Rules and Guidelines NOTE: The rules below provide a generic overview. For the most up to date rules for the 2025 competition, please e-mail Chris Cannon at ccannon11@gsu.edu.

GENERAL STRUCTURE

• Team Composition

a. Teams shall be comprised of a minimum of three (3) members and a maximum of four (4) members.

b. All members of a team must be from the same public or private high school.

c. A school which qualifies for the state competition may reconstitute up to two (2) members of its team prior to the competition. Students must, however, meet the general student eligibility conditions.

• Student Eligibility

a. Students must be currently enrolled in a public or private Georgia high school.

b. Each team must be sponsored by a teacher from its school. A teacher may sponsor more than one team.

c. Students may participate each year that they are attending high school.

• Rules Committee

a. The GCEE staff will serve as the rules committee for the state competition.

b. The rules committee is responsible for rules compliance for the competition.

c. Questions and grievances may be sent to Chris Cannon at ccannon11@gsu.edu

d. All decisions of the rules committee are final.

 

• Responsibility of the School

a. This is an On-Line competition.    It is the schools responsibility to secure computers that can provide an uninterrupted signal to the testing site.   The Georgia Council on Economic Education can not be held responsible for students or teams that can not complete the test due to computer problems at the school.      The test can not be reset due to computer errors at the school.

b. The school is responsible for maintaining an uninterrupted environment for students to test.   The test can not be reset due to circumstances such as bells ringing, fire alarms, students being called out of the classroom or any such event.   

c. The school is responsible for providing a proctored testing area.   Students must be supervised by a school staff member at all times.  

 

CONTEST FORMAT

• Time and Content

a. Once the competition begins, students can enter the Finance Challenge ONLINE website and complete a 30-question, rapid-fire exam consisting of categories on Income and Money Management, Spending and Credit, and Saving and Investing.  Students have 35 minutes to complete their individual test.  

• Student Testing

a. Each student is to complete the challenge as an individual; students do not work as a group.

b. A teacher or certified staff member must be in attendance during the entire testing period to ensure that the rules are followed.

c. The teacher/certified staff member may not help the student by guiding them or re-phrasing a question.    Once the test begins there should be no assistance given to the student.

d. Students are only allowed a pencil and scratch paper.

• Scoring:

a. The sum of the top three highest scoring individuals on the team make up the team score.   Scoring on individual tests are as follows:

          + 10 points for each correct answer and no penalty points are assessed.  The top 3 scores are counted as the team's total score. 

Winners will be notified once the On-line Challenge window has closed.

• Tie Break Rules

a. In the event of a tie the tie break will be the fastest combined time of the three members whose score is used.

• National Competition

a. The winning team from Georgia will be recognized as the Georgia State Champion.    Each team member, as well as their coach, will receive a $100 gift card.  Each second place team member and coach will receive a $50 gift card among other prizes.

b.  The winning state team and Access Zone winner earns the right to compete in the National Personal Finance Challenge.    At that competition, all National Rules apply.

c. The winning team is allowed to reconstitute some of its team members for the National Competition.

d. If within 10 days of being named the Georgia Champion, the winning team finds they cannot attend the National Competition, the second place team will be offered the chance to participate in Nationals.      The winning team will still be recognized as the State Champions and its members and teachers will receive the gift certificates.