Twelve

Twelve is an academic competition that challenges teams of students to compete in a series of challenging mental quizzes covering a variety of subject areas. Twelve is an original competition developed by the North Carolina Association for Scholastic Activities (NCASA). The Atkins Twelve team is coached by Nicholas Arzillo and meets in Room 327.   

Twelve teams of twelve students each will tackle twelve topics with twelve questions each. Will your school be one of twelve to compete for the state championship of Twelve?

Participation

As an NCASA-hosted event, Twelve is a component of the Scholastic Cup.Accordingly, only NCASA Member Schools may participate in Twelve and earn Scholastic Cup Points.

Overview

Teams

Each Team is comprised of 12 students from a single school. Each school may send one Team to the competition. Students will be grouped to compete in the following topics:

• Wildcard Topics
• Computers & Information Technology
• Current Events
• Geography
• North Carolina
• Performing Arts
• Sports
• Television & Movies
• Visual Arts
• Primary Topics
• Algebra & Geometry
• Calculus & Trigonometry
• Civics & Economics
• Grammar & Composition
• Life Sciences
• Literature
• Physical Sciences
• US History
• Word Problems
• World History

Topic Grouping

At the Tournament Kick-Off, the 2 Wildcard Topics and the grouping of the 12 topics is presented. Each Team has twelveminutes to assign three team members to each group before the first Round begins. An example of a Topic Grouping is shown below:

Tournament

All Teams in each Enrollment Classification compete in the same room at the same time. Active Players from each Team are grouped together, while inactive Players and Coaches remain in the back of the room where they can watch the active Players compete. The groups will compete as follows:

• Group A competes in Rounds 1, 5, and 9
• Group B competes in Rounds 2, 6, and 10
• Group C competes in Rounds 3, 7, and 11
• Group D competes in Rounds 4, 8, and 12

Rounds

During each Round, 12 questions are read aloud and displayed on a large projection screen. Each team is challenged to record their answers to questions quickly while listening to the subsequent questions.Once all questions are read, the active group may briefly review their answers before responses are collected.

Scoring

Responses are graded during the competition.Each correct answer is worth one point, while incorrect answer receives no points. Scores are updated after each Round, and Teams are ranked after each Round according to the total number of correct answers.

Downloads

• Twelve Competition Rules Download Now (PDF)
• Twelve Sample Packet Download Now (MS PowerPoint)
• Twelve Training Materials Download Now (MS PowerPoint)

A Dynamic Challenge

Twelve is a dynamic competition that challenges Players and Coaches alike. Below are some key factors that contribute to the appeal and challenges of Twelve:

• Suspense: Tension is generated before two unknowns are revealed at the Tournament Kick-Off: The Wildcard Topics and the Topic Groupings. The revelation of these unknowns generates excitement as Teams create groups to tackle the previously-unknown Topic Groupings.
• Multitasking: Questions in each Round are asked in succession, challenging the Players to note answers while subsequent questions are being asked. The pace is adequate to allow for assessment and response, but challenging enough to keep Players on their toes.
• Multimedia: Questions are presented using a variety of formats including music, pictures, videos to enhance game play and challenge both visual and auditory assessment.
• Engagement: At the end of Round 2, the scores from Round 1 are posted for all to see. As the Tournament progresses, scores are updated after each Round. Round-by-Round updates keep Players excited and engaged in the Tournament.