Knowledge Master Open
The Knowledge Master Open (commonly known as Knowledge Masters or KMO) was a computer-based semiannual worldwide academic competition in which teams of students from many schools earned points by answering multiple-choice questions quickly and accurately. The questions included fifteen subject areas: American history, world history, government, recent events, economics & law, geography, literature, English, math, physical science, biology, earth science, health & psychology, fine arts, and useless trivia.[1]
The competition started in 1983 with 74 schools. In 2009, there were about 45,000 participants from over 3,000 high schools and middle schools in the U.S. and other countries. The last contest occurred in April of 2013. Over the 30 years of KMO competition, more than 2.4 million students participated. [2]
There were five levels of competition. 5th and 6th grade contests were held in January and March and consisted of one hundred questions. On the other hand, middle school (up to grade 8), junior high (up to grade 9), and high school (up to grade 12) contests were held in December and April and consisted of two hundred questions.
The Knowledge Masters mascot is a Great Auk[3] with an affinity for puns.
Scoring
All questions are multiple-choice and are worth a maximum of 10 points.[4] Each question is displayed on screen, with five choices and a one-minute timer. Five points are awarded for a correct answer on the first try, with a bonus based on response time. If time expires or an incorrect answer is given, the team is given another minute to respond.[5] Only two points are awarded for correct "second chance" answers.
Bonus points awarded for correct first-try answers are as follows:
| More than | No more than | Bonus points |
|---|---|---|
| 0 seconds | 7 seconds | 5 |
| 7 seconds | 12 seconds | 4 |
| 12 seconds | 17 seconds | 3 |
| 17 seconds | 22 seconds | 2 |
| 22 seconds | 29 seconds | 1 |
| 29 seconds | 60 seconds | 0 |
Recent Winners
According to the official web site, the following is the list of recent winners:[6]
High School, Junior High, and Middle School
6th and 5th Grade
| Year | 6th Grade | 5th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| January 2006 | Hilltop Elementary School (OH) | Grace Wilday School (NJ) |
| March 2006 | Sycamore School (IN) | Hough Street School (IL) |
| January 2007 | Ladue Middle School (MO) | Hough Street School (IL) |
| March 2007 | Mt. Pleasant Middle School (NJ) | Hough Street School (IL) |
| January 2008 | The Westminster Schools (GA) | Hough Street School (IL) |
| March 2008 | Wayzata Central Middle School (MN) | Brandon Valley Schools (SD) |
| January 2009 | Swanson Middle School (VA) | Hough Street School (IL) |
| March 2009 | Webb Bridge Middle School (GA) | Hough Street School (IL) |
| January 2010 | Kealing Middle School (TX) | Hough Street School (IL) |
References
- ↑ Oak Park among world leaders in competition, Trading Markets - Press Release, April 29, 2009 - accessed May 19, 2009
- ↑ Strong Showing in the Knowledge Master Open, HHS Life and Times, January 5, 2009 - accessed May 19, 2009
- ↑ Competition summons inner intellect, The Oshkosh West Index, Dec 17, 2004 - accessed May 19, 2009
- ↑ It's Academic Team to compete in Knowledge Master Open, Silver Chips Online, December 6, 2006 - accessed May 19, 2009
- ↑ Students prep for a quiz they like, Ann Arbor News, March 23, 2009 - accessed May 19, 2009
- ↑ KMO Hall of Fame
- GreatAuk.com, the official KMO site.