Important Notes
These important things to remember apply to high school NQE and middle school NQE.
- Students who appear in videos or in interviews must be dressed in TSA Competition Attire. This is not negotiable. Failure to do so will result in a -20% deduction on the entire entry.
- Chapter Team MUST wear official attire, including blazer and patch. Dress code will be checked by the video proctor.
- LEAP Report—LEAP IS GOOOONE! Don’t worry about LEAP!
Disclaimers
Copyright: All entries must be the original work of the student participant or student team. All ideas, text, images (photos), computer generated, video and/or other), sounds and other media from other sources must be cited, including anything that is from the public domain. References and resources are to be cited using the most current edition of the Modern Language Association, or MLA, style. If copyrighted material is used, proper written permission must be included. Failure to follow this procedure will automatically result in disqualification of the students (all projects) and may potentially disqualify the entire chapter from the Texas TSA State Competition.
A student may enter only one NQE on-site CADD contest.
Due to time limits and other extenuating circumstances, Texas TSA reserves the rights to make modifications on how it conducts National Qualifying Events (NQEs) at Texas TSA State Contest. Individual event coordinators must have any such modifications approved by the NQE coordinator at state contest. These may include the following:
- Shortening the contest time or interview time allowed
- Only having 1 round for public performance style events
- Limiting the number of teams interviewed in the final round
Rule modifications should be procedural only and not affect the intent of the competition rules.
General Guidelines
- The National VIRTUAL Rulebook will be followed, with adjustments for State Contest listed below in the grid.
- Nationals Dress Code will be enforced in all NQE events. Dress code is:
- Official TSA Blue Competition Shirt, gray pants, black socks, & black shoes
- Females may opt to wear skirts and/or hosiery in lieu of pants and socks
- Chapter Team must wear official TSA blazers, with patch, and the red TSA tie (males). Per National TSA, females will not be penalized for wearing the tie, but it is optional for them.
- Ignorance of the rules and/or misunderstanding of the rules is not an excuse for a protest or additional consideration. If you are unsure of the wording of a rule, have a question, or need clarification, please email the NQE Managers at nqe@texastsa.org.
High School National Qualifying Events
No. | Event Name | Info | Entry Limits | Prelim Round | Semi Finalist Round |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
HN501 | Animatronics | Submit UNLISTED YouTube URL by 11:59pm Central time on XDATE. | 1 entry per chapter, 3 entries per region | Url of video | Live presentation via Zoom |
HN502 | Architectural Design | Submit PDF by 11:59pm on XDATE | 1 entry per chapter, 3 entries per region | 1 PDF | Live interview via Zoom |
HN503 | Biotechnology Design | Submit PDF of portfolio by 11:59pm Central time on XDATE | 1 entry per chapter, 3 entries per region, 3 entries per state | 1 PDF & URL of Digital Display | Live interview via Zoom |
HN504 | Board Game Design | Submit PDF by 11:59pm on XDATE | 1 entry per chapter, 3 entries per region | 1 PDF | Live interview via Zoom |
HN505 | Chapter Team | Students must have cameras on at all times during the test. Chapter Team Dress is required for both test & demo! | 1 entry per chapter, 3 entries per region | Live Test | Live demo of Business Procedure |
HN506 | Children's Stories | Submit 2 PDFs—one of the portfolio and one of the storybook by 11:59pm Central Time on XDATE | 3 entries per region, no per chapter restrictions 5 per state if teams, 3 per state if individual) | 2 PDFs - 1 of portfolio and 1 of book. | Live Presentation/Interview via Zoom |
HN507 | Coding | Problem posted on Texas TSA Website at X time during contest. Submission window opens for two hours after the posting. Students submit zip files of jar files of their solutions. | 3 per region, no per chapter restriction. (2 teams of 2 students per state) | Zip of JAR files | No final round per rules |
HN508 | CAD Architecture | Problem posted on Texas TSA Website at X time during contest. Submission window opens for four hours after the posting. Students submit PDF file of solution. | 3 per region, but only 2 per chapter Cannot enter other CAD Event (4 per state) | 1 PDF | No final round per rules |
