Welcome to InterswitchSPAK, a Pan – African Science competition designed to empower African students in the area of STEM. The initiative was introduced for High school students to develop, ignite and chart a career path in the area of STEM education and drive them towards fully optimizing their potential to make Africa a better place for us all.
The competition is presently in the following countries Nigeria and Kenya.
InterswitchSPAK is the biggest Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) competition in Nigeria. Thousands of secondary schools in Nigeria have registered their students for a chance to win N12.5m worth of scholarships already. if you have not registered your students what are you waiting for?
Last year, the winner of the InterswitchSPAK Competition, Akachukwu Anumudu won N7.5 million Naira University scholarship, a brand-new laptop and the bragging right of being the best Science student in Nigeria. The search is on; do you have what it takes to become the best STEM student?
RECOMMENDED: InterswitchSPAK Kenya National Science Competition Guidelines.
ABOUT INTERSWITCHSPAK
INTRODUCTION
InterswitchSPAK is an annual search across high schools (public and private) in Nigeria for only SS 2 (year 11) students between the ages of 14-17 years.It is introduced to chart the ideal career path and drive the student towards full optimization of their potentials and fulfilment of their dreams (either as an inventor or entrepreneur) with a key message of revving up the interest of students; parents, teachers and other key stakeholders towards STEM education and its application in Africa.
INTERSWITCHSPAK OBJECTIVES
To arouse and sustain keen interest in the study of STEM in high schools across Africa. To raise the standard of STEM education and reward excellence with educational grants through an unbiased competition that would promote sound education in Africa. To create a vehicle that is genuinely interested in the growth, development and well-being of Africa students and teachers through various interventions including scholarship schemes for outstanding STEM students.
THE COMPETITION
There are two main levels of the competition.
A. FIRST ROUND: WRITTEN QUALIFYING EXAMINATION
In this stage, all the online registered students’ (i.e. the best SIX (6) from each registered school) will write a National qualifying examination conducted by NECO at designated centers across Nigeria including FCT, Abuja. Each school is to prepare their representatives for the qualifying exams in four subjects- Mathematics, Physics; Chemistry & Biology based on the current year 11 WAEC/NECO syllabuses. The National Qualifying Exams. 100 Objective questions in 75 minutes; 25 each from the 4 Subjects.
B. SECOND ROUND: TV QUIZ COMPETITION
The best 81 students (with the highest scores) out of those who wrote the qualifying examination will be invited to participate at this stage of the competition. This will be recorded and transmitted on Television across Nigeria and Africa.
WHAT DO I NEED TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE?
You must be a student in SSS2 (year 11) attending a Public or Private Secondary School in Nigeria | You must be between the age of 14 to 17 | You must be resident in Nigeria | You must be willing to travel out of your state of abode if you are not resident in Lagos | Sound knowledge of Physics, Chemistry, Biology & Mathematics based on the current SS2 WAEC/NECO syllabuses is a necessity | You must be willing to comply with the rules of the competition as laid down by the producers
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
- To participate, register Here
This competition is open to students in SSS2 (year 11) between 14 – 17 years; attending full time Secondary Education in both Public and Private Schools in Nigeria. Participation in this competition is FREE.
Registration to participate is strictly online via www.interswitchspak.com Each School is required to present their BEST six (6) students in Science (SS2 students), irrespective of religion, tribe or state of origin, to enhance their chances of qualifying for the second round of the competition. Mixed-schools are required to have at least two female students-amongst the six (6) that would represent them. There are many examination centers across Nigeria.
Every student will participate in the qualifying test at any of the examination centres across Nigeria.
The top 81 students will proceed to the competition to battle for the crown of Nigeria’s best science student.
RULES AND REGULATIONS
- The InterswitchSPAK Online qualifying examination will hold from Wednesday 7th to Wednesday 14th June, 2023 between 8am to 6pm
- NO
CALCULATORS WILL BE ALLOWED - Students are to come along with only HB pencil, eraser, ruler and
statistical table. - Students must conduct themselves in an orderly manner
Any act of misconduct will lead to the disqualification of the student.
- The competition is open to SS2 (year 11) students ONLY.
The decision of the organizers/ NECO is final and we shall not enter
into any correspondence with anyone regarding the conduct of this
examination.
