Hippo English Assessment

The Global Youth English (Non-native) Olympiad Challenge & Assessment

Individual Registration

Scan the QR code below to register
CEFR
Benchmarking the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
60+
Countries and Regions
80,000+
Global Students Participated in 2023
11 Years
11 Years History
12
Dificulty Levels for Students Aged 6 to 19
Advancement
Preliminary - National Finals - Regional Qualifiers - Global Finals
Fun
Scenario-based and Life-like Topics
Italy
Free trip to Assisi for the Global Finals

Program Introduction

Hippo "English Without Borders" Olympiad is organized by the GLOBAL HIPPO ASSOCIATION, a non-profit organization founded in 2012 and based in Italy. With the mission "English without borders", the Hippo English Olympiad is based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages CEFR and is divided into 12 levels of dificulty for young people aged 6 to 19 from non-native speaking countries and regions. In the past ten years, more than 60 countries and regions around the world have organized students to participate, and more than 80,000 students worldwide participated in 2023, making it the world's most influential English (non-native) Olympiad challenge and assessment for youth.

Academic Support


Officially Recognised by Ofqual, the Office of Qualification and Examinations Regulation

The Hippo English Olympiad Official Test Committee, provides test questions based on CEFR standards

Advancement System

Preliminary
Round

  • Time:March 23rd, 2024, Saturday 10am
  • Duration:
    40-75 minutes(varies by grade)
  • Location:Nationwide Schools as Test Center / Online
  • Test Content: Reading | Use of English

National
Finals

Top 10% of Preliminary Round participants will be invited

  • Time:May 1st-5th, 2024
  • Location:Macao, China
  • Test Content: Reading | Writing
  • Event Content: Hippo Assessment National Finals + All-Star Carnival

Regional
Qualifiers

  • Time:July 16th-18th, 2024
  • Location:Macao or Hong Kong, China
  • Test Content:Use of English open-ended questions | Crossword

Global
Finals

Top 180 contestants worldwide

  • Time:The end of September, 2024
  • Location:Assisi, Italy(Participation,Registration and three-day half-board accommodation fees are free of charge)
  • Test Content:Reading | Listening | Writing | Speaking | Use of English

Previous Hippo Test Center Schools

Click to see more previous Hippo Test Center Schools countrywide

Participating Countries and Regions

Asia:
• China
• Japan
• Korea
• Afghanistan
• Azerbaijan
• Brunei
• Cambodia
• India

• Indonesia
• Iran
• Iraq
• Kazakhstan
• Kyrgyzstan
• Laos
• Lebanon
• Armenia
• Malaysia

• Mongolia
• Burma
• Pakistan
• Palestine
• Philippines
• Saudi Arabia
• Singapore
• Tajikistan
• Thailand

• Turkey
• Turkmenistan
• Uzbekistan
• Vietnam
Europe:
• Russia
• Albania
• Cyprus
• Bosnia and Herzegovina

• Bulgaria
• Croatia
• Estonia
• Greece
• Hungary
• Italy
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Moldova

• Montenegro
• North Macedonia
• Romania
• Serbia
• Slovenia
• Ukraine
Latin America:
• Brazil
• Mexico

Africa:
• Algeria
• Egypt
• Morocco
• South Africa
• Tanzania
• Tunisia
• Ghana
• Guinea

Oceania:
• Australia

Difficulty Level and Age

Category Grade Preliminary Round

CEFR Benchmarking

National & Global Round

CEFR Benchmarking

Age Recommended Corresponding School Grade
Regular Category Baby HIPPO CEFR Pre A1 YL CEFR A1 YL 6-7 years old Grade 1-2
Little HIPPO CEFR Pre A1 YL CEFR A1 YL 8-9 years old Grade 3-4
HIPPO 1 CEFR A1 YL CEFR A2 YL 10-11 years old Grade 5-6
HIPPO 2 CEFR A1 CEFR A2 12 years old Grade 7
HIPPO 3 CEFR A2 CEFR B1 13-14 years old Grade 8-9
HIPPO 4 CEFR B1 CEFR B2 15-16 years old Grade 10-11
HIPPO 5 CEFR B2 CEFR C1 17-19 years old Grade 12
Special Category HIPPO S1 CEFR A1 CEFR A2 10-11 years old Grade 5-6
HIPPO S2 CEFR A2 CEFR B1 12 years old Grade 7
HIPPO S3 CEFR B1 CEFR B2 13-14 years old Grade 8-9
HIPPO S4 CEFR B2 CEFR C1 15-16 years old Grade 10-11
HIPPO S5 CEFR C1 CEFR C2 17-19 years old Grade 12

