The University of York has missed out on qualifying for this year’s University Challenge.
University Challenge is a British TV quiz show where university teams compete by answering questions which can be extremely challenging on a wide range of academic and general knowledge topics.
A spokesperson for the York Student Union said: “We are saddened that our students were not selected on this occasion.
“University Challenge is one of the most exciting external activities we participate in, and we are obviously disappointed that our students were not able to represent our impressive student body on this occasion.”
According to a York SU spokesperson, qualification for the York University Challenge team requires students to complete a Google Form sent out by the Union.
The top eight scorers of the Google Form are invited to a live final on campus where the final four are selected for the team.
As one of the UK’s toughest quiz competitions, the competing teams are then selected by the show’s producers, based both on scores from a general trivia quiz and producers’ judging of the suitability of the teams for television.
This means that only the brightest students from universities across the country are chosen to represent their university in the competition.
The universities selected then go head-to-head in teams of four to battle it out to become the University Challenge winner.
Contestants on the show are quizzed on a wide variety of topics ranging from astrophysics to Greek mythology, and American literature to Renaissance art. There is no limit to the questions that may be asked.
Student Union Activities Officer Kaitlyn Beattie-Zarb confirmed that the University is hoping to re-qualify for University Challenge 2025 and said: “The qualification process will commence soon, with a live final to be held on campus in November.”
Addressing students directly, they said: “keep an eye out for further details!
“And if you’re a big university challenge fan, keen to represent York and love a good quiz – get practising!”
A spokesperson for the University’s Quiz Society said: “Quiz Society hopes that the team formed in the upcoming year will be more successful than the last one, as it would be great to see a York team competing again.”
The University of York competed in University Challenge 2023 and lost to Birkbeck who secured a place in the quarter-finals.
Colleges at Oxford and Cambridge University are known for their continuous prevalence in University Challenge competitions.
During the Christmas series between 2011 and 2022, it was found that Oxbridge colleges represented one quarter of teams and three quarters of winners. This led to demands to change the format of University challenge which allows Oxbridge colleges to apply individually and has been deemed elitist by some.
Kaitlyn said: “we are concerned about Oxbridge universities receiving extra opportunities to be represented and compete in the competition.
“Given that the University of York also has colleges, there is a curiosity about whether we might one day compete in a similar way.”