Looking for an easy to administer, co-curricular activity for your students? The School of Accounting and Finance (SAF) hosts a Financial Literacy Competition (FLC) two times per school year in December and May for students in Grades 9 - 12. The competition was developed in collaboration with Business Studies teachers within the Waterloo Region and Waterloo Catholic District school boards.
Here is a great opportunity for your students to be involved, it requires little work on your part! The reason I say this is because there are so many things going on throughout the school year but this competition was very easy for us to facilitate as a proctor.
If you are teaching a business course, introducing financial literacy topics in another course, have a group or club of interested students, or just want to take that first step to expose students to these important topics, the FLC could be right for you. Registration is required and students cannot register directly. Teachers must first register to create a “class” to receive a unique access code that will allow their individual students to register.
Our next competition is taking place: May 8-9, 2024
Registration opens: First week of March
Registration closes: Friday, April 26, 2024
This comprehensive and challenging competition is designed to expose students to a variety of financial literacy topics to test their current knowledge and inspire further learning and exploration. No prior level of knowledge is assumed and questions range from easy to more advanced covering topics in banking, investing, economics, income management and budgeting, accounting, credit, post-secondary financing, home ownership, and fraud and financial safety. You can explore the different types of questions your students can expect to see on our Mobius competition site supported by DigitalEd.
I have had my students, at Swift Current Comprehensive High School, compete in the Financial Literacy competition from the University of Waterloo, twice a year, for over 5 years. The students that compete have either taken Financial Literacy or Accounting classes (or both) and have a basic level of understanding of many business topics. I like doing this event with my students as it is a great indicator of what they know about business topics and even more importantly, what they still have to learn. This event also encompasses so many different topics that broadens their mind about what business is all about and helps many consider business as a career. As well, we have had many of our students be rewarded over the years with a bronze, silver or honor roll placement and this brings a lot of joy and pride to celebrate their accomplishments. We need to find ways to celebrate academics and the financial literacy competition is a great way to do this! As well, it is very organized and online, so it is almost effortless for the teacher to implement in the classroom. Thank you for continuing to promote financial literacy for our high schools. There isn't an event like this in Canada and I hope that it continues for our students!
The FLC was such a fun and educational experience! Through my preparation process, I became more familiar with the financial and economic policies that impact how I live every day. I would definitely recommend this competition to everyone eligible to join.
Competition details
Dates and Times
Hosted in December and May over a two-day period. Dates are released in October and March each year. Teachers can choose the day and time that works best for their students or register multiple classes to compete on different days and/or times. The competition takes place on each day between the hours of 8am – 5pm ET.
Awards and Recognition
All eligible participants will receive a levelled Certificate of Achievement and the top performing students (first at each level and top 10 at each grade level) and schools (top 3) will be awarded prizes. To be eligible for certificates and student prizes, students must attempt and respond to all the competition questions, agree to the integrity requirements of the competition, and be a first-time competitor at that level. To be eligible for school prizes, schools must have a minimum of 10 eligible participants. Teachers will receive a list of their individual student participants and their level of achievement. Individual scores will not be provided.
Delivery
Delivered online using the Mobius platform by DigitalEd. Students are required to compete from their school under the supervision of a teacher and proctor controls will be used to limit unauthorized access. Accommodations for competing remotely can be made for extenuating circumstances only.
Prizes
The top performing student (based on individual score) at each level (Junior and Senior) receives $750 towards an RESP for post-secondary education. The top 10 students (based on individual score) at each grade level receive a $75 e-gift card. The top 3 schools (based on average score of all eligible participants, minimum 10 eligible participants required) receive $500 towards classroom resources and/or FLC celebrations. Prizes are generously supported by Sagen™. The top performing school and Junior and Senior student are also invited to a virtual coffee chat with a senior excecutive at Sagen™ to learn more about a day in the life of a financial professional.
Eligibility
All students in Grades 9 – 12 are eligible to compete. Students in Grades 9 & 10 compete in the Junior competition and students in Grades 11 & 12 compete in the Senior competition. Students can compete more than once but are only eligible for awards and recognition on their first attempt as a Junior student and on their first attempt as a Senior student.
Format
Students have 65 minutes to complete the competition. The Senior competition includes 60 questions, and the Junior competition includes 50 questions. Questions range from easy (eg. definitions) to difficult (eg. calculations and application) and include multiple choice, fill in the blank, matching, and true/false formatted questions. Students will also be required to complete an integrity statement and provide some personal identifying information by responding to the first group of questions on the competition. These questions are not included in the minimum question requirements for awards and recognition eligibility.
Before registering, please review the complete FLC Rules, Terms, and Conditions.
Registration
Teacher FAQ's
As a first time FLC Teacher or a returning one, you may have questions as you and your students prepare for your competition day. Below are common questions we’re asked. If after reviewing these FAQs you're still unsure about something, please email us at saf-flc@uwaterloo.ca.
Student FAQ's
Your competition day is approaching. Are you ready? Review the FAQs below for common questions we’re asked. If after reviewing these FAQs you're still unsure about something, speak to your teacher or email us at saf-flc@uwaterloo.ca.