PLEASE NOTE
- Students are advised to check their results via the online platform that
will be made available to them in June, 2023. - Only qualified students will be contacted for the second stage (TV quiz)
of the competition. - The InterswitchSPAK National Science Competition is to discover
Nigeria’s best science student.
INTERSWITCHSPAK PRIZE LIST
First Prize
The first prize winner will get five (5) years University Scholarship. Annual stipend worth ₦7,500,000 (Seven million, five hundred Naira). Brand New Laptop. Bragging right of being the best Science student in Nigeria
Second Prize
The second prize winner will get three (3) years University Scholarship. Annual stipend worth ₦4,000,000 (four million Naira). Brand New Laptop.
Third Prize
The third prize will get a year University Scholarship worth ₦1,000,000 + Brand New Laptop.
STATE LEVEL PRIZES
- 1st Position – 250,000 Naira
- 2nd Position – 150,000 Naira
- 3rd Position – 100,000 Naira
- 4th – 5th Position – 60,000 Naira each
- 6th – 9th Position – 50,000 Naira each
- 10th – 27t h Position – 30,000 Naira each
- 28th – 81st Position – 20,000 Naira each
Teachers who nurture the students and their schools will also be rewarded.
INTERSWITCHSPAK PAST QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS [PDF DOWNLOAD]
Questions
Answers
INTERSWITCHSPAK EXAMINATION CENTERS IN NIGERIA
INTERSWITCHSPAK FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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When can we start Registration for InterswitchSPAK?InterswitchSPAK registration is ongoing for the year 2023
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When is the registration closing?Registration closes on 11:59 pm, June 2nd, 2023.
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Who is qualified in my school that can be part of InterswitchSPAK?The qualified Students are the best twenty (20) Science students in SS2 (Year II) in your School.
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How much is the registration fee?Participation on InterswitchSPAK is FREE for all (schools/students)
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When is the National Examination?The InterswitchSPAK online CBT exams will hold from Wednesday 7th to Wednesday 14th June, 2023.
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Is there room for students to register manually?Registration to participate is strictly online via www.interswitchspak.com
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How long is the test?The examination is for 1hr 15mins
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How does the National Qualifying Examination works?All registered students will participate in an online National
qualifying examination, out of which the top 500 across all states will
be selected to write the next online qualifying examination, then the
top 81 (from the 500 who wrote the second stage Examination) will
qualify for the second stage which is the National TV quiz contest for
the best STEM student in Nigeria. -
Would there be an option to write exams in centers and what are the available centers?InterswitchSPAK Is strictly an online based CBT examination which can
be taken from anywhere you are (school, home, etc.) using a microphone
and camera – enabled device. -
How many students can a school register?The system allows you to register minimum of six (6) and maximum of twenty (20) science students to represent each school.
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If I register 10 students, can all my students make it to stage 2 if they qualify?The maximum number of students that can represent a school is five (5)
students to represent a school even though they all qualify for the next
stage of the examination. -
What syllabus is used in setting questions for the Competition?Each school is to prepare their representatives for the qualifying
exams in Mathematics, Physics; Chemistry & Biology based on the
current SS2 WAEC/NECO syllabuses. -
How much is the registration fee?Participation on InterswitchSPAK is FREE for all (schools/students).
-
Are there specific places to register for the competition?Registration for the competition can be done from anywhere if you have
the required details for school and student’s registration and also have
a device that is connected to the internet. -
I do not have experience in writing an online testOn the platform each student will have 5 minutes demo session to get acquainted with the platform before taking the test.
-
How many subjects should I prepare my ward for?Each representative should be prepared for the qualifying exams in four
subjects- Mathematics, Physics; Chemistry & Biology. -
How many questions are they going to ask per subject?For the National Qualifying Exams. 100 Objective questions in 75 minutes; 25 each from the 4 Subjects.
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How will I know that I am qualified for the next stage?A mail from the InterswitchSPAK team will be sent to you notifying you
of your qualification into the next stage of the competition. -
I did not get a verification link?Ensure the email you provided is correct and active. If the problem persists, contact our helpdesk.
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Does the verification link expire, and if it does, how long does it take?Verification links expires after thirty (30) minutes.
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My school is a mix school, can we register?All school types can register but in support of the girl child
education it is mandatory that mixed schools register at least two (2)
girls for the competition. -
How do I know the registration process have been completed?To confirm that the registration process has the completed after
clicking register, a printable slip for all the registered students will
come up and that slip will also be sent to the registered school email. -
Can I use the school email to register?To register the school, it is required that you use the school email.
