Categories

The participants will compete in 12 categories (7 regular and 5 special) based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and will take Gatehouse Awards examinations as well as Hippo Tests.

The students of lower grades than the ones in the table can also compete if they feel prepared for the level. The age limit for the Olympiad is 19 or as long as the students are in high school.

REGULAR CATEGORIES APPLY TO NON-ENGLISH-SPEAKING STUDENTS ONLY.

SPECIAL CATEGORIES APPLY TO STUDENTS THAT ARE CONSIDERED BILINGUAL, THOSE ONES WHO WERE BORN OR HAVE LIVED AND ATTENDED SCHOOL FOR AT LEAST 3 YEARS IN AN ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRY, AS WELL THOSE WHO LIVE IN A NON-ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRY BUT ATTEND ENGLISH OR AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL PRIVATE SCHOOL.

Students who reached the HIPPO 2024 Final Round cannot compete in the same category in HIPPO 2025.

*Baby Hippo standardized examinations by Gatehouse Awards will be of the same level of difficulty as the ones for Little Hippo, while Baby Hippo Hippo Tests will test receptive knowledge only in both the preliminary and national finals rounds.