2024 Hippo English Assessment
Hippo English Assessment
The Global Youth English (Non-native) Olympiad Challenge & Assessment
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
*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
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 questionGroup | 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* |
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
* 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
Hippo Hall of Fame
* Below feedbacks are translated version
-
Student Xiao
Tianfu No.7 Primary School | Grade 32023 Hippo Result
HIPPO Grade:Hippo 3
Preliminary Round:First Prize Award
National Finals:Gold Medal AwardHippo English assessment is interesting and moderately difficult, it is very suitable for students who hope to gain small achievements while learning English in a fun way.Hippo English Assessment helped me summarize my previous English learning. Taking Hippo Assessment also helped me find the direction for future English learning and improvement. Hippo’s preparation process also helped me train my reading skills and increase my English vocabulary.Contestants who will participate in 2024 Hippo English Assessment, I hope you can enjoy it!
Student Luo
Shanghai Experimental School International Division | Grade 32023 Hippo Result
HIPPO Grade:Little Hippo
Preliminary Round:First Prize Award
National Finals:Gold Medal AwardHippo English Assessment is moderately difficult and very interesting! By taking the Hippo English assessment,my vocabulary and grammar knowledge have been significantly improved. I encountered challenges when preparing for the exam,but I tried hard to overcome them and make positive changes.In order to achieve the ideal assessment target result, I had to start accumulating more vocabulary,I mainly made it by reading more extracurricular books and communicating with my classmates and teachers in English,I also recommend contestants to practice write English stories for improving productive skills. All in all,I assume the best way to improve our overall English ability is to read more, write more, travel abroad and use the language.
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Student Liu
Gems Wellington Academy- Al Khail | Grade 42023 Hippo Result
HIPPO Grade:Little Hippo
Preliminary Round:First Prize Award
National Finals:
Global Honor Award & Gold Medal Award(successfully qualified for the 2023 Global Finals)In 2023 Hippo English Assessment,I scored full marks in the written test and listening session, I lost some marks in speaking.
For English learning, I built up a little bit from the alphabet to natural spelling to picture books to articles, and it's a perennial method of learning the liberal arts to focus on building up. I keep reading every day for 365 days and never let up. The scope of reading includes news, novels, popular science books, speeches, theatre lines, diaries of famous people, biographies of famous people and so on. I would slack off occasionally at first, but I found that persistence itself is a cool thing, so the more I learnt, the more fun it became!
I want to run into tougher opponents which will make me improve more as well. I'm glad the world has a group of like-minded friends like you guys, it's one of the greatest spiritual joys of this world.
Student Shi
Nanjing Foreign Language School International Division | Grade 102023 Hippo Result
HIPPO Grade:Hippo 4
Preliminary Round:First Prize Award
National Finals:Silver Medal AwardI think Hippo English Assessment is moderately difficult. It cleverly uses objects in daily life to assess the language ability of the contestants. The scope of the assessment is comprehensive and detailed, and it is highly practical: the writing,grammar and other questions included in the assessment restore the experience of studying abroad.Participating in Hippo English Assessment is a good chance to know how studying abroad is like. In addition,the assessment of some difficult phrases and words can also help me lay the foundation for future academic study: as when I pursuit university academic study in the future,most literature is written in English,so it requires me to have profound vocabulary foundation. In addition,Hippo English Assessment questions are quite interesting: the stories told in the Reading questions are quite humorous,but always tell us life philosophies from them. I highly recommend everyone to take part in Hippo English Assessment!
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Student Jin
Green Oasis School | Grade 42023 Hippo Result
HIPPO Grade:Hippo 1
Preliminary Round:First Prize Award
National Finals:Silver Medal AwardI think the difficulty level of the Hippo English Assessment is relatively fine. The questions test some points that we might ignore in life, which is very unique. Participating in Hippo English Assessment made me more confident in my English skills,and there was no big challenge for me! Hippo 2024 contestants,if you have the opportunity to successfully advance to the later rounds don’t be proud, because the difficulty of the assessment in each round has increased,so keep learning,you can do it!
Student Jiang
Huili School Hangzhou | Grade 62023 Hippo Result
HIPPO Grade:Hippo 1
Preliminary Round:First Prize Award
National Finals:Bronze Medal AwardI think the Hippo English Assessment is very interesting and relatively easy to take. Participating in the Hippo English Assessment helped me detect my weak links in English learning,so that I can study and improve in a targeted manner; and during the preparation period,I insisted on reading every day,which improved my English vocabulary and ability to organize and use English words,and helped me form a reading habit. Finally, I would like to tell future contestants that short-term sprints are not advisable,English learning should be put on every day,and English should be treated as a language rather than a subject. The use of language itself is very important and interesting. Take more Hippo English Assessments and use the language to communicate with your classmates!
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Student Qian
Shanghai United International School HongQiao Campus |
Grade 32023 Hippo Result
HIPPO Grade:Little Hippo
Preliminary Round:First Prize Award
National Finals:
Global Honor Award & Gold Medal Award(successfully qualified for the 2023 Global Finals)Participating in Hippo English Assessment can help me self-test my English level, understand my English weakness, and make improvements to help me learn English better. When I prepare for 2023 Hippo English Assessment,I mainly relied on the knowledge I learned in school and the accumulation of previous English grammar knowledge. In my opinion, the most important thing in learning English is to develop the habit of daily reading, and the second suggestion is to focus on some difficult grammar points. In fact, I have also encountered challenges during the various rounds of 2023 Hippo English Assessment.And I would also like to let all the contestants know that You have done a great job,don’t be arrogant when you win or lose when you lose,you can use the current result as a starting point to encourage yourself and enjoy English learning.
Student Gong
Hangzhou Dipont School of Arts and Science | Grade 52023 Hippo Result
HIPPO Grade:Hippo 1
Preliminary Round:First Prize Award
National Finals:Silver Medal AwardI think the Hippo English Assessment is moderately difficult, the questions are very interesting, and they are very close to daily life. Participating in the Hippo English Assessment has helped me in two major ways: first, it can effectively test my daily English learning results; second, it has made me more confident and competitive in English learning, and I have become more passionate about learning. Regarding the preparation for the Hippo English, I actually did not prepare very deliberately, but relied on a lot of daily exercises. This also made me realize that if you really love a subject, just devote yourself to it and enjoy it. It’s a long-term learning process and I believe you can do better!
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Student Wang
The Fourth Primary School affiliated to Fuzhou Institute of Education | Grade 62023 Hippo Result
HIPPO Grade:Hippo 1
Preliminary Round:Excellence AwardThe Hippo English Assessment is very suitable for students of different ages, using it as a testing standard for daily English learning, because the Hippo English Assessment is based on the European Language Assessment Framework CEFR, which is a global standard; It can also help students like me enhance their motivation and self-confidence in English learning. For me, I want to overcome my English weakness and strive for a better ranking in the 2024 Hippo English Assessment! Let’s work together and use English as fluently as our native language!
Student Shi
Shanghai United International School HongQiao Campus |
Grade 62023 Hippo Result
HIPPO Grade:Hippo S10
Preliminary Round:First Prize Award
National Finals:Silver Medal AwardFor me, Preliminary Round of Hippo English Assessment was easier. The difficulty of National Finals round increased: the daily vocabulary test in the writing part was quite interesting, but some of the grammar and vocabulary were still challenging for me. Taking Hippo English Assessment has made me more confident in my English proficiency! I hope more contestants from China will be shortlisted for the Global Finals! I also believe I will do better next time!
Q&A
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