HN509 | CAD Engineering | Problem posted on Texas TSA Website at X time during contest. Submission window opens for four hours after the posting. Students submit PDF file of solution. | 3 per region, but only 2 per chapter Cannot enter other CAD Event (4 per state) | 1 pdf | No final round per rules |
HN510 | CIM | ||||
HN511 | Debating Technological Issues | Live debate via Zoom. No semi-finalist round. | 3 per region, no per chapter restriction. (5 per state) | Live | |
HN512 | Digital Video Production | Submit UNLISTED YouTube URL and PDF by 11:59pm on XDATE. No interview. | 3 entries per region, 3 entries per state | 1 PDF url | |
HN513 | Dragster Design | Mail car and drawing to El Paso. Return postage must be pre-paid if student wants car returned. State only event for 2021 - entries will be shipped to a test location and results will be streamed. CANNOT ADVANCE TO NATIONALS. | 2 per chapter | Car to be mailed | |
HN514 | Engineering Design | Submit a PDF containing Portfolio and Digital Display by 11:59pm Central Time on XDATE. | 3 per region, no per chapter restriction. (5 per state) | 1 PDF | Live interview via Zoom |
HN515 | Essays on Technology | Problem posted on Texas TSA Website at X time during contest. Submission window opens for two hours after the posting. Students submit PDF file of solution. | 3 per region, no per chapter restriction. (5 per state) | 1 PDF | No final round per rules. |
HN516 | Extemporaneous Speech | 3 per region, no per chapter restriction. (5 per state) | Live | ||
HN517 | Fashion Design & Technology | Submit PDF by 11:59pm Central Time on XDATE | 3 per region, no per chapter restriction. (5 per state) | 1 PDF | Live interview via Zoom |
HN518 | Flight Endurance | ||||
HN519 | Forensic Science | Students must have cameras on at all times during the test. | 3 per region, but only 1 per chapter | Live Test | Digital Crime Scene. Post challenge on Texas TSA Website and close submission window after 40 minutes. Students upload PDF of their analysis. |
HN520 | Future Technology & Engineering Teacher | Submit BOTH UNLISTED YouTube URLs of lesson by 11:59pm Central Time on XDATE. Submit Instructional Video (listed as “Preliminary Round” in rulebook) and Lesson Plan Video (listed “Lessons Plan Video" in rulebook) | 2 entries per chapter, 3 entries per region | 2 URLs | Live interview via Zoom |
HN521 | Music Production | Submit .mp3 file of song and PDF of portfolio by 11:59pm Central Time on XDATE | 3 entries per region, 3 entries per state | 1 PDF, 1 MP3 FILE | Live interview via Zoom |
HN522 | On Demand Video | Submit UNLISTED YouTube URL and PDF by 11:59pm Central Time on XDATE. Topic will be posted on Texas TSA Website at YTIMEDATE. | 1 entry per chapter, 3 entries per region | 1 PDF of Consent forms + URL | No finalist round per rules. |
HN523 | Photographic Technology | Submit PDF by 11:59pm Central Time on XDATE | 1 entry per chapter, 3 entries per region | 1 PDF | Semi-Finalist Challenge: Post challenge on Texas TSA Website and close submission window after 2 hours. Students upload PDF of their solution. |
HN524 | Prepared Presentation | Problem posted on Texas TSA Website at 24 hours prior to event start. | 3 entries per region, 3 entries per state, 5 per state | lIVE | No finalist round per rules. |
HN525 | Promotional Design | Submit PDF by 11:59pm Central Time on XDATE (PDF must contain both documentation AND the marketing portfolio) | 3 entries per region, 3 entries per state, 5 per state | 1 PDF | Submit PDF by 11:59pm Central Time on XDATE (PDF must contain both documentation AND the marketing portfolio) |
HN526 | Scientific & Technical Visualization (SciVis) | Submit PDF by 11:59pm Central Time on XDATE (PDF must contain both documentation AND the marketing portfolio) | 3 entries per chapter, 3 entries per region | 1 PDF, URL | |
HN527 | Software Development | Live demonstration of software. | 1 entry per chapter, 3 entries per region | No finalist round per rules. | |
HN528 | Structural Design & Engineering | Ship structure, drawing, and required box to Mesquite (?). State only event for 2021 - entries will be shipped to a test location and results will be streamed. CANNOT ADVANCE TO NATIONALS." | 1 entry per chapter | Live break | |
HN529 | System Control Technology | ||||
HN530 | Technology Bowl | Students must have cameras on at all times during the test. | 1 team of 3 per chapter, 3 entries per region | Live | Live head to head quiz bowl. |
HN531 | Technology Problem Solving | ||||
