Which of the test events is relatively easier?

[SilverBreeze]

For choosing your own events, I think it's more important to pursue what you enjoy doing than events that are easy to get on(although this may apply less if SciOly is not your main priority). For example, if you get on A team but you absolutely hate Game On, that might be an issue. Of course, there will be events that no one wants and someone just needs to cover them.

For determining which events are easiest, that depends on whether you mean semi-objectively or in terms of placements. Remember, if it's easy for you, it's probably easy for everyone else too. For a lot of events, easier tests actually make it harder to place if you did put in the work because a silly mistake will cost you more and teams are harder to differentiate.

RiverWalker has covered which categories tend to be best suited for which strengths fairly well, so I guess I'll ramble about competitiveness(in my own experience, of course, and I haven't done many of these categories extensively, so feel free to correct me if you notice something).

From personal experience, bio and chem are the "popular" events that people who don't know what they want to do tend to pick. A lot of people want to be doctors, and at earlier levels bio doesn't require much "thinking" or application. Bio is also usually taught first in the science courses, at least where I am. working with chem lab equipment is the stereotype of "scientist." While overall the event has more top-level people trying out, the competitiveness is overinflated by people who aren't familiar with the event, as they are popular choices for those new to SciOly.

Generally build and inquiry tend to be about doing the same thing repeatedly with slight modifications to optimize something, whether that's a process (inquiry) or a functional object (build). Some of these can be very RNG-dependent, depending on the event and the competition. For those, doing well consistently is quite difficult.

Earth Sci tends to be ignored because it's considered boring and because most schools only have it as an easy supplemental class, if at all. It's a bit like the opposite of the bio events, where there are around the same number of top-level people but people new to SciOly tend to avoid it.

Physics I can't say much about because I haven't done them, but just a guess I'm assuming it is similar to Earth Sci except it's viewed more as intimidating rather than just boring.

[Giantpants]

I'd never really say any event is inherently easier than others, but in my experience I always found earth science events to be somewhat not super hard. At least on an introductory level, there is only so much stuff that can be asked about, and it isn't always application based, so if it's for regionals or an easier invitational you can generally always be pretty sure of what you're going to see on a test. (When I say earth science I primarily mean Geologic Mapping and Dynamic Planet, although both, like any event, can get pretty intense at higher levels haha)

Notably, I would definitely say Astronomy does not apply to this. Although it's technically an earth science event, there is just SO much content that can be asked about, and the allowing of a laptop basically allows event supervisors to ask you anything even if its only tangentially related to the rules since "you can have anything on your computer." (this isnt a good thing or something I see often but it is definitely a possibility) There is such a wide range of questions that it feels like preparing for Astronomy at first can be a daunting task so I'd rank that towards the harder end of the spectrum (and yes, while Geologic Mapping/Dynamic Planet are binder events so the whole concept of "they could ask about anything since you could have it in your binder" applies here, I definitely feel like Astronomy gets it to a much higher degree since the event is always around and the field of Astronomy is a lot more general and large than "structural geology/depositional environments" and oceanography)

Of course, I might just think those events are easy since I've done them both for a while and am familiar with preparing for them, but regardless, yeah. They're still two of my favorites, easy or hard! The only other event topics I have some experience in are physics events (Sounds, Optics, Wind Power) and those are usually application based questions which some people consider hard, but they aren't so bad either if you have a strong foundation of fundamentals of the event.

[sbar114]

thanks everyone! I'll do so more research, but I'll probably look for one with less memorization

[sneepity]

thanks everyone! I'll do so more research, but I'll probably look for one with less memorization

good luck! and don't worry to ask questions! :oD

[Efesa]

thanks everyone! I'll do so more research, but I'll probably look for one with less memorization

I recommend you, if you want to do something relatively easy, to do Earth/Space Science events. Earth/Space Science events are often easier than the rest, but often seen as boring (With the exception of astronomy, which is just crazy; and fossils/R+M, which functions like a bio event). Bio events are harder. These are usually ID and binder events, because you have to know so much stuff. Haven't done the other types of events, so I can't say anything about them.

[sbar114]

I recommend you, if you want to do something relatively easy, to do Earth/Space Science events. Earth/Space Science events are often easier than the rest, but often seen as boring (With the exception of astronomy, which is just crazy; and fossils/R+M, which functions like a bio event). Bio events are harder. These are usually ID and binder events, because you have to know so much stuff. Haven't done the other types of events, so I can't say anything about them.

yep, I did some more research and it turns out I really like Geologic Mapping, so I'm probably going to select that

[SciolyMaster]

can confirm, the only reason I got on the team sophomore year was because literally no one else wanted to study geo mapping...

[Efesa]

can confirm, the only reason I got on the team sophomore year was because literally no one else wanted to study geo mapping...

Geologic Mapping is the Division C equivalent to Road Scholar, which is pretty easy in itself.

[pb5754]

can confirm, the only reason I got on the team sophomore year was because literally no one else wanted to study geo mapping...

Geologic Mapping is the Division C equivalent to Road Scholar, which is pretty easy in itself.

very different events tho (although yes its essentially the road scholar replacement for div c)

[Godspeed]

can confirm, the only reason I got on the team sophomore year was because literally no one else wanted to study geo mapping...

Geologic Mapping is the Division C equivalent to Road Scholar, which is pretty easy in itself.

very different events tho (although yes its essentially the road scholar replacement for div c)

Geo Mapping is technically the replacement to Road Scholar except it's much more a replacement to events like Fossils and Rocks and Minerals.