Minquiz FAQ

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Minquiz FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) What does Minquiz aim to achieve? Minquiz is regarded as South Africa’s premier annual national Science competition for Grade 12 learners. Minquiz is organised by Mintek, a National Science Council specialising in mineral and metallurgical technology. The aims of Minquiz are to encourage interest in careers in Science, Engineering and Technology, especially (but not exclusively) in minerals and metallurgy, and to promote an awareness of the importance of minerals and metallurgy to South Africa. Minquiz is entertaining for the learners participating, the accompanying educators and the audience, while at the same time the competition conveys the importance of Mathematics and Science as foundational subjects to a career in the minerals and metallurgy industries. The aims of Minquiz are very much in the national interest. The then Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology’s (now the Department of Science and Technology) choice of Minquiz as one of the vehicles to promote minerals and metallurgy during the Year of Science and Technology in 1998 confirms this.

What is the background to Minquiz? It all started in 1988 when Mintek hosted the first Minquiz. Entrants were drawn from senior schools within a few kilometres of Mintek. A few years later the geographical base was, by popular demand, expanded to include over 100 senior schools, including those in the residential areas of Alexandra and Soweto. Between 1993 and 1998 Minquiz became a national event as additional centres were recruited to run the provincial Minquiz competitions in South Africa’s other provinces. The University of Pretoria was the first to duplicate the event in 1993 while the North-West University (previously the University of Potchefstroom) was the last to come on board in 1999. In the intervening years, Provincial Organisers emerged at the Universities of KwaZulu-Natal, Cape Town and the Free State, the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (previously the University of Port Elizabeth), and also at the Capricorn FET College in Polokwane and at Sishen. The Mpumalanga competition is now run by the Tshwane University of Technology (Nelspruit Campus).

How does Minquiz work? Participating learners write a preliminary multiple-choice question test individually, followed by competing as a team during a live, on-stage oral quiz, also with multiple-choice questions. Competitions are held in all provinces and the National Competition is held in Johannesburg. Questions are in the areas of Physical Science, Mathematics and general knowledge in Science, Engineering and Technology. Minquiz Provincial Competition The Minquiz Provincial Competition is held in all provinces on the same date every year. Schools enter a team consisting of 3 learners and are assigned to either the Gold or Platinum category.

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Written stage • • •

Each learner writes a multiple-choice test. The learner gets 1 point for a correct answer, 0 for an incorrect answer. The top 3 learners in the Gold category and the top 3 learners in the Platinum category makes up the provincial team that will compete against the other provinces at the Minquiz National Competition.

Oral stage • • • • • •

The individual written scores are combined to give a total score for each school. The top 5 schools in each category progress to the oral quiz, i.e. the 3 learners in each of these schools participate as a team against the other schools. The oral quiz is led by a quizmaster. Questions are multiple-choice. The team gets 1 point for a correct answer, 0 for an incorrect answer. There are separate oral quizzes for the Gold and Platinum categories.

Minquiz National Competition All provincial teams compete in the Minquiz National Competition. Each provincial team is made up of the top 3 learners in the Gold and Platinum categories (i.e. 6 learners per team) based on their marks during the Minquiz Provincial Competition written test. Written stage • •

Each learner writes a multiple-choice test The learner gets 1 point for a correct answer, 0 for an incorrect answer.

Oral stage • • • • •

The individual written scores are combined to give a total score for each province. The top 5 provinces progress to the oral quiz, i.e. all 6 learners in each provincial participate as a team. The oral quiz is led by a quizmaster. Questions are multiple-choice. The format is similar to the provincial round, with a few extra stages thrown in (like Fastest Finger and Rapid Fire) to make the competition more exciting and challenging.

What prizes can be won? Minquiz Provincial Competition Written stage

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Each learner obtains a certificate of participation. Learners scoring between 60%-79% obtain a Certificate of Distinction. Learners scoring above 80% obtain a Certificate of Excellence. The top learner in the Gold and Platinum categories is awarded a certificate and a trophy each.

Oral stage • • •

The first, second and third winning schools receive cash prizes of R1,400, R850 and R550 respectively in both the Gold and Platinum categories. The first, second and third winning provincial team members receive gold, silver and bronze medals respectively. The top provincial schools in the Gold and Platinum categories receive trophies.

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Minquiz National Competition Written stage

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Each learner obtains a certificate of participation. Learners scoring between 60%-79% obtain a Certificate of Distinction. Learners scoring above 80% obtain a Certificate of Excellence. The top learner in the Gold and Platinum categories is awarded a certificate, a trophy and a cash prize of R1,000 each.