1. Baby HIPPO exam is the same level of difficulty as Little HIPPO exam.
2. Students may choose a higher HIPPO level than they are suggested based on their school grades, but not a lower HIPPO level. For example, a 7th grade student is recommended to take HIPPO 2, he may also choose to take HIPPO 3 and Hippo 4 if he'd like to, but not HIPPO 1 and lower level.
3. The Special Category is for students with very high English proficiency. The level corresponds to a difficulty level 1-2 levels higher than the Regular Category.
4. Students who enter the 2023 Hippo Global Finals cannot take the same difficulty level assessment as the 2024 Hippo.


*CEFR:

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is an internationally recognized standard for describing language competence and proficiency and is the most widely accepted reference standard for language assessment worldwide. In many countries, the CEFR has replaced their respective assessment systems for foreign language education. For example, many European education authorities have explicitly defined the CEFR levels that secondary school students should achieve, such as B2 for the first foreign language level and B1 for the second foreign language level.

Benchmarking of CEFR with different language measurement systems

2024 Hippo English Olympiad

Advancement System Details

 

Hippo English Assessment Preliminary Round

Registration
  • Deadline for Preliminary Round's Registration:2024 March 1st
  • Participants:Students aged 6-19 (must have an ID from China or another non native English speaking country)
  • Academic Supporting Materials:Sample test papers and answers will be provided by the organizing committee
  • Registration Methods:I.Scan the QR code on the right II.Batch registration by school
Scan the QR code for registration
Preliminary Round Info
  • Time:March 23rd 2024, Saturday, Starting at 10:00 a.m
  • Location:Nationwide Schools as Test Center / Online*
    * Online tests require participants to prepare: ①a computer with camera②a cell phone or Tablet/Ipad
  • Duration:40-75 minutes
Preliminary Round Questions
All questions are Multiple Choice Questions

Category

HIPPO Grade

Test Content

Duration Reading Use of English
Regular Category Baby HIPPO 40 mins 30 Questions 1point each 20 Questions 1.5points each
Little HIPPO 40 mins 30 Questions 1point each 20 Questions 1.5points each
HIPPO 1 50 mins 30 Questions 1point each 20 Questions 1.5points each
HIPPO 2 50 mins 34 Questions 1point each 20 Questions 1.5points each
HIPPO 3 50 mins 34 Questions 1point each 20 Questions 1.5points each
HIPPO 4 70 mins 34 Questions 1point each 20 Questions 1.5points each
HIPPO 5 75 mins 40 Questions 1point each 20 Questions 1.5points each
高阶组别 HIPPO S1 50 mins 34 Questions 1point each 20 Questions 1.5points each
HIPPO S2 50 mins 34 Questions 1point each 20 Questions 1.5points each
HIPPO S3 50 mins 34 Questions 1point each 20 Questions 1.5points each
HIPPO S4 70 mins 40 Questions 1point each 20 Questions 1.5points each
HIPPO S5 75 mins 40 Questions 1point each 20 Questions 1.5points each
Award Setting
  • First Prize Top 10% in China
  • Second Prize Top 10%-25% in China
  • Third Prize Top 25%-40% in China
  • Excellence Award Top 40%-60% in China
*The First Prize winner will be invited to participate in the 2024 National Finals
*All contestants will receive a certicate of participation from the HIPPO committee
Certificate of Participation(Sample)
Certificate of Achievement

Both certificates will identify the CEFR level that corresponds to the participant's level of entry.