HN532 | Transportation Modeling | Submit PDF by 11:59pm Central Time on XDATE. | 1 entry per chapter, 3 entries per region | 1 PDF | Live Interview via Zoom to show model/display to judges. |
HN533 | Video Game Design | Submit PDF and URL/Link to *exe file of game by 11:59pm Central Time on XDATE. | 3 entries per region, 3 entries per state, 5 per state | PDF URL or .exe | Live interview via Zoom. |
HN534 | Webmaster | Submit URL by 11:59pm Central Time on XDATE. | 1 entry per chapter, 3 entries per region | URL | Live interview via Zoom. |
HN535 | Cyber Security | 2 entries per chapter, 3 entries per region | No final round per rules. | ||
HN536 | Data Science and Analytics | Submit PDF of the portfolio by 11:59pm Central Time on XDATE. **This event has 3 rounds. | 3 per region, no per chapter restriction. (5 teams per state) | 1 PDF | 2nd Round: Live Presentation of Scientific Poster. Be sure to use template provided by National TSA. 3rd Round: Requires a 24hr design challenge. I suggest we kill this one in the interest of time and not having enough staff much less this not being a popular event to begin with. |
HN537 | ITF+ Certification | Students must have cameras on at all times during the test. | 3 per region, no per chapter restriction. (3 per chapter) | Live test | No finalist round per rules. |
HN538 | Geospatial Technology | Submit PDF of portfolio and PDF of visual infographic map by 11:59pm Central Time on XDATE. | 3 per region, but only 1 per chapter | 2 PDF |
Middle School National Qualifying Events
No. | Event Name | Information | Entry Limits | Prelim Round | Semi Finalist Round |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
MN600 | Biotechnology Design | Submit PDF of portfolio and URL of Digital Display by 11:59pm Central Time on XDATE. | 3 entries per region, 3 entries per state (5 per state) | 1 PDF & URL | Live interview via Zoom |
MN601 | CAD Foundations | Shortened setup time | 3 entries per region, 2 entries per state (4 per state) | No final round per rules | |
MN602 | Career Prep | Submit PDF by 11:59pm on Feb 18th. No Interview. | 1 entry per chapter, 3 entries per region | 1 PDF | Live interview via Zoom |
MN603 | Challenging Technology Issues | Post topic 24 hours prior to event. Students sign up for time to time to present. It’s kind of like debate but they debate themselves. | 3 entries per region, 3 entries per state (5 per state) | Live | No final round per rules |
MN604 | Chapter Team | Students must have cameras on at all times during the test. Chapter Team Dress is required for both test & demo! | 1 entry per chapter, 3 entries per region | Live Test | Live Demo of Business Procedure. |
MN605 | Children's Stories | Submit 2 PDFs—one of the portfolio and one of the storybook by 11:59pm Central Time on XDATE. | 3 entries per region, 3 entries per state | 2 PDFs - 1 of portfolio and 1 of book. (5 per state) | Live presentation/interview via Zoom |
MN606 | Coding | Written Test | 1 entry per chapter, 3 entries per region | Live Test | Problem posted on Texas TSA Website at X time during contest. Submission window opens for two hours after the posting. Students submit zip files of jar files of their solutions. |
MN607 | Community Service Video | Submit UNPUBLISHED YouTube URL by 11:59pm Central Time on XDATE. | 1 entry per chapter, 3 entries per region | URL | Live interview via Zoom |
MN608 | Construction Challenge | Submit PDF of portfolio, URL of Digital Display, and PDF of Student Copyright Checklist by 11:59 Central Time on XDATE. | 1 entry per chapter, 3 entries per region | 2 PDF + URL | Live interview via Zoom |
MN609 | Digital Photography | Shortened time for semifinalist onsite problem/photos | 3 entries per region, 3 entries per state (5 per state) | 1 PDF | Semi-Finalist Challenge: Post challenge on Texas TSA Website and close submission window after 2 hours. Students upload PDF of their solution. |
MN610 | Dragster | Mail car and drawing to El Paso. Return postage must be pre-paid if student wants car returned. State only event for 2021 - entries will be shipped to a test location and results will be streamed. | 2 entries per chapter | Car to be mailed. | |
MN611 | Electrical Applications | NOT A VIRTUAL EVENT | 1 entry per chapter, 3 entries per region | ||
MN612 | Essays on Technology | Submit a PDF of the Outline using the format provided by National TSA and Notecards by 11:59pm Central Time on XDATE | 3 entries per region, 3 entries per state (5 per state) | 1 PDF | Semi-Finalist Challenge: Post challenge on Texas TSA Website and close submission window after 1 hour. Students upload PDF of their solution. |
