CEFR
Benchmarking the Common European Framework of Reference for Language
73
Countries and Regions
555,314
Global Students So Far
14 Years
14 Year History
GET READY FOR 2026
The 14th edition of the HIPPO Contest will take place in 2026, and we are excited to welcome students and schools from around the world. With a vast network of country coordinators across more than 70 countries, students from all corners of the globe are encouraged to participate. Check out the 2026 Regulations for details on categories and eligibility. Hippo the Contest is open to non-native English speakers in search of a new challenge, invaluable experience and life-long friendships
14
Difficulty Levels for Grade 1 to Grade 12
Government & Private School
Bilingual & International School
Advancement
Preliminary - Semi final - World Finals
Fun
Scenario-based and Life-like Topics
Italy
Free Trip to Rome for Global Finals
14 th HIPPO dates
PRELIMINARY ROUND
10 May 2026 (9AM-10:30AM)
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Online exams
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Paper based exam centers / schools
NATIONAL FINALS
29 or 30 May 2026 (By Invited Email)
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In-class online examinations
-
Paper based exam centers / schools
REGIONAL QUALIFY - ASIA
Thailand July 2026
Participating Countries: Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
WORLD FINALS
Assisi, Italy, from 12th to 15th October 2026.
Preliminary Round
The first step of the Hippo journey — your first test, right near home, maybe even in your own school! Also available online.
(1) Online at home
(2) Paper-based at centers or campus
• Reading
• Use of English
[All multiple choice questions]
Local Rank Award: Gold 20%, next 20% Silver and next 20% Bronze.
Thailand
10 May 2026 (9AM)
World Finals
The World Finals bring together the top students from around the globe: those who qualified directly from the National Finals, the winners of the Continental Rounds, and the champions of the Play-Off Qualifiers. This is the ultimate stage of the Contest, where the best of the best compete for the world title.
Face-to-face at Assisi, Italy
• Reading
• Listening
• Writing
• Speaking
• Use of English
• Crossword
Assisi, Italy
12 - 15 October 2026
National Finals
Only the top 20% make it here — the best of the best competing in major cities across the country or online!
(1) Online at home
(2) Paper-based at centers
• Reading
• Writing
• Essay (except Baby & Little Hippo)
Thailand
29-30 May 2026 (By Invited Email)
Regional Qualifier Round
f you didn’t pass the National Finals but still scored more than 70% of the top scorer’s result, you can participate in the Continental Round — an extra chance to reach the World Finals.
Face-to-face at Thailand
• Use of English
• Crossword
Participating Countries: Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
Thailand
July 2026
Difficulty Level
HIPPO categories refer by grade and school program:
Regular Category: General Thai Program
Description:
This category is exclusively for students enrolled in the standard Thai National Curriculum. It primarily covers students from the Regular Program and Mini English Program (MEP) who study most core subjects in Thai.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Applicants must be currently enrolled in a government or private school following the Thai National Curriculum.
- Applicants must not have a parent who is a native English speaker.
- Applicants must not have resided or studied in a country where English is the primary language for more than [3-6 months].
Exclusion Criteria:
- Applicants must not be enrolled in an English Program (EP) or International School.
- Applicants must not be enrolled in any program (regardless of its name) where major subjects (e.g., Mathematics, Science) are taught in English or where English instruction constitutes 50% or more of the total class time.
Special Category: English & International Program
Description:
This category is an open competition for students with advanced English proficiency. It welcomes students from the English Program (EP), Intensive English Program (IEP), and International Schools.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Open to students enrolled in English Programs (EP/IEP) or International Schools.
- Open to students who have one or both parents as native English speakers.
- Open to students who have resided or studied abroad in English-speaking countries.
Students eligible for Category Special may choose to compete in this category if they wish to challenge themselves (but Category Special students cannot compete in Category Regular).
Note: The committee reserves the right to reclassify participants to the appropriate category if their educational background or English proficiency exceeds the criteria for the General Thai Program.