National
Finals

National Finals

Hippo English Assessment National Finals

National Finals Registration Info
  • Deadline for Registration:late April,2024, please refer to the notice of National Round finalists for details
  • Participants:Preliminary Round Top 10% winners will be invited to National Finals
  • Sample test papers will be provided by the organizing committee upon registration
  • Registration Method:All qualified candidates will receive email and SMS notifications
I: Through ASDAN Mini Program II: Batch Registration by school
National Finals Info
  • Time: May 1st-5th, 2024
  • Location: Macao, China
  • Shortlisting Criteria: Students who win the First Prize in the Preliminary Round will be invited to participate in the National Finals
  • National Finals Duration:75-95 minutes
Hippo National Finals Round Reference Schedule
Date  9:00-12:00  14:00-18:00
5.1 Arrival
5.2 Opening Ceremony
· Opening Ceremony Keynote Speech
· Introduction of National Finals Schedule and Rules Grouping and Ice-breaker Games
Hippo English National Finals Assessment
· Reading · Writing
Creative Speech Workshop
5.3 Hippo All Star Carnival
· Spelling King&Queen
Hippo All Star Carnival 
· 60s Elevator Pitch
5.4 Hippo All Star Carnival
· Quiz Bowl
· Hippo talk
Hippo Talent Show and Awards Ceremony
· Talent Show · Closing Ceremony
5.5 Return
National Finals Questions
Reading is a multiple-choice question and Writing is a subjective question
Group HIPPO Grade Test Content
Duration Reading Writing
Regular Category Baby HIPPO 75 mins 30 questions 1 point each 30 questions 1.5 points each, No Essay
Little HIPPO 75 mins 30 questions 1 point each 30 questions 1.5 points each, No Essay
HIPPO 1 75 mins 40 questions 1 point each 30 questions 1.5 points each, Essay*
HIPPO 2 75 mins 34 questions 1 point each 30 questions 1.5 points each, Essay*
HIPPO 3 85 mins 34 questions 1 point each 30 questions 1.5 points each, Essay*
HIPPO 4 90 mins 40 questions 1 point each 30 questions 1.5 points each, Essay*
HIPPO 5 90 mins 40 questions 1 point each 30 questions 1.5 points each, Essay*
高阶组别 HIPPO S1 75 mins 34 questions 1 point each 30 questions 1.5 points each, Essay*
HIPPO S2 85 mins 34 questions 1 point each 30 questions 1.5 points each, Essay*
HIPPO S3 90 mins 34 questions 1 point each 30 questions 1.5 points each, Essay*
HIPPO S4 90 mins 40 questions 1 point each 30 questions 1.5 points each, Essay*
HIPPO S5 95 mins 40 questions 1 point each 30 questions 1.5 points each, Essay*
*The Essay part is not counted for the total score, and is only used for the evaluation and ranking when multiple candidates have the same total score of Writing + Reading sessions.

Award Setting

  • Global Award Top 140 Ranking Globally
  • Gold Award Top 20% in China
  • Silver Award Top 20%-40% in China
  • Bronze Award Top 40%-60% in China
* The contestants who win the Global Award will successfully qualify for the Global Finals
* All participants will receive a Certificate of Participation from the organizing committee
Certificate of Participation(Sample)
Certificate of Achievement(Sample)

Both certificates will identify the CEFR level that corresponds to the participant's level of entry

Hippo English Assessment Regional Qualifiers

  • Time: July 16th-18th, 2024
  • Location: Macao or Hong Kong, China
  • Shortlisting Criteria: Students with the best ranking among those not qualified for the Global Finals
    will be admitted to the Qualifiers.
  • Test Content: Use of English | Crossword
  • Test Form: Paper-based and Speaking Test

  • Participants:Certain percentage of the students with the best ranking among those not qualified for the
    Global Finals
  • Participation Deadline and Method:Until Further Notice

Regional
Qualifiers

Regional Qualifiers

Hippo English Assessment Global Final Round

  • Time: The end of September, 2024
  • Location: Assisi, Italy
  • Shortlisting Criteria: Top 180 contestants worldwide(Include National Finals and Regional Qualifiers
    promoted contestants)
  • Test Content: Reading | Listening | Writing | Speaking | Use of English
  • Test Form: Paper-based and Speaking Test

  • Award Setting: Global Golden Award, Global Silver Award, Global Bronze Award
    All the candidates will receive a certificate of participation. The winning contestants will be selected into the official honor list of the Global HIPPO Association.
  • Participants: National Round Global Award and Regional Qualifiers Round champion players (must have an ID from China or another non-native English speaking country)
  • Participation Fee: Free of Charge for participation fees and three-day half-board accommodation fees during the Global Finals. Finalists will be responsible for their own international airfare and visa fees to and from Italy.
  • Participation Deadline and Method: Until Further Notice

Global Finals

Global Finals


Sample Test

Hippo Hall of Fame

* Below feedbacks are translated version

2023 Hippo Highlights

Q&A

Q: How do I select the right exam level for my students? How do I select between regular category and special category?
A: The Hippo English Assessment Committee has strict age and grade restrictions for each level of entry, candidates must apply for the exam in accordance with their school grade as indicated on the exam details page. The examinations team allows students to apply for a higher level than the school grade they are enrolled in. For example, a 7th grade student is recommended to take HIPPO 2, he may also take HIPPO 3/4, but not HIPPO 1.

