THE INTERNATIONAL APEX READING CHAMPIONSHIP

Invest in Knowledge. To Stand Out. To Make a Difference.

Introduction of All-Round Development Educational Innovation (Social Enterprise) Limited and THE INTERNATIONAL APEX READING CHAMPIONSHIP

Drawing upon our rich experience in co-organizing successful events with esteemed international partners—including Education Ireland, The Hotel School at Southern Cross University, and the University of Birmingham—the Holistic Innovation Education Alliance (HIEA) is proud to present our latest initiative.

In the past, we have successfully organized diverse competitions ranging from Hospitality to IT and Science. Notably, our previous reading competition, co-organized with Education Ireland, was a resounding success. Building on this momentum and the enthusiastic participation of thousands of students, we are back this year with an even bigger event. We are writing to cordially invite your students to participate in the new and prestigious International Apex Reading Championship.

This competition has been upgraded into a global, English-only event designed to identify and celebrate future leaders with outstanding English reading proficiency. It presents a valuable opportunity for students to benchmark their skills against international standards and prepare for their future academic and professional journeys.

Key Highlights of the Championship:

Aligned with International Standards

The competition’s format and questions are developed by experts from the UK and Australia, referencing authoritative English proficiency tests like IELTS, PTE Academic, and Cambridge English.

Develops Core Skills

Through timed challenges, the competition systematically trains students’ focus, logical reasoning, quick decision-making, and stress management abilities.

Broadens Horizons

Reading passages cover diverse topics including science, humanities, arts, and social issues, fostering interdisciplinary knowledge and a global perspective.

Format

A 40-minute online test consisting of 4 reading passages and 24 multiple-choice questions.

Flexibility

Students can log in and compete at any time within the competition period.

Comprehensive Divisions

The competition is divided into six distinct groups, catering to students from Kindergarten (K2-K3) to Senior Secondary (Grades 10-12), ensuring age-appropriate content.

Awards and Recognition

A wide range of awards are available, including Champion, Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Merit awards. Furthermore, schools with a high number of outstanding

About the Championship

Foreword – A Legacy of Excellence, An Evolution for the Future

Building upon our invaluable experience co-organizing the Chinese-English Reading Challenge with Education Ireland, we have witnessed countless students achieve impressive growth in bilingual reading skills. To meet the increasing global demand for specialized expertise and to better align students with international academic standards, we have reimagined and upgraded the event into a global, English-only competition.

We proudly present: The International Apex Reading Championship. This competition is not merely a continuation of past success but a brand-new journey. It is designed to identify and celebrate future leaders with outstanding English reading proficiency. Through a high-intensity and high-standard competition framework, the event pushes participants to their limits. The assessment format and question design are aligned with internationally recognized exams such as IELTS, PTE, and Cambridge English, offering participants the most authentic and advanced real-world training.

Aims & Core Values

Fostering Excellence: Setting international benchmarks to encourage participants to surpass their limits and achieve the highest levels of reading proficiency.
Sharpening the Mind: Systematically training participants’ focus, logical reasoning, quick decision-making, and stress management through time-limited challenges.
Broadening Horizons: Featuring passages covering science, humanities, arts, and social issues to guide participants in building interdisciplinary knowledge and developing a global perspective.
Bridging to the Future: Simulating the advanced reading requirements of top international universities and professional fields, allowing participants to lay a solid foundation for future academic and career development.

Qualifying Round (Semi-Finals)

Objectives

Building on the enthusiastic response to the first round, this "Semi-Final" aims to further challenge students' logical thinking in English. Unlike the basic understanding required in the preliminary round, the Semi-Finals will introduce more challenging question types to comprehensively assess students' abilities in vocabulary application, grammatical structure, and deep reading inference, helping students build a valuable academic portfolio.

The competition questions are jointly compiled by British and Australian educators. The assessment standards for the Semi-Finals strictly reference the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages). The question design mimics international exam models such as Cambridge English and IELTS, aiming to comprehensively assess students' core English competitiveness based on international standards.

Date & Venue

Competition Mode: Online Assessment. Participants can log in to the dedicated platform to compete at any time during the specified dates, eliminating the need for travel. Supported Devices: Computer / Tablet (Using a computer is recommended for the best reading experience). Competition Period: March 28, 2026 (Saturday) to April 5, 2026 (Sunday). This period falls after school tests and at the beginning of the Easter holiday, allowing students to schedule their time flexibly.

Divisions & Assessment Focus

Division	Target Group	Passage & Question Focus
Kindergarten Division	K2–K3	Topics: Daily life, animals, colors, numbers. Passages: Illustrated words or very short sentences.
Lower Primary Division	Grade 1–2	Topics: Fairy tales, family life, and simple natural phenomena. Passages: Short stories with simple sentences.
Middle Primary Division	Grade 3–4	Topics: Character-building stories, basic science, and school life. Passages: Paragraphs with some descriptive language.
Upper Primary Division	Grade 5–6	Topics: Simple biographies, environmental issues, cultural traditions. Passages: Complex sentences and paragraphs with advanced vocabulary.
Junior Secondary Division	Grade 7–9	Topics: Literary excerpts, social phenomena, technological advancements, historical events. Passages: Structured content with arguments and evidence.
Senior Secondary Division	Grade 10–12	Topics: Academic texts (psychology, economics, etc.), current affairs, philosophical discussions. Passages: Dense language, complex structures, and academic vocabulary.

Eligibility: Via awards from first round or school nominations.

Awards & Honors

Champion: Awarded to the highest-scoring participant in each division.
Gold Award: Presented to participants ranking in the top 10%.
Silver Award: Presented to participants ranking in the 11%–25% range.
Bronze Award: Presented to participants ranking in the 26%–50% range.
Merit Award: Presented to participants who complete the competition and demonstrate commendable effort.

From Qualifying: Dual system – Champion/1st/2nd Runner-up; Gold/Silver/Bronze Honor (90+/80+/70+); Merit (50+).

Competition Format & Authority

From Championship: 40 minutes; 4 passages; 24 multiple-choice questions. Questions by UK/Australia experts, aligned with IELTS/PTE/Cambridge. From Qualifying: Elevated difficulty with 4 sections (Narrative Reading, Information Text, Advanced Inference, Integrated Grammar). Time limits: 30 min for Kindergarten (read by examiner); 45-50 min for others.

HONG KONG , MACAU, TAIWAN and PAKISTAN award results

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