PUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE, CURIOSITY, AND GRIT ON THE MAIN STAGE
About the Competition
The Presidential 1776 Award is part of a national civics competition that challenges high school students who have interest in history around the founding of America and the ideas that shaped this country. The competition focuses on the Founders, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitutional Convention, and the key battles and soldiers of the American Revolutionary War.
Students in grades 9-12 will compete in three stages:
- An online multiple-choice test
- An in-person regional semi-finals
- A national finals event in Washington D.C.
Student travel and lodging will not be sponsored for regional contestants but will be covered for national finalists.
Participate
The top finalists will earn a trip to the nation's capital and compete on stage for major scholarship awards:
For Students
This is a chance for students to turn their love of history, debate, or politics into real opportunities and build skills that matter for college and beyond.
For Parents & Teachers
This is also an opportunity for parents and teachers to get involved by supporting students with routine, study habits, and testing their knowledge. Parents and teachers are encouraged to take the test to get an understanding of how rigorous this competition is.
Grand Prize
$150,000
1st Place
scholarship value
2nd Place
$75,000
scholarship value
3rd Place
$25,000
scholarship value
Student travel and accommodations will not be covered by the sponsors of this civics competition.
Competition Requirements
Eligibility
The Presidential 1776 Award is designed to challenge students while emphasizing fairness, integrity, and respect.
Who Can Apply
- U.S. citizens, nationals, and permanent residents
- Students in grades 9-12 residing in any of the 50 states, D.C., or US Territories Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa or Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands
- Cannot be immediate family of any competition judge
Registration
- Sign up for information and reminders of important dates and events at presidential1776award.org
- Register at test.presidential1776award.org starting February 1, 2026
- Submit registration before February 22, 2026
- Free to participate
Rules & Integrity
- Get your parent/guardian's permission to participate
- Academic dishonesty leads to disqualification
- Agree to all competition rules
In the Process We Trust
Competition Rounds
From online qualification to the national finals in Washington, D.C., each round challenges students to demonstrate their knowledge of America's founding.
General Rules & Guidelines
- Entries cannot be withdrawn after submission
- The U.S. Department of Education is not responsible for lost or incomplete entries
- Entrants must ensure accurate contact information
- Providing false or AI-generated content (e.g., via Chat GPT, Claude, Gemini, etc.) will result in disqualification
- All U.S. Department of Education and judge decisions are final and not open to appeal
Multiple Choice Test
All registered students complete a 90-minute online test covering U.S. founding documents, the Constitutional Convention, and Revolutionary War history. Each section progresses in difficulty from foundational to advanced.
Qualifying Round Details
About the Multiple Choice Test
The qualifying test challenges students across three timed sessions that increase in difficulty from foundational to intermediate, to advanced. Study hard and prepare well to advance to the next round!
The qualifying test will consist of three 30-minute timed sessions that increase in difficulty from foundational to intermediate, to advanced. There is an unlimited number of questions that covers the documents and topics listed in the Study Library.
Participants will have 90 minutes to complete the official test with 5-minute rest breaks between each 30-minute session. Each question will have four multiple choice answer options. Only one answer will be correct for each question. Once the test begins, it must be completed.
Participants CANNOT stop the test and continue the next day or any other time later in the day. The test must be completed in one setting.
Students may NOT use notes, books, or aids to help answer online test questions. Parents will be asked to commit to ensuring their students adheres to this rule.
The four highest-scoring participants and two alternates from Round One of the competition will be chosen from each state and district. The top two highest-scoring participants and two alternates from Round One of the competition will be chosen from each U.S. Territory.
Judging & Scoring
Judging Panel
The judging panel will consist of teachers recruited by the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation. Judges must disclose conflicts of interest and recuse themselves if necessary.
Scoring Breakdown
Section 1
Per correct answer
Section 2
Per correct answer
Section 3
Per correct answer
Regional Semifinal
Per correct answer
National Final
Per correct answer
Championship Round
The pinnacle of the competition where the top two finalists face off in a live oral examination before a national audience.
Explore the Kennedy Center venue- The final two contestants will compete live on stage at the Kennedy Center
- Each contestant will be asked 10-12 oral questions each (60-second response time)
- If tied, sudden-death tiebreakers will continue until one champion remains.
Judges for this competition will be educators selected from the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation. All judges will disclose conflicts of interest before participating.
Finals
Sign Up
Sign up for the contest newsletter to get information and instructions when contest registration opens Feb 1, 2026.
Study
Use the Study Library to enhance your history knowledge.
Track
Track your new knowledge and skills in your free Learning & Employment Record (LER).
Share
Share your LER with colleges or future employers to showcase your knowledge and skills.
YOUR LEARNING JOURNEY, VERIFIED
Achievement Records
When you complete the online test for the Presidential 1776 Award, you contribute to your digital learning portfolio known as a Learning & Employment Record (LER). Provided free by LER.me, an EBSCOed product.
Create a comprehensive digital record of your skills and achievements
Share with colleges and employers to show what you know and can do
Keep adding over time as you learn new skills
Join the Celebration
View details for U.S. History competition leading up to the national competition in Washington, D.C., and more America 250 events from across the country!