Students with excellent English skills are welcome to challenge the special category. The Special Category level corresponds to a difficulty level 1-2 levels higher than the Regular Category.

Q: How do the test scores correspond to the CEFR levels? How do I obtain the corresponding language proficiency certificate?
A: CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) is an internationally recognized reference standard for assessing language ability and proficiency. The content of Hippo English Olympiad questions is based on the CEFR assessment framework, so the difficulty level of the questions corresponds to the difficulty level of CEFR level (see page 4 for details of the level comparison table). Hippo English Olympiad's award certificates are marked with the CEFR level corresponding to the student's enrollment level. Schools and parents can also consider Hippo English Olympiad as an authoritative CEFR-based English language proficiency assessment, which provides a better reference basis for subsequent English grading teaching and learning.
Q: Where will the offline test sites be located? Will students be able to choose between taking the online and offline exams on their own?
A: Offline test centers are usually ASDAN China partner schools that organize registration across the country. Please check with your school teacher to see if the school will organize the test. If your school does not organize the test, the organizing committee can assist you in reserving a place at another test center in the same city. Students who fail to obtain a reservation seat offline will take the exam online. The content of the test, test duration and marking criteria are identical between the online and offine exams.
Q: What are the requirements for venue & equipment for online exams?
A: There are no restrictions on the venue for the online exam, so candidates can complete the exam at home. Good internet access needs to be ensured throughout the exam and students need to complete all responses independently once the exam begins. Candidates need to use a laptop with a web camera as the exam device (can't use cell phones, tablets, etc.) and a fixable electronic device with a camera such as a cell phone, tablet or computer as the proctoring device. Before the exam, the organizing committee will send detailed instructions for the exam, arrange for equipment testing, and open the the real exam system for a mock exam practice. Please pay attention to the email and SMS notification sent by that time.
Q: Can parents help with the test if the child is young?
A: Online exams allow candidates aged 12 and under to be assisted by their parents in setting up the equipment and taking the mock exam. Parents are required to leave the room where the student is after the test has officially started. If parents are found to be involved in the exam answering process, the exam results shall be disqualified.

The offline exams will be proctored by the school teachers at the test site, and parents are not allowed to enter the test room.

Q: How do I get past test papers and study guide?
A: After registration, you can download the Hippo English Olympiad sample papers and answers from the "My ASDAN" → "My Project" → "Hippo English Olympiad" → "Material Download" in the ASDAN WeChat Mini-program.
Q: What kind of targeted tutoring can schools and teachers do?
A: Teachers at the test site can obtain the Examination Syllabus for each level provided by the Hippo committee, which can be used as the study and teaching guidance. The Hippo sample questions and answers can also be used as reference materials for teachers in their daily teaching and preparation for the test.
Q: How long does it take to receive the test results and certificates?
A: The results and the semi final round admission list will be announced within 3 weeks after the preliminary round, at which time candidates and parents can check the results and admission results in the ASDAN WeChat mini-program. The preliminary round certificate will be sent to the home address or school (for schools as test centers) about 6 weeks after the competition. The National Finals results and Global finalists will be announced within 6 weeks after the National Finals Round, and the certificates will be sent to the home address or school around 8 weeks after the National Finals test.

Regional Academic Specialists


Ms He 4001-699-686to1

North China

Beijing、Tianjin、Shanxi、Shandong、Hebei、Henan、Inner Mongolia、Heilongjiang、Jilin、Liaoning


Ms Tan 4001-699-686 to 1

East China

Shanghai、Jiangsu、Zhejiang


Ms Wen 4001-699-686 to 1

South China

Guangdong、Guangxi、Fujian、Hainan、HongKong、Macao、Taiwan


Ms Wu 4001-699-686 to 1

Central & West China

Chongqing、Sichuan、Guizhou、Yunnan、Shaanxi、Gansu、Tibet、Ningxia、Qinghai、Hubei、Hunan、Anhui、Jiangxi、Xinjiang