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Can I use my teacher’s mail to register?You can use any mail if it is valid and active.
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Can I edit my students’ detail after submitting my registration?Editing student information after submission cannot be done, for this
reason we advise double checking of each student’s information before
clicking on the register button. -
Can I register on my own?No, you need to register under your school.
-
Would I get any past questions when I register?Yes, past questions are available on the website for easy download. Go
to the portal select your country and click on past questions. -
Can I make use of the school email in registering all my students?The school email can only be used in registering the school, but each
student requires their own email or parent’s/guardian’s email address -
I have logged in for the examination but I am unable to proceed.You must enable your audio and video features to be able to navigate the platform
INTERSWITCHSPAK STAGE TWO (MASTER CLASS) GUIDELINES
Congratulations for being one of the 81 students (with the highest scores) among the Year II Science Students in Nigeria who wrote the qualifying examination for the
InterswitchSPAK TV Quiz Competition; the top 81 students have qualified for and are
now invited to participate at the stage II of the competition; a 10-day rigorous but
fun-filled experience.
With a 5year Tertiary institute scholarship worth 7.5Million at
stake (5year scholarship) at stake, the InterswitchSPAK National Science Competition 2.0 promises to be a competitive one: which will be
recorded and broadcast on Television across Nigeria and Africa.
Please note that there are two (2) categories of students expected for Stage II;
- Q – Qualified candidates (students who made the highest scores in the National Qualifying Examination)
- PQ – the students who tied at the National Qualifying
Examination. They are expected to write a prequalification examination
on arrival to break the ties. The candidates who scale through would
join the other qualified candidates to make up a total of 81 Top
candidates.
Day 0 – Arrival of Candidates/ Validation
- All candidates (Q & PQ) are expected to arrive at the venue by 10 a.m.
- Candidates are expected to provide original credentials for sighting only on arrival to revalidate their claims
- Registration and data capturing of students begin upon arrival.
- Pre- Qualification examination will hold on the same day.
InterswitchSPAK MasterClass
Day 1 – InterswitchSPAK MasterClass Session
As part of the program designed to further develop the minds of
these outstanding students, there will be an InterswitchSPAK MasterClass
where top notch Speakers will take turns to interact and share real –
life experiences with the students thereby laying a foundation for a
solid career in Sciences for them.
- The Speakers will be led by Mitchell Elegbe (The Group Managing
Director of Interswitch Group) and various life- changing topics such
as “Emotional Intelligence vs. Intelligence Quotient” will be discussed. - This will be a full day session spiced with tasks/ games.
- The prequalification Examination results will be announced
after the MasterClass when those students who scaled through this stage
get to join the other qualified candidates to make 81. - These shortlisted 81 students will be split into 9 groups of 9
students each to work on 9 different pre-selected science-based
projects.
InterswitchSPAK Project
Day 2 – 4 – InterswitchSPAK Project
- At this stage of the competition, these students from 9 groups
will be given science-based topics/projects relating to solving
identified current societal issues in the country. This, the project
sessions would revolve around the application of their knowledge of
science in solving real life issues. - Each group will develop a presentation at the InterswitchSPAK
lab and present their project as a group on the main TV Show.
Afterwards, a Panel will review all the nine (9) projects based on
agreed yardstick i.e. creativity, relevance, presentation and knowledge
to determine the overall best project for the season 2.0. - This winning group will qualify for the Founder’s Award
- The Founder’s award is a special recognition where the winning
team
(of 9 students) will have the rare opportunity of meeting with
top officials of InterswitchSPAK and other industry Leaders at a dinner
where they will be awarded individual cash gifts.
TV Recording
Day 5 – 10 – The main TV recording commences
- Each of the 9 groups will have students compete amongst
themselves to determine the three (3) qualifiers from each group that
would move into the next round until the final where the overall Best
STEM student would emerge. - There will be various awards/educational scholarships for the
outstanding Students, Schools, Teachers and the States Ministry of
Education. - The InterswitchSPAK stage II will focus on General Sciences,
Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. However, good
understanding of Geography, ICT and General knowledge will be of great
advantage.
CLOSING DATE
Registration closes 11:59 pm, June 2nd, 2023.
