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Economics and Finance Competitions for High School Students

  • Writer: Derin Goktepe
    Derin Goktepe
  • 16 hours ago
  • 12 min read

During high school, I tried a number of economics and finance competitions, each with its own style and learning curve. When I was starting out, I often wished there was a clear overview of what these competitions were actually like. This post is my attempt to create that resource, with a few personal notes from my own experience.


If you’ve taken AP Microeconomics, AP Macroeconomics, or spent time learning about personal finance topics, my best advice is to try as many competitions as possible. The material overlaps more than you might expect, and studying for one often prepares you for several others at the same time.


This is a work‑in‑progress, and I’ll continue adding more competitions as I experience them.


Economics Knowledge & Analysis Competitions


General Info: The National Economics Challenge is one of the most well‑known high school economics competitions in the United States. It tests students on microeconomics, macroeconomics, international economics, and current events. The competition begins at the state level, and top teams advance to the National Semi‑Finals and then the National Finals.

There are two divisions. The Adam Smith Division is for students who have taken AP, IB, honors, or multiple economics courses. The David Ricardo Division is for students who are newer to economics.

More about rules and eligibility can be found here.

Competition Type: Team of 3–4 students (teams of four encouraged).

Registration: School teacher or coach registers.

Timeline: Dates vary by state. You can find your state‑specific schedule here.

My Personal Take: I participated in this competition three times, and my team was a state finalist in the last two. For the first round, we completed an individual online test of 30 multiple-choice questions covering macroeconomics, microeconomics, and international topics. The sum of the top three individual scores on each team makes up the team score. In our state, the top 10 teams out of roughly 250 qualified for the finals. The state finals were the most fun part for us, especially because they were hosted at the Federal Reserve and gave us a chance to collaborate as a team. The state finals have three rounds: an individual multiple‑choice test in microeconomics and macroeconomics, a team round focused on current events, and a Quiz Bowl for the top five teams after combining individual and team scores.


General Info: The Economics Olympiad Americas is part of a global competition that brings together high school students who want to deepen their understanding of economics and financial literacy. It challenges participants to think critically, analyze real economic issues, and apply clear reasoning to complex problems. Through several rounds of competition, students interpret data, evaluate economic trends, and propose thoughtful solutions to challenges facing communities around the world. The Olympiad is open to all high school students, including homeschool students.

More about rules and eligibility can be found here.

Competition Type: Individual

Registration: School teacher or homeschool parent registers.

Timeline: Registration opens in November, the School Round takes place in February, the Intercontinental Round in May, and the International Final Round in August. Check out here for exact dates.

My Personal Take: I found this competition to be well‑structured and thoughtfully designed, especially for students who already have a solid foundation in economics. I took part in the first round, which is an online test with 25 multiple‑choice questions completed in 40 minutes. The questions cover microeconomics, macroeconomics, international economics, and financial literacy. If you plan to participate, make sure to review the study materials linked below. The top 100 students qualify for the second round and are invited to the hosting country for the Intercontinental Round with flight and hotel expenses covered by the organization. I was selected for the Intercontinental Round but unfortunately could not attend due to scheduling conflicts.


General Info: The World Economics Cup is a global, fully online economics competition for high‑school students, structured around a three‑module assessment system: Fundamentals, Deep Comprehension, and Thinking & Innovation. Students compete first within their continent and then globally. All exams are taken individually; presentation modules require full‑team collaboration.

More about rules and eligibility can be found here.

Competition Type: Team of 6

Registration: School teacher registers.

Timeline: Registration opens in December with the deadline in April, and the Continental Qualifier in April and the Continental Cup in July. Check out here for exact dates.

My Personal Take: I had the opportunity to participate with my school team in 10th grade. The first round is an online multiple-choice test that every team member takes individually. Team scores are calculated as the average of all six members' individual performances. Our team did very well in the Continental Qualifier and was one of 6 U.S. teams invited to the Continental Cup Round. In the Continental Round, we completed our individual parts and collaborated as a team to deliver our final presentation. Scheduling can be tricky for the Continental Cup Round, so it’s important to review the dates before forming the team to ensure everyone can complete their parts on time and be available for the final team deliverable.


General Info:   The LSESU Economics Society Economics Challenge is an international high‑school economics competition organized by the LSESU Economics Society, the largest academic society at the London School of Economics. It introduces students to university‑level economic thinking and tests analytical reasoning, quantitative skills, and core microeconomics and macroeconomics concepts. The competition reflects LSE’s rigorous, data‑driven approach and attracts participants from around the world.

More about rules and eligibility can be found here.

Competition Type: Individual

Registration: School teacher or homeschool parent registers.

Timeline: Registration typically closes in late December, and the competition is held in early January.

