Compete

Academic Writing

National History Day

National History Day Contest

Original historical research presented as a paper, exhibit, documentary, performance or website.

Run by National History Day

Official website How to prepare Reviews and tips

Key facts

Eligible grades
Grades 6 to 12. Two divisions: Junior for grades 6 to 8 and Senior for grades 9 to 12.
Group members may be in different grades within 6 to 12, but the group must enter the division of its oldest member. A student may participate in the Junior Division for a maximum of three years and the Senior Division for a maximum of four. Some affiliates offer a Youth Division that is not in the official rule book and does not advance to the National Contest.
Source, checked 2026-09-02
Official divisions
Junior division grades 6 to 8 and Senior division grades 9 to 12, judged separately, with a group entering at its oldest member's division.
Based on the organiser's own divisions.
Eligible ages
Not confirmed. This organiser may set eligibility by grade rather than age. We do not convert one into the other.
NHD sets divisions by grade, not age. Students from non-graded schools work out their division with their affiliate coordinator.
Individual or team
Individual or team · Individual or group. Groups may include two to five students. The documentary, exhibit, performance and website categories allow both; the paper category is individual only.
Where it runs
In person · United States, International affiliates
Entry cost
Low: often free at school level, with modest affiliate feesSet by each affiliate; not published nationally.
Registration deadline
Set locally, not published as a single national date Set by each affiliate, not nationally. As an example of the shape, the Pittsburgh regional for 2027 opens registration 6 January 2027 and closes 18 February 2027, with online submission by 25 February. Find your own affiliate's dates.
Competition dates
The 2027 National Contest is 13 to 17 June 2027 at the University of Maryland, College Park. Regional and affiliate contest dates are set locally, typically in late winter and spring.
Difficulty
Some preparation neededYou will want a few weeks of targeted practice. Most motivated students place respectably.
Prizes
Cash prizes, scholarships and special awards at the national contestThe National Contest gives several types of award; special prizes at affiliate and local contests vary and are listed by each affiliate coordinator.

What National History Day is

National History Day asks students to produce original historical research on a topic connected to an annual theme, and to present it in one of five formats: a paper, an exhibit, a documentary, a live performance, or a website. That format choice is what makes it unusually inclusive, since a student who would never win an essay contest may excel at documentary or performance. It runs from classroom through regional and state contests to a national contest in June.

How the competition works

Five categories in each division: paper, exhibit, performance, documentary and website. A documentary is a ten-minute film. Entries are judged on Historical Quality, which is assessed the same way across categories, and Clarity of Presentation, which differs by category. NHD does not censor entries on content.

Eligibility notes

Entry is normally through a school or affiliate programme. International affiliates participate in some countries.

Is National History Day right for you?

Experience needed
None. Five different formats mean students who hate essays can still excel.
Time commitment
A term or more.
What you actually do
Research a historical topic with primary sources, then present it as a paper, exhibit, documentary, performance or website, and defend it in a judge interview.

A good fit if

  • You like research and want to choose your medium
  • You have access to a local archive or historical society
  • You would rather build or perform than write

Probably not for you if

  • Students who want a fast competition

Compare this against competitions matched to you

Common mistakes

  • Choosing a topic before checking that primary sources exist.
  • Exceeding the strict word counts and time limits in the rule book.
  • Neglecting the annotated bibliography, which judges read closely.

How to register

  1. Find your state affiliate through nhd.org and note its contest dates, which are what actually bind you.
  2. Read the current year's theme and the contest rule book. The rule book specifies word counts, time limits and process paper requirements precisely.
  3. Choose a category honestly. Pick the medium you can actually execute well, not the one that sounds most impressive.
  4. Research using primary sources. The annotated bibliography is scored and judges look hard at the quality of primary evidence.
  5. Enter your school or regional contest, then advance through affiliate level.

Register on the official site

What skills you need

  • Primary source research
  • Historical argument
  • Annotated bibliography writing
  • Media production for documentary and website entries
  • Performance for the performance category

How to prepare

The theme connection and the primary sources are what separate entries at every level. Judges consistently reward a narrow topic argued with strong primary evidence over a broad topic assembled from secondary summaries. The process paper, which explains how you researched, is short and disproportionately influential.

What to study

Topic and theme
The topic must genuinely connect to the annual theme, not merely mention it. Narrow beats broad: one local event argued well outscores a survey of a war.
Primary sources
Newspapers, letters, photographs, government records, oral history interviews. Judges read the annotated bibliography carefully and can tell secondary summaries from real archival work.
The annotated bibliography
Each entry explains how you used that source. This is scored and it is where thin research becomes visible.
Category craft
Each category has strict rules: word counts for papers and exhibits, time limits for documentaries and performances. Entries are penalised for exceeding them every year.
The process paper
Five hundred words explaining topic choice, research and conclusions. Short, required and frequently rushed.

Full preparation guide, including a week-by-week plan

Recommended resources

Past problems and materials

Only materials the organiser or an authorised archive publishes openly are listed here.

Frequently asked questions

Which category should I pick?

The one you can execute well. Documentary and website entries need real production skill and time; performance suits confident performers; the paper category is the most straightforward if you write well. Judges score the argument and research, not the ambition of the medium.

How important are primary sources?

Very. The annotated bibliography is scored and judges examine it closely. An entry built from secondary summaries rarely advances past the regional level, however well presented.

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