SIMPIC 2018

RULEBOOK

The rules in each round may be adjusted to suit the competition if necessary.
Any changes to the rules will be announced in advance on the SIMPIC official website.
The judges’ decision is final.
 SIMPIC 2018 Rulebook

Schedule

Time (24-hour) Competition Round Place

Saturday, March 17
9.00 - 12.30 First Round A.G. Ellis Laboratory
9.00 – 10.30 Session 1
11.00 – 12.30 Session 2
Monday, March 19
10.00 – 10.30 Revival Round A.G. Ellis Laboratory
11.50 – 15.35 Second Round Ratchapanadda Hall
12.05 - 12.45 Session 1
12.50 – 13.30 Session 2
13.35 – 14.15 Session 3
14.20 – 15.00 Session 4
15.05 – 15.35 Extra session
15.40 – 16.55 Semi-final Round Ratchapanadda Hall
15.40 – 16.15 Session A
16.20 -16.55 Session B
17.00 – 18.00 Final Round Ratchapanadda Hall

The schedule may be adjusted to suit the competition if necessary.

Any changes in the schedule will be announced in advance on the SIMPIC official website.

General Rules for Written Answers

Written answers are required in Case-based examination, Second Round, and Final Round.
Please follow these rules or your answer will not be considered.
For any written answer in SIMPIC 2018,
• Abbreviations are only acceptable if they are on Appendix I of this rulebook. Do not
use any other abbreviation that is not on the list. The list will also be available on your
answer sheet, and your competing table throughout the competition.
• Please use technical terms and spell them correctly. Specific names are to be
capitalized.
• Scientific names are not required to be italic or underlined.
• Use only generic names when referring to drugs.
• Please write your answer with legible handwriting. We cannot grade any illegible
answers.
• Both British and American English are accepted.

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First Round

General Rules

• You are not allowed to bring anything to or out of the examination room.
• Wearing a wristwatch into the examination room, either analog or digital, is
prohibited. However, the current time will be displayed on your computer screen
during the competition at all times.

The Examination

There are two parts in the exam.

• The first part (weighted 65%) contains 60 multiple-choice questions. The contestants will
take this part of the examination individually.
• The second part (weighted 35%) is a case-based examination. The contestants will take
this part of the examination as a team.

Qualification and Ranking

In the First Round,

• The individual score is defined by the summation of each contestant’s score in the
multiple-choice questions and their team’s score in the case-based examination.
• The individual score of each team member will be combined. 20 teams with the
highest combined scores will advance to the Second Round.

Furthermore, your score in the first part will be used for individual rankings.
• Three individuals with the highest score will be awarded gold medal.
• Individuals ranked from fourth to eighth place will be awarded silver medal.
• Individuals ranked from ninth to eighteenth place will be awarded bronze medal.

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First Round – Part One

Multiple-Choice Question Examination

General Rules

• When you arrive at the examination room, sit according to your examination
identification number. There will be one answer sheet, one note paper, two 2B pencils,
one pen and one eraser prepared at your table.
• Make sure that your name and identification number matches those on your answer
sheet. Your name and your identification number will be printed on the answer sheet.
• Sign your name in the designated area of the answer sheet. If your signature is not
present on the answer sheet, your answer for this part will not be considered.
• Check if there are any defects in the printing process that might affect you.
• Any issue regarding the answer sheet must be notified to the staff before the
examination starts. If you notify the staff after the examination has started, please be
aware that we will not pause the time and no extra time will be given.
• Pay attention to the instructions announced by the staff as this will guide you through
the rules and procedures of the competition. If you have any questions regarding the
rules or the procedures, feel free to ask any of the staff.
• You are allowed to use the toilet during the examination only one person per
examination room at a time. However, leaving the examination room during the
first and last 15 minutes of the examination time is prohibited.
• Cheating is prohibited. If you are caught cheating, your score in multiple-choice
question will be zero.

The Examination

• There are 60 questions in this part. All questions are multiple-choice questions. The
first 55 questions will be 4-choice questions with only one correct answer and the
last 5 questions will be a matching test with only one correct answer.
• Every question will be shown on a computer screen. You can change the pages with a
mouse and a keyboard. If you accidentally close the program or face any problems
with the computer, please inform the staff immediately.
• Check that the set of your answer sheet matches that of the questions on the computer.
If not, inform the staff immediately.
• Choose your answer on the answer sheet with 2B pencil. If you want to change your
answer, please erase your old answer before choosing a new one.

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Timing

• You will have 90 minutes for this examination.

• At the 60-minute mark (30 minutes left), you will hear a notification sound.
• At the 75-minute mark (15 minutes left), you will hear another notification sound.
• At the 90-minute mark, the examination ends. You are required to put down your
stationery immediately. If you violate any of the instructions given above, you will be
given a zero for the multiple-choice examination.

Scoring

This part counts as 65% of the total score of the First Round.
• The first 55 questions will be 4-choice questions Each question is worth 1 point.
• The last 5 questions will be the matching test. There will only be one correct answer
in each question, which is worth 2 points each.
• For all 60 questions, there are no penalties in case of wrong answers.