Regular Categories | Regular Program (Mode ONLINE)
( หลักสูตรปกติที่มีสัดส่วนวิชาภาษาอังกฤษไม่เกิน 50% สำหรับระดับชั้นประถมศึกษ าปีที่ 1 ถึงมัธยมศึกษาปีที่ 6 จัดสอบออนไลน์)
Baby HIPPO
Primary 1-2 (ประถมศึกษาปีที่ 1-2)
40 min
Reading :
Use of English:
30 questions 1 point each
20 questions 1.5 point each
Preliminary
CERF Pre A1 YL
National & World Final
CEFR A1 YL
Little HIPPO
Primary 3-4 (ประถมศึกษาปีที่ 3-4)
40 min
Reading :
Use of English:
30 questions 1 point each
20 questions 1.5 point each
Preliminary
CEFR Pre A1 YL
National & World Final
CEFR A1 YL
HIPPO 1
Primary 5-6 (ประถมศึกษาปีที่ 5-6)
50 min
Reading :
Use of English:
30 questions 1 point each
20 questions 1.5 point each
Preliminary
CEFR A1 YL
National & World Final
CEFR A2 YL
HIPPO 2
Secondary 1 (มัธยมศึกษาปีที่ 1)
50 min
Reading :
Use of English:
34 questions 1 point each
20 questions 1.5 point each
Preliminary
CEFR A1
National & World Final
CEFR A2
HIPPO 3
Secondary 2-3 (มัธยมศึกษาปีที่ 2-3)
50 min
Reading :
Use of English:
34 questions 1 point each
20 questions 1.5 point each
Preliminary
CEFR A2
National & World Final
CEFR B1
HIPPO 4
Secondary 4-5 (มัธยมศึกษาปีที่ 4-5)
70 min
Reading :
Use of English:
34 questions 1 point each
20 questions 1.5 point each
Preliminary
CEFR B1
National & World Final
CEFR B2
HIPPO 5
Secondary 6 (มัธยมศึกษาปีที่ 6)
75 min
Reading :
Use of English:
40 questions 1 point each
20 questions 1.5 point each
Preliminary
CEFR B2
National & World Final
CEFR C1
Special Categories | English Program
( Major subjects are taught in English or 50% or more classes in English)
*** Bilingual & English Program or International School
- Major subjects are taught in English
- 50% or more classes in English
Baby HIPPO
40 min
Grade 1-2 (Year 2-3 in UK)
Reading
Use of English
30 questions 1 point each
20 questions 1.5 points each
Preliminary
CERF Pre A1 YL
National & World Final
CEFR A1 YL
Little HIPPO
40 min
Grade 3-4 (Year 4-5 in UK)
Reading
Use of English
30 questions 1 point each
20 questions 1.5 points each
Preliminary
CEFR Pre A1 YL
National & World Final
CEFR A1 YL
HIPPO S1
50 min
Grade 5-6 (Year 6-7 in UK)
Reading
Use of English
34 questions 1 point each
20 questions 1.5 points each
Preliminary
CEFR A1
National & World Final
CEFR A2
HIPPO S2
75 min
Grade 7 (Year 8 in UK)
Reading
Use of English
40 questions 1 point each
20 questions 1.5 points each
Preliminary
CEFR A2
National & World Final
CEFR B1
HIPPO S3
75 min
Grade 8-9 (Year 9-10 in UK)
Reading
Use of English
40 questions 1 point each
20 questions 1.5 points each
Preliminary
CEFR B1
National & World Final
CEFR B2
HIPPO S4
70 min
Grade 10-11 (Year 11-12 in UK)
Reading
Use of English
34 questions 1 point each
20 questions 1.5 points each
Preliminary
CEFR B2
National & World Final
CEFR C1
HIPPO S5
50 min
Grade 12 (Year 13 in UK)
Reading
Use of English
34 questions 1 point each
20 questions 1.5 points each
Preliminary
CEFR C1
National & World Final
CEFR C2
Special categories are aimed at students who are considered bilingual according to the Hippo Olympiad regulations (see above) as well as for the international schools and the schools where the majority or all subjects are taught in English (except for the countries where English is the only official language, e.g. UK).
Global Hippo Association keeps the right to check the school’s curriculum, the language of
instruction and number of hours of English taught. Students who enrol in one of the regular
categories but are supposed to compete in the special categories according to the regulations will be
disqualified.
Registration
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Group Registration (minimum 25 students) by School/Teacher and take the exam in your school. The school will receive a support fee for organizing the exam. Please email to contact@phiconnections.org. We will contact you soon.