MN613 | Flight | NOT A VIRTUAL EVENT | 2 entries per state, 6 entries per region | ||
MN614 | Forensic Technology | Students must have cameras on at all times during the test. | 1 entry per chapter, 3 entries per region | Live Test | Live demonstration of assigned skill. Skill is emailed to advisor with link for time sign up. |
MN615 | Inventions and Innovations | Submit URL of Interactive Digital Display by 11:59pm Central Time by XDATE | 1 entry per chapter, 3 entries per region | URL | Unlisted YouTube URL of sales pitch. |
MN616 | Junior Solar Sprint | Submit UNLISTED YouTube URL of Race Video and PDF by 11:59pm Central Time on XDATE. | 1 entry per chapter | 1 PDF & URL | No final round per rules. |
MN617 | Leadership Strategies | Runs like Extemp. Suggest allowing a video. | 1 entry per chapter, 3 entries per region (5 per state) | 1 PDF | No final round per rules |
MN618 | Mass Production | Submit PDF of portfolio by 11:59pm Central Time by XDATE | 1 entry per chapter, 3 entries per region | 1 PDF | Unlisted YouTube URL of demonstrating functionality of prototypes. |
MN619 | Mechanical Engineering | Submit PDF of portfolio by 11:59pm Central Time on XDATE. | 1 entry per chapter, 3 entries per region | 1 PDF | Live Demo via Zoom |
MN620 | Medical Technology Issues | Submit an URL to the Digital Display and an UNLISTED YouTube URL of the presentation video by 11:59pm Central Time on XDATE | 3 entries per region, 3 entries per state | 2 URLs | Live interview via Zoom |
MN621 | Microcontroller Design | Submit PDF by 11:59pm Central Time on XDATE. | 1 entry per chapter, 3 entries per region | 1 PDF | Live demo via Zoom |
MN622 | Off The Grid | Submit PDF and URL or PDF of Digital Display by 11:59pm Central Time on XDATE | 3 entries per region, 3 entries per state | 1 PDF + 1 URL OR 2PDF | Live interview via Zoom |
MN623 | Prepared Speech | Submit URL of UNLISTED YouTube video by 11:59pm Central Time on XDATE | 3 entries per region, 3 entries per state | URL | No final round per rules |
MN624 | Problem Solving | NOT A VIRTUAL EVENT | |||
MN625 | Promotional Marketing | Submit a PDF showing the design work separate from the items in marketing portfolio. The Marketing Portfolio needs to be the following files: A PDF of a printable signage, A PDF of a wearable design, and an URL to Digital Signage by 11:59pm Central Time on XDATE | 1 individual per chapter, 3 entries per region | 3 PDF + URL | Semi-Finalist Challenge: Post challenge on Texas TSA Website and close submission window after 1 hour. Students upload PDF of their solution. |
MN626 | STEM Animation | Submit UNPUBLISHED YouTube URL and PDF by 11:59pm Central Time on XDATE. | 3 entries per region, 3 entries per state | 1 PDF + URL | Live interview via Zoom |
MN627 | Structural Engineering | Ship structure, drawing and required box to Mesquite (?). State only event for 2021 - entries will be shipped to a test location and results will be streamed. | 1 entry per chapter | Live Break | |
MN628 | System Control Technology | NOT A VIRTUAL EVENT. | 3 entries per region, 1 entry per state | ||
MN629 | Tech Bowl | Students must have cameras on at all times during the test. | 1 entry per chapter, 3 entries region | Live | Live head to head quiz bowl. |
MN630 | Technical Design | Problem posted on Texas TSA Website at X time during contest. Submission window opens for two hours after the posting. Students submit PDF file of solution. | 1 entry per chapter, 3 entries per region | 1 PDF | No final round per rules. |
MN631 | Video Game Design | Submit PDF and URL/Link to *exe file of game by 11:59pm Central Time on XDATE | 1 entry per chapter, 3 entries per region | 1 PDF + URL | Live interview via Zoom |
MN632 | Website Design | Submit URL by 11:59pm Central Time on XDATE. | 1 entry pr chapter, 3 entries per region | URL | Live interview via Zoom |
MN633 | Cyber Security | Students must have cameras on at all times during the test. | 2 entries per chapter, 3 entries per region (5 per chapter) | Live Test | Live presentation over current challege on National TSA website. |
MN634 | Data Science and Analytics | Submit PDF of portfolio and URL of Digital Display by 11:59 Central Time on XDATE. | 3 entries per region (5 per state) | 1 PDF + URL | Live challenge + presentation. |
MN635 | Foundations of IT | Students must have cameras on at all times during the test. | 2 entries per chapter, 3 entries per region | Live Test | No finalist round per rules. |