Oral stage • • • •

The first, second and third winning provincial team members receive cash prizes of R650, R450 and R250 each respectively, and also receive miniature trophies each. The winning provincial team members may also receive other prizes depending on sponsorship obtained from outside companies. (In the past, the first-placed team members received a half-ounce Kruger Rand each.) The schools represented in the first, second and third winning provincial teams receive cash prizes of R3,250, R2,250 and R1,250 each respectively. The first, second and third winning provincial teams also receive floating trophies.

What is the difference between the Gold and Platinum categories? Minquiz is designed to accommodate contestants in one of two categories, namely “Gold” and “Platinum”. Gold is regarded as the entry-level category for previously/historically disadvantaged or under-resourced schools, and Platinum the advanced category.

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The Provincial Organisers assign schools that register for the competition into one of the categories using a combination of the school’s historical matric Mathematics, Physical Science and English marks as well as their quintile categorization (or if they are an independent school). The guideline is that schools with an average mark of 60% or above are assigned to the Platinum category, and schools with average marks below 60% are assigned to the Gold category. However, assignment into one of the categories is at the discretion of the Provincial Organisers, and the level of 60% will be used as a guide only. The Gold Category: The Gold Category is intended to cater for previously/historically disadvantaged or underresourced schools. The Platinum Category: The Platinum Category is intended to cater for private schools, former model C schools, well-established public schools and schools which generally do not face the challenges as mentioned above.

What types of questions are asked? The multiple-choice questions in both the written test and the oral quiz are split equally between Physical Science, Mathematics and general knowledge in Science, Engineering and Technology. The questions are taken from the Grade 11 syllabus, are in line with the National Curriculum Statement and are developed and independently audited by education professionals.

Where can I get examples of past questions? Examples of past questions together with their answers will be posted on the Mintek website. www.mintek.co.za and click on the “Minquiz” link.

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Can I get my written test marks after the test? The results of the written test will be posted on the Mintek website (www.mintek.co.za) in the Minquiz page shortly after the Minquiz Provincial Competition and likewise after the Minquiz National Competition. The written test marks will not be made available to anyone (to learners, educators or parents/accompanying adults) on the day of the competition.

Can I use a calculator, school text books or a periodic table in the tests? No calculators or school text books will be allowed into the exam venues. A basic periodic table will be provided for the written tests.

When and where does Minquiz take place? The Minquiz Provincial Competition is held in all provinces in the Department of Science & Technology’s National Science Week (annually every second week of May). In 2011 the date of the Minquiz Provincial Competition is 21 April 2011, and registrations close on 18 March 2011. Contact the Minquiz™ National Office for the location of your province’s nearest Minquiz Provincial Competition Centre. The Minquiz National Competition will be held in Johannesburg on 27-28 June 2011

How do I register for the Provincial Competition? Send an e-mail to [email protected], or download the registration form from the Mintek page of the Mintek website by going to www.mintek.co.za and clicking on the “Minquiz” link, or go directly to the registration page via http://tinyurl.com/minquiz-reg. Please note that it is up to the school to confirm their entry, and the Minquiz Organiser cannot be held responsible if entries are not confirmed and that team is not listed as being entered to compete on the day of the Minquiz Provincial Competition. We are making use of a lot more channels to publicise Minquiz in 2010, and spaces are limited, so register early to avoid disappointment.

Can I enter after the registration closing date? Strictly speaking, the answer is “No”, so please don’t arrive at the Minquiz Provincial Competition venue if you have not registered or have not confirmed your registration. Late entry will be allowed at the sole discretion of the relevant Provincial Organiser.

Is there a registration fee to enter Minquiz? No, registration is free.

Can individuals enter Minquiz? Yes! Individuals are able to enter Minquiz, as long as they are eligible to enter. This will allow home-schooled learners or learners at schools where the educators or school management are not able to enter a full team to enter. Individual learners will be able to take part in the Minquiz Provincial Competition written test, but will not be eligible to take part in the Minquiz Provincial Competition oral quiz (because this is essentially an inter-schools event). However, if his/her written test marks are high enough, he/she would be eligible to represent his/her province at the Minquiz National Competition. 4

Please note that if there are multiple individual entries from the same school that the following will apply: • • •

If there are more than three learners that enter individually from the same school then the three learners who entered first will be combined into a single team to represent their school, and the other learners will not be permitted to enter. If there are three learners that enter individually from the same school then they will be combined into a single team to represent their school. If there are two learners that enter individually from the same school then they either need to get a third member to form a school team or the first learner to enter will represent their school and the other learner will not be permitted to enter.

What are the eligibility criteria for entering Minquiz? • • • • • •

Learners must be in Grade 12 as defined in the National Curriculum Statement. Learners must be taking both Mathematics (not Mathematics Literacy) and Physical Science in Grade 12. Only learners studying full-time can enter. Learners cannot be older than 19 years of age at the time of the Minquiz Provincial Competition. Minquiz is open to foreign citizens just as long as the learner is studying within the borders of South Africa. Learners must be available to travel to Johannesburg in September for the Minquiz National Competition if they are part of the team that represents their province.