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The registration deadline is April 24, 2026 . No applications will be accepted after the deadline.
Important Notes
1) Students who reached Hippo 2025 final round cannot compete in the same level in Hippo 2026.
2) The students of lower levels can compete at higher level if they feel prepared for the level.
3) Global Hippo Association keeps the right to check the school’s curriculum, the language of instruction and the number of hours of English taught.
4) Global Hippo Association reserves the right to disqualify those who did not comply with the regulations.
Refund Policy
Refund is permissible if you cannot attend the competition on the scheduled date due to health condition, and the replacement date is not available. You must produce a valid medical certificate to request the refund of the participation fee.
Questions?
For more information about the competition, please email to contact@phiconnections.org
HIPPO 2024
Preliminary Round
Results
Top 20% of participating students in green will invited to join (FREE of Charge) the semi-final round in March 15th, 2025 by emails.
Candidates in green, World Finals @ Assisi, Italy -
September 23 - 26, 2024
Candidates in yellow, Regional Qualifier @ Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - July 12-14, 2024
*** Candidate in green and yellow will be invited to the world final and regional qualifier round by email
HIPPO 2024
National Round
Results
HIPPO 2025
Preliminary Round
Results
The top 20% of participating students (highlighted in green) will be invited to join the semi-final round, free of charge, on March 14-15, 2025, via email by.
HIPPO 2025
National Round
Results
Candidates in green, World Finals @ Assisi, Italy - September 29 - October 1, 2025
Candidates in green (if any) qualified for World Finals, candidates in yellow (if any) for Regional Qualifiers and Play-Off Qualifiers. Candidates in orange (if any) qualified for Play-Off Qualifiers.
https://hippo-thecontest.org/em_portfolios/world-finals/
Regional Qualifier:
https://hippo-thecontest.org/em_portfolios/regional-qualifiers/
HIPPO 2023
Semi-final Round
Results
Candidates in green, World Finals - October 2023
Candidates in yellow, Regional Qualifier for Hippo S10 @ Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - July 06-07, 2023
*** Candidate in green and yellow will be invited to the world final and regional qualifier round by email
HIPPO S10 RANKING LISTS
In accordance with the regulations, in particular:
Where the number of enrolments in a specific region reaches 10,000 students in the 2023 edition, with a minimum of 1,000 candidates per Hippo Category, HIPPO association will organise an additional round of the Olympiad, called Qualifiers.
In addition to the regular categories, Regional Qualifiers will also be held for Hippo S10, for the region of Southeast Asia, Mongolia, India & Far East, to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. For the countries in this region:
China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Thailand ICE, Thailand PHI and Vietnam,
separate ranking lists are available, with the names of World Finalists highlighted in green, and the names of the qualifiers highlighted in yellow.
For the rest of the world, a single ranking list is available (at the end of this document) with the names of the World Finalists highlighted in green and blue (wildcard: in a country where no candidate qualifies for the final round, the best candidate is admitted).
VENUES - ONSITE for individual register :
( Coordinator's contact details can be found in the registration )
Bangkok-Bangkap, [ SCG Home Experience ], 10AM
Bangkok-Ram Intra [ Pramochwittayaramintra School ], 9AM
Bangkok - Chatuchak [ Bon Marche' Market ], 9AM
Bangkok, Rangsit: Klong 3, 9AM
Bangkok, Samutprakarn [ Bangpleepattanasuksalai School ], 9AM
Central Region, Nakhon Prathom [ SKOOLWORKS ], 9AM
Central Region, Saraburi [ Sukanan Park ], 9AM
Central Region, Lopburi [ Crestview International School ], 9AM
East, Chonburi, 9AM
East Chonburi [ Tonlew International Kindergarten ] 9AM
East, Rayong / Banchang, 9AM
North, Chiang Mai, 9AM
North, Chiangrai [ One Hope International School ] 9AM
Northeast, Nakhon Ratchasima [ Plookpunya School ], 9AM
Northeast, Roi-Et, 9AM
Northeast, Surin, 9AM
South, Hatyai, 9AM
South, Krabi, 9AM
South, Nakhon Si Thammarat, 9AM
South, Phuket [BCIS Phuket International School], 9AM
South, Samui [ Windfield International School ], 9AM
West, Ratchaburi, 9AM