My Personal Take: This competition is taken online and consists of 50 multiple‑choice questions focused on microeconomics, macroeconomics, and quantitative foundations, completed in 90 minutes. After registering, participants receive a study guide with sample questions and recommended resources. A mock exam is also available in the portal during exam week, which is helpful for understanding the question style and pacing. Reviewing the study materials and taking the mock exam is essential for doing well. One important detail is that there is a penalty for incorrect answers, so strategic guessing matters.


General Info:   The Cambridge Economics & Finance Competition (CEFC) is an international competition organized by the Cambridge University Finance and Investment Society (CUFIS) and the Cambridge Student Investment Fund (CamSIF), two of the largest and most influential finance‑focused student societies at the University of Cambridge. The competition introduces high‑school students to university‑level economics and finance through questions on microeconomics, macroeconomics, financial markets, and valuation. It includes an online Qualifier Round and a Global Final held at Cambridge, which features academic sessions, stock‑pitch challenges, and exposure to Cambridge faculty and alumni.

More about rules and eligibility can be found here.

Competition Type:   Individual for the Qualifier Round, with team‑based components in the Global Final.

Registration:   School teacher or homeschool parent registers.

Timeline:   The Qualifier Round is held online in April, and the Global Final takes place in Cambridge in early October for selected top performers. Registration deadlines vary by year.

My Personal Take: This competition is similar in structure to LSESU. The Qualifier Round is taken online and consists of 50 multiple‑choice questions focused on microeconomics, macroeconomics, financial markets, accounting, and valuation, completed in 90 minutes with no penalty for incorrect answers. After registering, participants receive a study and academic guide that includes a past paper and a question bank. A mock exam is also available in the portal during exam week, which is helpful for understanding the question style and pacing. The study guide for this competition was very detailed and included a useful formula sheet to review before the test. I found the CEFC slightly easier than the LSESU Economics Challenge, though that may reflect the experience I gained along the way. Qualifying students are invited to the Global Final at the University of Cambridge in the fall.


General Info: The High School Fed Challenge is research and writing competition based on an annual theme. Teams investigate, analyze data, and write an academically grounded podcast script. The competition emphasizes economic reasoning, data literacy, analytical writing, and clear communication. Selected submissions are published in the Journal of Future Economists.

More about rules and eligibility can be found here.

Competition Type: Team of up to eight students, with one team per school.

Registration: A teacher or advisor completes the registration.

Timeline: Registration opens in September with deadline in February, and paper submission deadline in March. Check out here for exact dates.

My Personal Take: Forming a team early is important because the research process and writing well both take time. Exploring the annual theme with your team is a great chance to brainstorm and learn how economics shapes areas you may not have thought about before. Previous journals are available online, and reading selected submissions will help you understand what high‑quality work looks like.


General Info: The International Economics Olympiad (IEO) is an annual competition for high school students around the world in the areas of economics and finance. It brings together national teams to compete in three areas: economic knowledge, financial literacy, and business case analysis. Each country selects its own national team, and the event is hosted each year by a rotating member nation. You can start finding your country’s pathway here and navigate from there.

More about rules and eligibility can be found here.

Competition Type: Individual exams at the national level, followed by selection of a national team of up to five students through each country’s qualifying process.

Registration: Registration depends on the country’s organizing body. In the United States, students register individually through the USA Economics and Business Olympiad pathway.

Timeline: Registration typically opens in February with a deadline in May. Round 1 and Round 2 at the national level take place in May, and the international finals are held in July.

My Personal Take: I have participated in Round 1 in the United States. The first round included 25 multiple-choice questions covering microeconomics, macroeconomics, business, and finance. The questions felt slightly above AP level. Studying with past IEO multiple-choice questions is essential for success in this competition. Students who qualify from Round 1 move on to Round 2.


Finance & Trading Competitions


General Info: The National Personal Finance Challenge is a nationwide competition that tests high‑school students on six core areas of personal finance: earning income, spending, saving, investing, managing credit, and managing risk. Teams first complete an online 30‑question challenge; high‑scoring teams advance to their state finals, and state champions move on to the National Finals, where they create a financial plan for a fictitious family scenario and compete in a Quiz Bowl for the national title.

More about rules and eligibility can be found here.

Competition Type: Team of 3–4 students (teams of four encouraged).

Registration: School teacher registers.

Timeline: Dates vary by state. The best way to find accurate information is to navigate to your state’s NPFC page for specific deadlines and event details.

My Personal Take: The first round involves each team member completing a 30‑question, rapid‑fire exam covering income and money management, spending and credit, and saving and investing. The sum of the top three individual scores makes up the team score. My team qualified for Northern California twice (about the top 20 teams qualify) and attended the state finals event. At the state finals, your team works together on a case study, prepares a financial plan and presentation, and presents it to judges. State finalists move on to Nationals.


