Caribou Help / FAQ
Please look for your question among the >200 questions in our FAQ before emailing us. Caribou aims to be 100% self-service. This helps keep our services affordable.
To use this Help Tree, choose the appropriate category and subcategories. If you are unable to find your question, use the Contact Us form located in the leaves of this tree. Thank you for your help.
Help Tree → For Caribou Coordinators (Teachers) → Running the Contest / Problems on Contest Day → Questions about Time
Questions & Answers:
Why does the homepage show “Start the Contest”?
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Why does the homepage show “Start the Contest”?
Answer:
The homepage shows “Start the Contest” on contest days, which are usually a Wednesday and a Thursday. You can see the upcoming contest dates on our homepage by scrolling down. It is possible to sign up for the contests even while the contest is under way.
For most students, the contest time window when they can start the contest is 7:30AM-3:30PM local time. So even if the homepage says “START THE CONTEST”, it does not mean that every student can start the contest, only those whose contest time window permits them to do so.
You might even see the “START THE CONTEST” message on Tuesday. In Japan and many other parts of the world, it is already the next day (Wednesday). They can start the contest, but you will have to wait until the start of your contest time window.
How long does it take to run a contest? Does it have to be at a certain time?
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How long does it take to run a contest? Does it have to be at a certain time?
Answer:
Once the students have started the contest, they have 50 minutes to complete it. So you will need to have a room and sufficient devices booked for at least one hour. It is best to count on needing a few additional minutes to allow for set up and any potential problems.
Before October 2020, the duration of each contest was 60 minutes. This was changed to better accommodate school schedules.
By default, the contest can be started at any time between 7:30AM and 3:30PM local time on one of the contest days (Wednesday or Thursday, last time to start is Thursday 18:30 EST). However, Caribou Coordinators can move their school’s contest time window from the default by up to 4 hours in either direction to allow students to write earlier or later. Consult the corresponding FAQ item, Can our students write the contest before 7:30am or after 3:30pm?.
Students registered with the Caribou Virtual School have an extra-long time window to accommodate multiple time zones. So Students registered with the Caribou Virtual School (i.e. students participating without a school) can start the contest any time on Wednesday or Thursday in their local time until 18:30 EST on Thursday.
Do all students participating in a school have to write the contest at the same time?
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Do all students participating in a school have to write the contest at the same time?
Answer:
No. Students can start the contest within their School’s Contest Time Window on the Contest Days. By default, the time window within which students may start the contest is 7:30AM and 3:30PM local time. Coordinators with many students can spread the contest over the 2 days if necessary. They can even move their school’s time window to allow students to start the contest earlier or later in the day. For information about this, see the corresponding FAQ item, Can our students write the contest before 7:30am or after 3:30pm?.
However, we prefer that all students in the same grade write at the same time or at least on the same day to cut down on communication between students.
When exactly are the 50 minutes for the contest used up?
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When exactly are the 50 minutes for the contest used up?
Answer:
The exact start and end time are calculated by our servers. The countdown under the Caribou logo during the contest is simply an indicator and may be slightly off—in fact it is possible to stall it simply by clicking.
Does each student have 50 minutes on each of the two days of the contest?
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Does each student have 50 minutes on each of the two days of the contest?
Answer:
No. Once a student has started the contest on either of the two contest days, they have 50 consecutive minutes to complete it.
Are the 50 minutes consecutive or can they be split up?
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Are the 50 minutes consecutive or can they be split up?
Answer:
The 50 minutes are consecutive. They cannot be split up. If the student logs out during the contest or the browser crashes, the countdown continues—if this happens, the Coordinator for the student can add more time (See the item What help can a Coordinator give to students during the contest?).
Can extra time be given if there is a technical problem?
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Can extra time be given if there is a technical problem?
Answer:
Yes. See the item What help can a Coordinator give to students during the contest?.
Can students with learning disabilities get extra time?
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Can students with learning disabilities get extra time?
