the file and the time at which it was saved in the submission register. The team representative must confirm submission of the work with their signature. The provisions of the fourth paragraph of Clause 2.22 of these Competition Guidelines concerning backups and the consequences of equipment failure also apply to the team stage.
2.25. Answer files and forms containing solutions must not contain any marks or indications identifying an Olympiad participant, their team or their country, other than their assigned codes. The consequences of violating this requirement are established by Clause 4.2 of these Competition Guidelines.
2.26. After the team stage, a roundtable is organized for teams to present the results of their work on tasks set by Olympiad partners to invited experts. Teams must present their results in English. Participation in the roundtable is voluntary, and its results do not count towards determining the winners and prize winners of the Olympiad. Results of intellectual activity created by Olympiad participants may be transferred to Olympiad partners with the consent of the participants and their legal representatives, on terms determined by the Organizing Committee. Olympiad partners do not process participants' personal data.
2.27. The tasks of the practical round are designed to assess participants' ability to solve applied geographical problems using field and desk study research methods.
2.28. The practical round consists of two stages: the Field Research stage and the Desk Study stage. During the Field Research stage, each Olympiad participant completes the tasks in the field notebook. During the Desk Study stage, participants process and analyse the data obtained in the Field Research stage and submit a team report on the work undertaken and the results. The Field Research stage lasts 180 minutes, and the Desk Study stage lasts 180 minutes. The results of the Field Research stage count towards the individual competition, and the results of the Desk Study stage count towards the team competition.
2.29. Olympiad participants are prohibited from using personal electronic communication devices throughout all stages of the practical round and until those stages have ended. This prohibition also applies to team leaders and observers present at the stage venue. Communication devices required to ensure safety are held by attendants appointed by the Organizing Committee.
2.30. The Field Research stage involves travel by Olympiad participants to natural sites used as venues for the competitive round. The Olympiad tasks on all routes and at all stations of the Field Research stage must be identical or equivalent in content and level of difficulty. During the Field Research stage, participants undertake the following activities: familiarization with the field notebook tasks, a comprehensive study of the area used for the competitive round, sampling, and collection of the necessary data and materials. The quantities sampled and the sampling methods must be agreed with the national park administration. A scientific and educational excursion is also organized for Olympiad participants. On completing the Field Research stage, participants must hand in their field notebooks to the organizers, with submission recorded in the submission register. The field notebooks are returned to participants during the Desk Study stage for processing data and completing the Desk Study stage tasks. No new field observations may be added to the field notebooks during the Desk Study stage.
2.31. Team leaders and observers accompanying Olympiad participants may be present at the Field Research stage venues. Team leaders and observers are prohibited from taking part in the work or advising participants. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in annulment of the team’s results for the Field Research and Desk Study stages and the team’s disqualification, by a decision of the Organizing Committee made jointly with the Olympiad Jury. The team members' individual results in other competitive rounds remain valid.
2.32. The Desk Study stage involves analysing the data collected, processing the results, conducting additional research, writing an analytical essay, presenting the team’s solution on the Olympiad task form, and submitting the solution for marking by the Olympiad Jury. The Desk Study stage is conducted in a laboratory setting where participants may use specialized equipment and tools for data analysis where necessary.
2.33. Team leaders and observers are not permitted to enter the Desk Study stage venue.
2.34. The multimedia competitive round counts towards the team competition. The round lasts 210 minutes. The multimedia round is held in a room where team members complete the Olympiad tasks jointly.
2.35. The multimedia round consists of a series of questions accompanied by visual materials (maps, photographs and diagrams). The tasks cover general geography and are designed to assess participants' geographical thinking, map-reading and navigation skills, and understanding of general geographical patterns.
2.36. Remote participation in the Olympiad is not provided for.
3. Marking Criteria for Olympiad Work and the Structure and Content of Olympiad Tasks
3.1. The structure of each competitive round, the number and types of Olympiad tasks, and the maximum score for each task and for the round as a whole are determined by the Methodological Commission of the Olympiad and approved by the Organizing Committee.
3.2. Sample Olympiad tasks must be published on the Olympiad Website within the time limit established by Clause 2.1 of these Competition Guidelines, namely no later than 24 September 2026. The Olympiad task statements and sample solutions must be published after the Olympiad has ended.
3.1. The structure of each competitive round, the number and types of Olympiad tasks, and the maximum score for each task and for the round as a whole are determined by the Methodological Commission of the Olympiad and approved by the Organizing Committee.
3.2. Sample Olympiad tasks must be published on the Olympiad Website within the time limit established by Clause 2.1 of these Competition Guidelines, namely no later than 24 September 2026. The Olympiad task statements and sample solutions must be published after the Olympiad has ended.