General Info:  The Wharton Global High School Investment Competition is a long‑term, team‑based portfolio‑management challenge hosted by the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Teams develop an investment strategy for a real client profile, construct a simulated portfolio, and submit a written report explaining their thesis, decisions, and risk‑management approach. The competition emphasizes strategic thinking, research, and clear communication rather than short‑term returns.

More about rules and eligibility can be found here.

Competition Type:   Team‑based investment strategy and portfolio‑management competition.

Registration:   A teacher or school coach registers the team.

Timeline:   Registration opens in summer; the trading and research phase runs through the fall; the final report is due in December; Virtual Semifinalist Event is in March and Global Finale event is in April.

My Personal Take:   I participated in this competition for multiple years and found it to be one of the most structured and thoughtfully designed introductions to long‑term investing available to high school students. I especially appreciated how the competition pushes teams to build a coherent investment thesis supported by research rather than focusing on short‑term performance. The workload is significant, particularly during the report‑writing phase, but the experience is genuinely rewarding for learning how to articulate a strategy, collaborate effectively within a team, and think about risk in a disciplined, analytical way.


General Info:   The UT Dallas Top Trader Stock Market Competition is a nationwide virtual stock‑trading challenge hosted by the Jindal School of Management. Students trade a simulated $1,000,000 portfolio over several weeks using the StockTrak platform. Rankings are based on portfolio return after audit, and UT Dallas certifies only the top finalists on the official leaderboard.

More about rules and eligibility can be found here.

Competition Type:   Individual online trading competition

Registration:   Students can register by themselves from the link at the competition page.

Timeline:   Registration typically opens in March and closes at the end of April. The trading window runs from June 1 to July 31.

My Personal Take:   This competition is fast‑paced and heavily return‑driven, so results can vary widely depending on market conditions and trading strategy. The trading window is long enough to experiment with different approaches, but the leaderboard is highly competitive. I found it useful for learning how to manage a simulated portfolio under time pressure and for understanding risk, volatility, and how quickly rankings can shift in a return‑based competition. One thing I liked is that the trading period takes place after school finals and continues through summer break, which makes it easy to participate without academic conflicts. If you finish strong, I recommend saving screenshots of your rankings and portfolio details, since StockTrak does not retain this information after the competition ends.


General Info:   Stevens Institute of Technology hosts an annual applied‑finance competition where top performers from the month‑long virtual trading challenge are invited to campus for an in‑person Trading Day. Trading Day brings together top high school traders for a live competition. Finalists work in the Hanlon Financial Systems Lab, using a large wrap‑around display and real‑time market data to build portfolios and adjust strategies under time pressure. The event simulates a live trading environment, with students making decisions in real time while competing for prizes.

More about rules and eligibility can be found here.

Competition Type:   Individual online trading challenge with an in‑person finalist round.

Registration:   Students register for the virtual trading challenge through the competition page. Finalists are selected based on audited performance.

Timeline:   Registration opens in December; the trading period is through the month of February; Live trading event for the finalists is at Stevens Institute of Technology at the end of April.

My Personal Take:   This was one of the most memorable finance competitions I participated in because I was one of the 25 finalists selected from over 1,100 students across 50+ countries. The live Trading Day in the Hanlon Financial Systems Lab felt like a real trading environment, and making decisions under time pressure helped me understand how professional traders think about risk, timing, and execution. One thing I learned is that return‑based competitions reward strategies with higher volatility. To stay competitive near the top of the leaderboard, you often need to tolerate larger price swings and make decisions under uncertainty.


What I Learned from Competitions

If you are just getting started, pick one or two competitions that match your interests and build from there. The skills you gain tend to transfer across competitions more than you might expect, and each one teaches you something slightly different about how you think, study, and solve problems. Many of the core ideas from AP Microeconomics, AP Macroeconomics, and personal finance topics appear again and again, so preparing for one competition often helps you prepare for several others at the same time.


One thing I learned across almost every competition is the importance of reading the rules carefully. Each competition has its own structure, scoring system, and submission requirements, and small details can make a meaningful difference in how you prepare. Mock tests, past papers, and sample questions are also extremely helpful. They give you a clear sense of the question style, pacing, and difficulty level, and they often highlight the exact concepts that matter most. Over time, you start to develop a sense of competition strategy, including how to manage time, how to approach unfamiliar questions, and how to adjust your preparation based on the format of each competition.


Suggested Study Materials for Competitions

Economics and finance competitions can be challenging, but they are also one of the most rewarding ways to deepen your understanding of the subjects and connect what you learn to real world problems. My hope is that this guide gives you a clearer starting point and a sense of what each competition offers. I will continue updating it as I participate in more events, and I hope it serves as a useful resource for anyone beginning their journey in economics or finance.

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