Answer:
We entrust these decisions to our Caribou Coordinators who can decide whether it is necessary to give students more time. Students diagnosed with motor impairment or dyslexia may need more time to complete the contest or be allowed to use assistive technologies like text-to-speech software. For information on how to do this, see the item What help can a Coordinator give to students during the contest?.
Can our students write the contest before 7:30am or after 3:30pm?
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Can our students write the contest before 7:30am or after 3:30pm?
Answer:
Normally, students must start the contest on Wednesday or Thursday between 7:30AM and 3:30PM local time (last possible start time is Thursday 18:30 EST). Caribou publishes all contest dates so that Coordinators can plan ahead, book the appropriate equipment, and avoid logistical conflicts. However, many things could potentially prevent your students from writing at the normal times: holidays, school events, school trips, etc. Perhaps your institution can only run contests in the afternoon (e.g. tutoring centre, evening school, afterschool math club).
You can move your contest window for your whole school. Simply log in to your Coordinator account and click on ‘Shift My Contest Time Window’. You can shift your time window up to 4 hours earlier or later (last possible start time is Thursday 18:30 EST), and you can return to your default time window. Remember to reset the time window before the next contest.
You can shift the contest window even if only to allow a small number of students or one class to write earlier or later. You can do this because you can shift the contest time window even in the middle of contest day, and even if students have already started writing the contest. For example, you can wait until the end of the day to shift the contest window to allow a few students to write after school, then shift it back so it does not affect the next contest.
We cannot change contest days because all results, rankings, and statistics are calculated upon the contest’s closing. In extenuating circumstances it is possible for the Caribou Team to open up another test window before the normal window, on the Tuesday for example. Contact Us if this is the case.
Can I modify the Contest Time Window in the middle of a contest day?
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Can I modify the Contest Time Window in the middle of a contest day?
Answer:
Yes, you can. See the item Can our students write the contest before 7:30am or after 3:30pm?.
Due to problems on Wednesday and Thursday, our students missed the contest. Can they write it now?
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Due to problems on Wednesday and Thursday, our students missed the contest. Can they write it now?
Answer:
No, sorry, it is now impossible to participate in the missed contest. The last time to start the contest is Thursday 18:30 EST as we release results and answers shortly thereafter.
However, this does not necessarily have an impact on your students’ Caribou Cup ranking (see the item How does a missed contest affect cup rankings?). Also, the students can still write the contest as practice; it will now appear under Prepare > Previous Tests > Try a Past Contest.
We have made tools available to Coordinators to avoid such situations. For example, they can shift the time contest window to allow students to write elsewhere when writing at school is impossible. See the item Can our students write the contest before 7:30am or after 3:30pm?.
Error: You are in another timezone.
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Error: You are in another timezone.
Answer:
You might get such a message if you have changed your time window and not reset it. See the item Can our students write the contest before 7:30am or after 3:30pm? for details.
I can make the contest countdown timer stop by clicking and holding. Can I get infinite time this way?
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I can make the contest countdown timer stop by clicking and holding. Can I get infinite time this way?
Answer:
No, sorry. You are just stopping the “animation” of the countdown timer. If you go to a new question to refresh the page, you will see that the countdown is unaffected, because the real start time is saved in our server.
Is the last possible time to start the contest Thursday at 3:30pm or 6:30pm?
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Is the last possible time to start the contest Thursday at 3:30pm or 6:30pm?
Answer:
The default window of times to START the test (not to finish it, which can be later) is 7:30am to 3:30pm local time. However, coordinators can sign in and shift that time window up to 4 hours in both directions, BUT with one exception. The latest starting time is Thursday 6:30pm Eastern Time. If you were in the Eastern Time zone, for example, the latest you would be able to shift the starting time for the contest would be 3 hours later, since 4 hours would push it later than 6:30pm. Of course, if a coordinator shifts the time window for the school, all students and parents need to be informed, which is the job of the coordinator.
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