Help Desk

Hi-Lingua Essay Challenge

The Hi-Lingua Essay Challenge is a FREE ONLINE writing competition designed for students worldwide in grades 6–11. It offers participants a chance to demonstrate their creativity, English proficiency, and critical thinking skills. Conducted under secure, standardized exam conditions, the challenge requires students to write an essay based on prompts revealed at the start of the test. Its goal is to encourage strong writing skills, support thoughtful self-expression, and provide a fair, structured platform for young writers across the globe to showcase their abilities.

GENERAL CONDITIONS

  1. Hi-Lingua Essay Challenge is a FREE ONLINE writing competition for students in grades 6 to 11.
  2. The Essay Challenge is only in English and is not available in other languages.
  3. The Essay Challenge consists of 2 grade groups:
    Group 1 - Grades 6, 7, 8
    Group 2 - Grades 9, 10, 11
  4. The challenge is conducted only through the Hi-Lingua Student Portal; no external links or emails are used.
  5. Students will write one essay by selecting one of three topics, which are revealed only at the start of the exam.
  6. Challenge Date and Time: 25 January 2026 at 10:00 (AM) local time in each country.
  7. The challenge duration is 60 minutes and the essay must be completed within this time.
  8. Required word count: 250-300 words for Group 1 and 300-400 words for Group 2
  9. Participation is individual and students must enter according to their correct grade level.
  10. Participants must use a laptop or desktop computer with a working webcam and a stable internet connection (mobile phones and tablets are not allowed).
  11. The webcam must be ON, the student must be clearly visible and the computer screen must be shared for the entire recorded exam session.
  12. Suspicious actions may result in warnings, exam termination or disqualification.
  13. Leaving the exam screen may trigger a Tab Error. Each Tab Error will result in a 3-point deduction.
  14. The use of dictionaries, translation tools, AI tools, books, notes, phones, tablets or additional devices is prohibited; any copied, AI-generated or otherwise disallowed content will result in disqualification.
  15. Receiving help from any person is not permitted.
  16. All recordings, submitted essays and personal data are stored securely for two weeks after the results are announced and are used only for administration and assessment purposes.
  17. No make-up exam is available for a missed challenge.
  18. All participants will receive a digital medal or certificate of participation.
  19. Top 3 students in each grade group will receive a physical gold medal, hard copy certificate and Grand Final discount (1st: 75%, 2nd: 50%, 3rd: 25% - 6 students in total)
  20. For additional instructions or information, follow the announcements posted at https://hi-lingua.org/announcements/

EXAM CONDITIONS

  1. Challenge Date and Time: 25 January 2026 at 10:00 (AM) local time in each country.
  2. The challenge duration is 60 minutes and the essay must be completed within this time.
  3. Required word count: 250-300 words for Group 1 and 300-400 words for Group 2
  4. Leaving the exam screen may trigger a Tab Error. Each Tab Error will result in a 3-point deduction.
  5. The use of dictionaries, translation tools, AI tools, books, notes, phones, tablets or additional devices is prohibited; any copied, AI-generated or otherwise disallowed content will result in disqualification.
  6. Students will write one essay by selecting one of three topics, which are revealed only at the start of the exam.
  7. Sample Topics:
    A. How Can We Make Our Schools More Eco-Friendly?
    Instruction: Explain why protecting the environment at school is important. Describe actions students or teachers can take to make the school greener and give examples.
    B. The Importance of Learning From Mistakes
    Instruction: Describe why mistakes are a natural part of life. Explain how learning from mistakes helps people grow and improve, using examples or personal experiences.
    C. Why Reading Books Is Still Important Today
    Instruction: Discuss the benefits of reading. Explain how books help us learn, relax or understand the world, and give reasons to support your ideas.
  8. Assessment Criteria:
    - Content & Ideas
    - Organization & Structure
    - Language Use
    - Cohesion & Coherence
    - Accuracy & Mechanics
  9. The writing rules, technical requirements, and the features of the exam interface will be announced during the week before the exam. Additionally, a trial exam interface will be activated during the week before the exam for students to test the system.