TEAMS FAQ
PRE-COMPETITION
Who can participate in TEAMS?
When is the competition?
Where is the competition held?
How does my team participate if there's not Host near me?
How do I register?
Can I register more than one team?
How do teams prepare for the competition?
THE COMPETITION
What is the competition theme?
What is the competition format?
Does the competition take more than one day?
What is a typical competition day schedule?
How are scores calculated?
What are the "divisions" and "levels"?
POST-COMPETITION
How are national rankings determined?
When will I learn my team's scores?
Pre-Competition
Who can participate in TEAMS?
All students in grades 9-12 are eligible to compete in TEAMS. Students can be from high schools—public, private, home schools—youth groups or clubs and organizations (Boy/Girl Scouts, 4-H, Junior Achievement, etc.).
When is the competition?
TEAMS 2009 will take place between February 2 and March 15. Even though the time frame to compete is six weeks, the competition only takes one day and the date is selected by the Host.
Where is the competition held?
TEAMS is held at multiple competition sites across the country and are conducted by "Hosts" or colleges, universities and professional organizations. Hosts allow for area schools/groups to travel to a pre-determined and convenient location at which multiple teams can compete against each other. Click here to search for a Host near you.
How does my team participate if there's not Host near me?
If there is not a Host within a reasonable driving distance from your school/group (approximately 1 hour), please contact JETS for alternate options to compete.
How do I register?
All schools/groups wishing to compete must register online through JETS. Registration opens in September and can be accessed through the "Register" link on the left.
Can I register more than one team?
Yes, you may register multiple teams (restrictions may apply at certain Host sites). However, while more than one team from a school/group can participate, each student may only compete once and must choose to compete for either his/her school or group, not both.
How do teams prepare for the competition?
JETS provides several resources for helping your team prepare.
Beginning in October, JETS will release competition scenarios which highlight the general engineering topics that will be presented the day of the competition. The scenarios can be used to your team's advantage when preparing. For example:
- Encourage your team members to begin researching unfamiliar terms and engineering principles.
- Have students consider the challenge that is presented and explore what types of engineers might be involved in developing the solution(s).
You may also work with your students on actual competition questions from previous years. Sample questions from 2007 and 2008 are available for free online and complete competition sets are available for purchase through JETS Store.
Other ideas?
- Invite engineers to serve as a Co-Coach or as a guest speaker to discuss their expert knowledge related to the competition theme and/or competition scenarios.
- Organize field trips to locations of particular relevance to the competition theme.
The Competition
What is the competition theme?
The 2009 TEAMS theme is: Behind the Scenes: Theme Parks.
What is the competition format?
There are two parts to the competition. Both parts are timed (90 minutes each) and must be taken on the same day.
- Part 1 consists of eight questions, each focused on a different engineering scenario with 10 sub-questions for a total of 80 multiple-choice questions.
- Part 2 is comprised of four open-ended questions. Each of the questions posed are extensions of four questions found in Part 1.
Does the competition take more than one day?
No. The competition is completed in one day.
What is a typical competition day schedule?
The actual events of the day vary by Host site, allowing each competition to be unique for its participants. The exceptions to this rule are the competition questions (everyone competes using the same materials) and the two-part format, the time-frame and rules. Most Hosts follow a similar schedule:
| 9:30-10:00am: |
Arrival and Welcome |
| 10:15-11:45am: |
TEAMS Part I |
| 11:45-12:30pm: |
Campus Tour |
| 12:30-1:15pm: |
Lunch |
| 1:30-3:00pm: |
TEAMS Part II and Coaches Workshop |
| 3:00-3:30pm: |
Student Speakers |
| 3:30-4:00pm: |
Awards |
How are scores calculated?
Part 1 and Part 2 are scored separately.
Part 1 is scored by the Host the day your team(s) participates in the competition. These scores are used to determine a team's local and state rankings, and potential to become a National Finalist. The Part I score is equal to the number of questions answered correctly from the 80 multiple-choice questions posed. Each question is worth one point for a total of 80 points. So, if a team answers 50 questions correctly, their Part 1 score is 50; no percentages are used.
Part 2 is scored after the competition concludes by a TEAMS committee and is worth a total of 400 possible points (100 points per question). Part 2 scores determine all National Finalist team's national ranking.
What are the "divisions" and "levels"?
JETS sets divisions and levels for participating schools/groups to allow for more equal competition. School divisions are based two factors: 1- the school's admissions policy (open or selective); and 2- enrollment size of its senior class. Separate divisions exist for home school teams and organizational groups.
Two competition levels, Varsity and Junior Varsity, are also used to allow for more even competition with respect to grade levels. Varsity level includes student participants in grades 9-12 and the Junior Varsity level includes only students in grades 9 - 11.
Post-Competition
How are national rankings determined?
Only National Finalist teams are included in the national rankings. These rankings are calculated using Part 2 scores with respect to the team's division and level. National Rankings are typically announced in April.
Two criteria are used to determine which teams become National Finalists:
- A team is automatically considered a National Finalist if their Part 1 score is greater than the high cut-off score (set by JETS), regardless of its state ranking. Likewise, a team scoring lower than the low cut-off score will not be considered a national finalist, regardless of its state ranking.
- A team is considered a National Finalist with respect to its state ranking and Part 1 score. One place for every five teams competing, in a state, division, and level (Varsity/JV) will become National Finalists. It is the number of PLACES that advance, not the number of teams that advance.
When will I learn my team's scores?
You will learn your teams Part 1 score the day of the competition. Part 2 scores will be released by JETS to those teams who become National Finalists. National Finalists are typically announced near the end of March once all teams have competed.
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