A student competition can be defined as any (student) event where an individual or a team compete for a prize where skill is the main predictor of the winner. There can be a competition

Competition

Competition is a contest between individuals, groups, animals, etc. for territory, a niche, or a location of resources. It arises whenever two and only two strive for a goal which cannot be shared. Competition occurs naturally between living organisms which co-exist in the same environment. For...

 between student

Student

A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...

s or teams of students within a classroom

Classroom

A classroom is a room in which teaching or learning activities can take place. Classrooms are found in educational institutions of all kinds, including public and private schools, corporations, and religious and humanitarian organizations...

 or across different school

School

A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...

s and across geographical regions. Student competitions help bring about a student’s best effort by inspiring creativity

Creativity

Creativity refers to the phenomenon whereby a person creates something new that has some kind of value. What counts as "new" may be in reference to the individual creator, or to the society or domain within which the novelty occurs...

 and challenging the student to utilize their skills. Teachers incorporate student competitions as part of their curriculum

Curriculum

See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...

 to encourage students to stay on task and bring forward their best work by significantly increasing the ‘Payoff for the Student’ by providing:

• In-class marks towards final grades.
• The opportunity to put their creativity and skill set to the test by allowing them to show off their comprehensive knowledge of, for example, a software, hardware
  Hardware
  Hardware is a general term for equipment such as keys, locks, hinges, latches, handles, wire, chains, plumbing supplies, tools, utensils, cutlery and machine parts. Household hardware is typically sold in hardware stores....
  
  , or music technology
  Music technology
  Music technology is a term that refers to all forms of technology involved with the musical arts, particularly the use of electronic devices and computer software to facilitate playback, recording, composition, storage and performance. This subject is taught at many different educational levels,...
  
   item.
• An occasion to compare their skill levels and creativity with that of students across the world, as well as with their own local classmates.
• A chance at winning cash and other great prizes.

Different types of student competitions exist:

1. Case study – This competition revolves around solving a real or imaginary case given to the competitors. The goal is to find a solution using the information provided in the case.
2. Business Plan – A competition for which a business plan needs to be written for either an existing or fictional business. Most entrepreneurship competitions will be of this form.
3. Simulation – Students compete either online or via software simulating an environment in which decisions need to be made. These decisions and the outcomes are monitored to decide on the winner. Sometimes the whole event is online and no physical location is given.
4. Ideation - A competition where ideas for different concepts are the main deliverables. The ideas may or may not be executed at a later time. Many competitions in which a semi-structured body of text needs to be delivered are considered in this category.
5. Essay – Writing an essay (a short piece of writing) about a topic. Topics can vary and can be mandated or left to the writers’ discretion. The main deliverable is a body of text that is written in a specific form.

There are many student competitions running across the globe. Often, these competitions comprise of students first competing with other students in their classrooms. The winners go on to regional competitions and finally on to national competitions.