Guidelines and Rules

The International Policy Olympiad is separated into two parts: Regional and International. The regional round is an essay competition, and the international round is a global debate competition where the regional round finalists will be invited to compete.

Regions are broken up into the following:

East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania
Europe, Russia, and Central Asia
Middle East, North Africa, Central and South Africa
South America, Central America, Mexico, and the islands of the Caribbean
North America

Regional Round:

The Olympiad begins when participants are sent 3 questions of which they will choose one to answer.

After the participant chooses which question(s) to answer, the response cannot exceed 1000 words, and must be in PDF form.

An MLA style bibliography citing their sources, must be at the bottom of the participants response to the question.

Judges will evaluate submissions based on the following criteria:

Feasibility of proposed solution

We encourage creativity as well as bold and radical responses, however responses have to be based in reality. You can draw from history to prove your idea can work.

Depth of understanding

Show us how well you understand your viewpoint by arguing, counterarguing, and heavily researching your position. Demonstrate your understanding with research and quotations.

Clarity in Articulation

Be clear and concise in your explanation. Choose a perspective and stand by it, you will not lose points for the position you take, but weakly substantiated arguments will detract from your score.

Purposeness of text

Ensure every sentence contributes meaningfully to your argument. Meaningful articulation comes with a solid grasp of what you are writing about, demonstrate conviction in what you are writing.

Creativity and personal touch

There is rarely a wrong answer in social sciences, so make sure that your response is your own and is grounded in ethics and truth.

International Round:

The final round of the Olympiad will be a structured debate in which selected finalists defend or critique key positions on a major international issue. The goal is to demonstrate clarity of thought, depth of research, rhetorical skill, and ethical awareness in a live, moderated setting.

Debate Format

Modified Parliamentary Style (individual-based, not team-based)

Sides:

Finalists will be randomly assigned to either the Affirmative (Pro) or Negative (Con) position on a motion.

Preparation Guidelines:

Topics and questions will be released 7 days before the debate.

Each finalist must prepare both sides (Pro and Con), as assignments will be revealed just prior to the session.

Participants may consult research materials during preparation but no assistance is allowed during the debate itself.

Structure:

Opening Statement (3 minutes) – Participants will present their argument.

Opponent Rebuttal (4 minutes) – The opposing participant will respond and critique the opposing position.

Cross-Examination (4 minutes total) – There will be a moderated Q&A between participants.

Closing Statement (2 minutes) – Final arguments will be made by both participants.

Each debate will last approximately 15–20 minutes, including transitions and brief moderator remarks.

Rules & Conduct

All arguments must be the competitor’s own. Plagiarism will result in disqualification.

Respect & Civility: Personal attacks, disrespectful language, or interruptions will not be tolerated. Maintain professionalism at all times.

Factual Integrity: All evidence used must be truthful, verifiable, and clearly presented. Fabrication of data will lead to immediate disqualification.

Time Limits: Strict adherence to time limits will be enforced. A timekeeper will signal 1-minute and final 10-second warnings.

Judging Criteria:

Clarity of Argument (25%)

When presenting your argument make sure you answer the question and use clear language to defend your position.

Depth of Insight & Analysis (25%)

Defend your position with examples and proof from the research you have done.

Evidence & Research Quality (25%)

Make it clear you know what you are talking about. Mention quotes, prominent examples, and evidence based theories.

Rhetorical Persuasiveness (25%)

How you formulate your argument and use rhetorical devices and avoid logical fallacies.

Each finalist will be evaluated by our panel of scholars, professors, and social science professionals.

There will be first, second, and third place finalists.

DO NOT CHEAT

At the International Policy Olympiad we have a ZERO tolerance policy towards plagiarism. No submission with any amount of plagiarism or cheating will be accepted.

The international Policy Olympiad has a zero-tolerance policy for plagiarism and academic dishonesty. Submissions will be rigorously reviewed using plagiarism detection and AI-authorship tools.