Can I still enter if I don’t take Mathematics and Science? No, the competition is only open to learners that take both Mathematics and Science.

Can FET Colleges enter Minquiz? No, only learners in Grade 12 as defined in the National Curriculum Statement can enter Minquiz.

Can schools enter more than one team? No, schools can only enter one team in one category.

English is not my first language. Can I take the tests in another language? No, the official medium of Minquiz is English. Learners may only ask translation-related questions during the written test only, i.e. no translation-related queries will be taken during the oral quiz. Where possible, translators will be present during the written tests to provide assistance.

Who are the Provincial Organisers and what are their powers? Provincial Organisers are in charge of organizing the Minquiz Provincial Competition in their particular province, and for running the event on the day of the competition. They are responsible for communicating the detailed rules and procedures of Minquiz on the day of the event, and are also responsible for resolving any disputes (if any arise) in conjunction with the Mintek representative for each province who is also present on the day of the Minquiz Provincial Competition. New

In 2009 there were 9 Provincial Organisers (one for each province). From 2010 onwards there will be more Provincial Organisers added, so keep an eye on the Minquiz website for updates. 5

List of Minquiz Provincial Organisers: • • • • • • • • •

Western Cape: Stellenbosch (Stellenbosch University) Gauteng: Johannesburg (Mintek) Mpumalanga: Nelspruit (Tshwane University of Technology Nelspruit campus) KwaZulu-Natal: Pinetown (University of KwaZulu Natal, Edgewood campus) North West: Potchefstroom (University of the North West) Eastern Cape: Port Elisabeth (Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University) Free State: Bloemfontein (University of the Free State) Northern Cape: Sishen ( Kumba Iron Ore) Limpopo: Polokwane (Capricorn FET College)

What happens if there is a dispute? If there is a dispute then a decision will be taken by the judges (the Provincial Organiser and the Mintek representative for that province) concerning the dispute. The decision of the judges is final, and no correspondence will be entered into.

How do you deal with ties? Written stage Tie-breaker questions are inserted into the written test, which do not count towards the learner’s written test mark. In the event of a tie, the highest number of correct tie-breaker questions will be used to break the tie. If there is still a tie after the tie-breaker questions, negative marking will be applied, and if a tie still exists, then the winner will be determined by means of a coin toss. Oral stage If there are any ties for first, second or third place after the end of the standard questions, then there will be 5 additional questions posed to the teams that are tied. If a tie still exists after these additional questions then sudden-death tiebreaker questions will be used. If there is still a tie after the sudden death tie-breaker questions, then the winner will be determined by means of a coin toss. If there are two teams tied in first and two teams tied in second, then the teams tied in first shall compete for the first and second prizes, and the teams tied in second shall compete for third prize. I.e. teams tied in second place cannot be promoted to compete for first or second prizes; neither can teams tied in first place be demoted to compete for third prize.

What is the dress code for Minquiz™? You need to wear your full school uniform to take part in Minquiz, at both the Minquiz Provincial Competition and the Minquiz National Competition stages. For home-schooled learners you need to dress smart (suit & tie / evening wear, i.e. not casual). Learners that attend the Minquiz National Competition must also pack casual clothes as there are activities that do not require a school uniform to be worn.

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My home town is nearer to another Provincial Competition location than my own. Can I enter in a different province to my own? New

Yes, from 2010 you can enter the competition in a neighbouring province if the centre in that province is closer to your school than in your own province.

Can you assist with transport costs to get to the Provincial Competition? Unfortunately we cannot assist with these costs, and it is up to the participating schools and/or the parents of the competing learners to transport the team to the competition venue. Provincial Organisers may, at their sole discretion, decide to reimburse travel costs in certain circumstances.

Will Mintek pay for transport costs, meals and accommodation if I have to travel to Johannesburg for the National Competition? Yes, we will pay for reasonable national transport costs, meals and accommodation relating to getting you to Johannesburg if you make it to the Minquiz National Competition. Mintek will be in contact with you to make such arrangements.

Does Mintek offer bursaries? Yes! Go to www.mintek.co.za and click on the “Bursaries” link for more info. You can also send an e-mail to [email protected] or call Mintek’s Academic Liaison Officer during office hours on 011 709 4648 for more information.

I’ve still got questions. Who do I speak to? For further enquiries concerning Minquiz, please [email protected] or call 011 709 4797/4139/4111.

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The legal stuff. This FAQ is for information purposes, and Mintek and its affiliates will not be held responsible for any errors, omissions or misinterpretation of its contents. If there is a dispute, the decision of Mintek and the relevant Provincial Organisers will be final.

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