4. Procedure for Marking Olympiad Work
4.1. Completed Olympiad work is marked by the Olympiad Jury. Requirements concerning the composition and number of Jury members are established by the Regulations.
4.2. Answer files and answer sheets must not contain any indication identifying the authors of the Olympiad work (surname, first name, patronymic or country), or any other distinctive marks that could distinguish the work from other submissions or identify its author, other than the assigned codes. If such indications or marks are found, the work will not be marked, and the participant’s result for the competitive round concerned will be annulled, with a score of 0 awarded. The decision must be made by the Organizing Committee jointly with the Olympiad Jury and recorded in minutes.
4.3. Olympiad Jury members mark participants' completed work in accordance with the marking criteria and methodology for the completed tasks. Each Olympiad task must be marked independently by at least two Olympiad Jury members.
4.4. Olympiad Jury members are prohibited from copying participants' completed work or removing it from the rooms in which it is marked, commenting on the marking process, or disclosing marking results before the preliminary Olympiad results are published.
4.5. Once all participants' completed work has been marked, the Olympiad Jury prepares a record of results and forwards the Olympiad work to the Organizing Committee for decoding.
4.6. After the tasks and solutions for all competitive rounds have been analysed, the Olympiad Jury must, at the time designated by the organizer, arrange for participants to view their completed work upon request. Participants' work is viewed in the presence of team leaders. During viewing, participants' work must not be removed, photographed or video-recorded, and no marks may be made on it. No appeal against the results of marking is provided for. The accuracy of score calculations is verified in accordance with the procedure established by Clause 4.7 and Sections 5 and 6 of these Competition Guidelines.
4.7. Within 6 hours after the viewing of completed work, an Olympiad participant may submit a written request to the Olympiad Jury concerning a technical error in the calculation of scores. The Olympiad Jury must consider the request jointly with the Organizing Committee within 24 hours, and the applicant must be notified of the outcome in writing. The substantive assessment of the completed Olympiad task will not be reconsidered.
4.8. Following the marking of participants' completed work and the procedure for viewing that work, an analytical report on the results of the Olympiad tasks, signed by the Chairperson of the Olympiad Jury, must be submitted to the Organizing Committee.
4.9. The final record of results must be signed by the Chairperson of the Olympiad Jury, approved by the Organizing Committee and published on the Olympiad Website.
4.1. Completed Olympiad work is marked by the Olympiad Jury. Requirements concerning the composition and number of Jury members are established by the Regulations.
4.2. Answer files and answer sheets must not contain any indication identifying the authors of the Olympiad work (surname, first name, patronymic or country), or any other distinctive marks that could distinguish the work from other submissions or identify its author, other than the assigned codes. If such indications or marks are found, the work will not be marked, and the participant’s result for the competitive round concerned will be annulled, with a score of 0 awarded. The decision must be made by the Organizing Committee jointly with the Olympiad Jury and recorded in minutes.
4.3. Olympiad Jury members mark participants' completed work in accordance with the marking criteria and methodology for the completed tasks. Each Olympiad task must be marked independently by at least two Olympiad Jury members.
4.4. Olympiad Jury members are prohibited from copying participants' completed work or removing it from the rooms in which it is marked, commenting on the marking process, or disclosing marking results before the preliminary Olympiad results are published.
4.5. Once all participants' completed work has been marked, the Olympiad Jury prepares a record of results and forwards the Olympiad work to the Organizing Committee for decoding.
4.6. After the tasks and solutions for all competitive rounds have been analysed, the Olympiad Jury must, at the time designated by the organizer, arrange for participants to view their completed work upon request. Participants' work is viewed in the presence of team leaders. During viewing, participants' work must not be removed, photographed or video-recorded, and no marks may be made on it. No appeal against the results of marking is provided for. The accuracy of score calculations is verified in accordance with the procedure established by Clause 4.7 and Sections 5 and 6 of these Competition Guidelines.
4.7. Within 6 hours after the viewing of completed work, an Olympiad participant may submit a written request to the Olympiad Jury concerning a technical error in the calculation of scores. The Olympiad Jury must consider the request jointly with the Organizing Committee within 24 hours, and the applicant must be notified of the outcome in writing. The substantive assessment of the completed Olympiad task will not be reconsidered.
4.8. Following the marking of participants' completed work and the procedure for viewing that work, an analytical report on the results of the Olympiad tasks, signed by the Chairperson of the Olympiad Jury, must be submitted to the Organizing Committee.
4.9. The final record of results must be signed by the Chairperson of the Olympiad Jury, approved by the Organizing Committee and published on the Olympiad Website.
5. Procedure for Analysing Olympiad Tasks and Solutions and Viewing Participants' Work
5.1. The analysis of Olympiad tasks and solutions must take place within the timeframe established by the Organizing Committee and published on the Olympiad Website.
5.2. Olympiad tasks and solutions are analysed by Olympiad Jury members.
5.3. During the analysis of Olympiad tasks and solutions, Olympiad Jury members provide a detailed explanation of the marking criteria for each task and give an overall assessment of participants' performance.
5.4. After the tasks and solutions for all competitive rounds have been analysed, the Olympiad Jury must, at the time designated by the Organizing Committee, arrange for participants to view their completed work upon request.
5.5. Participants' work is viewed in the presence of team leaders. An interpreter may be provided for the viewing session at the discretion of the Organizing Committee.
5.6. During the viewing of participants' work, the work must not be removed, photographed or video-recorded, and no marks may be made on it.
5.7. During the viewing of completed Olympiad work, the Olympiad Jury may not change the scores awarded when marking the tasks. Scores may be changed only in accordance with the procedure established by Clauses 4.7 and 6.1 of these Competition Guidelines.
5.1. The analysis of Olympiad tasks and solutions must take place within the timeframe established by the Organizing Committee and published on the Olympiad Website.
5.2. Olympiad tasks and solutions are analysed by Olympiad Jury members.
5.3. During the analysis of Olympiad tasks and solutions, Olympiad Jury members provide a detailed explanation of the marking criteria for each task and give an overall assessment of participants' performance.
5.4. After the tasks and solutions for all competitive rounds have been analysed, the Olympiad Jury must, at the time designated by the Organizing Committee, arrange for participants to view their completed work upon request.
5.5. Participants' work is viewed in the presence of team leaders. An interpreter may be provided for the viewing session at the discretion of the Organizing Committee.
5.6. During the viewing of participants' work, the work must not be removed, photographed or video-recorded, and no marks may be made on it.
5.7. During the viewing of completed Olympiad work, the Olympiad Jury may not change the scores awarded when marking the tasks. Scores may be changed only in accordance with the procedure established by Clauses 4.7 and 6.1 of these Competition Guidelines.
6. Procedure for Finalizing the Olympiad Results
6.1. The final individual ranking is determined by adding together the scores obtained by each participant in the individual stage of the theoretical round and the Field Research stage of the practical round. In the event of a tie in total scores, the participant with the higher score in the individual theoretical stage is ranked higher. The final team ranking is determined by adding together the scores obtained by each team in the team stage of the theoretical round, the Desk Study stage of the practical round and the multimedia round. A team’s result in the team competition does not depend on the number of team members. In the event of a tie in total scores, the Olympiad participant (team) with the higher score in the team theoretical stage is ranked higher.
6.2. If technical errors in the calculation of scores for completed Olympiad tasks are identified in the Olympiad Jury’s records, the final results of the competitive round concerned must be amended accordingly. Amendments must be made by the Olympiad Jury and approved by the Organizing Committee no later than 3 working days after the final record of results is published on the Olympiad Website. After that period has expired, the Olympiad results are final.
6.3. Medals are awarded to the Olympiad participants (teams) with the highest positions in the final ranking of the respective competition. The total number of medal recipients must not exceed 60 percent of the participants (teams) in the respective competition. Medals are distributed in a ratio of 1 (gold): 2 (silver): 3 (bronze), corresponding to 10 percent gold, 20 percent silver and 30 percent bronze medals.
6.4. The Olympiad results must be published on the Olympiad Website in accordance with the procedure established by the Regulations.
6.1. The final individual ranking is determined by adding together the scores obtained by each participant in the individual stage of the theoretical round and the Field Research stage of the practical round. In the event of a tie in total scores, the participant with the higher score in the individual theoretical stage is ranked higher. The final team ranking is determined by adding together the scores obtained by each team in the team stage of the theoretical round, the Desk Study stage of the practical round and the multimedia round. A team’s result in the team competition does not depend on the number of team members. In the event of a tie in total scores, the Olympiad participant (team) with the higher score in the team theoretical stage is ranked higher.
6.2. If technical errors in the calculation of scores for completed Olympiad tasks are identified in the Olympiad Jury’s records, the final results of the competitive round concerned must be amended accordingly. Amendments must be made by the Olympiad Jury and approved by the Organizing Committee no later than 3 working days after the final record of results is published on the Olympiad Website. After that period has expired, the Olympiad results are final.
6.3. Medals are awarded to the Olympiad participants (teams) with the highest positions in the final ranking of the respective competition. The total number of medal recipients must not exceed 60 percent of the participants (teams) in the respective competition. Medals are distributed in a ratio of 1 (gold): 2 (silver): 3 (bronze), corresponding to 10 percent gold, 20 percent silver and 30 percent bronze medals.
6.4. The Olympiad results must be published on the Olympiad Website in accordance with the procedure established by the Regulations.