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First Round – Part Two

Case-Based Examination

General Rules

• When your team arrive at the examination room, sit according to your team’s
examination identification number. There will be one answer sheet and a pen prepared
at your table.
• Our staff will begin registering the contestants in this part by asking your team to sign
your names on a registration sheet. Make sure that every one in your team signs
their names. Any missing signature will result in the team’s disqualification.
• Make sure that every members’ name and identification number matches those on
your answer sheet. Your name and your identification number will be printed on the
answer sheet.
• Check if there are any defects in the printing process that might affect you.
• Any issue regarding the answer sheet must be notified to the staff before the
examination starts. If you notify the staff after the examination has started, please be
aware that we will not pause the time and no extra time will be given.
• Pay attention to the instruction announced by the staff since it will guide you through
the rules and procedures of this part of the competition. If you have any question
regarding the rules or any procedures, feel free to ask the staff.
• You are not allowed to leave the examination room during the examination at all
times. Please inform our staff if there is any emergency or if you feel unwell.
• Cheating is prohibited. If you are caught cheating, your score in case-based question
will be zero.

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The Examination

• There are 3 cases in this part. Each case consists of 2 accompanying questions, so there
are 6 questions in total. All questions are short answer questions.
• The first question of each case is an identification question.
• The second question of each case is about the details of the case and the
corresponding organisms.
• The answer sheet for the first question of Case 1 will be on your team’s table. After the
time for the first question is up, the staff will collect the answer sheet and you will be
given another one for the second question. After the time is up, the staff will collect
the answer sheet and hand out a new one for the first question of Case 2. The
remaining questions for Case 2 and 3 will be repeated in this manner.
• Please note that you are not allowed to use a keyboard or a mouse of that computer as
the program used for this examination might be interrupted. If there are any problems
with the computer screen, please notify the staff immediately.
• You have to write your answers on the provided answer sheet corresponding to the
space designated for each question.
• Please cross out any unwanted answers since no correction pen will be provided.

Timing

• You will have 5 minutes to answer the first question in each case.
• You will have 10 minutes to answer the second question.
• You will hear a notification sound at the beginning of the question, at the 1-minute-
remaning mark, and at the end of the question. The notification sounds will follow the
same pattern until you finish every case.
• After the time-up sound, you are required to put down your stationery immediately. If
you violate any of the instructions given above, you will be given zero points for the
case-based examination.

Scoring

• This part counts as 35% of the total score of the First Round.
• You will be given full points only if,
• You write down a correct answer.
• The answer is correctly spelled.
• Your answers follow the General Rules for Written Answers.
• If your answer does not meet every requirement given above, your answer will be
considered incorrect.

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Revival Round

Teams that are not qualified for the Second Round from the combined scores in the
First Round will have another chance in the Revival Round. Each contestant will take the
exam individually, and the score of each team member will be combined. An additional 8
teams with the highest combined scores from the Revival Round will also advance to the
Second Round.

General Rules

• There are 40 questions in this part. All questions are True-False questions.
• You are not allowed to bring anything to or out of the examination room.
• Wearing a wristwatch into the examination room, either analog or digital, is
prohibited. However, the current time will be displayed on your computer screen
during the competition at all times.
• When you arrive at the examination room, please sit according to your examination
identification number. There will be one answer sheet, one note paper, two 2B pencils,
one pen and one eraser prepared at your table.
• Please check that your name and your identification number correspond to the name
and identification number on your answer sheet. (Your name and identification
number will be printed on the answer sheet automatically.)
• Sign your name on the prepared area of the answer sheet. If your signature is not
present on the answer sheet, your answer for this part will not be considered.
• Please pay attention to the rules and procedures announced by the staff. If you have
any questions regarding the process of the competition, feel free to ask the staff.
• You are not allowed to leave the examination room at all times.
• Cheating is prohibited. If you are caught cheating, your score in this part will be
zero.

Timing

• You have 30 minutes for this examination.

• At the 20-minute mark (10 minutes remaining) you will hear a notification sound.
• When the time is up you will hear another sound. You are required to put down your
stationery immediately. Please make sure that you have chosen all your answers
before the time is up. If you violate any of the instructions given above, you will be
given a zero for the revival round.

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The Examination

• Every question will be shown on the computer screen. You can change pages with the
mouse and keyboard. If you accidentally close the program or face any problems with
the computer, please notify the staff immediately.
• Make sure that the set of your answer sheet matches that of the questions on the
computer. If not, inform the staff immediately.
• Please choose your answer on the answer sheet with 2B pencil. If you want to change
your answer, please erase your old answer before choosing a new one.
• Choose 1 on the answer sheet if you want to answer TRUE. Choose 2 on the answer
sheet if you want to answer FALSE
• The instructions are to be followed strictly.

Scoring

• Each question is worth 1 point.

• If you choose a correct answer, you will earn 1 point.
• f you choose an incorrect answer, you will be deducted 1 point.
• If you do not answer, you will neither be given nor deducted any points.

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Stage Rounds

The Second Round, Semi-final Round, and Final Round will be held on stage. The
following are general rules for all stage rounds.

General Rules

• All contestants must follow the general rules.

• You are not allowed to bring anything on to or out of the stage during your round of
competition.
• Wearing a wristwatch, either digital or analog, is prohibited on the stage.
• You are required to sign your name on the registration sheet before going on the stage.
Please make sure that you do sign your name.
• The rules and procedures will be explained again at the beginning of each round.
Please pay attention as this will guide you through the process in each round.
• Cheating is prohibited. If you are caught cheating, you and your team will be
disqualified.
• Any issue concerning a question or its answer must be raised within the time of the
question, or else your objection will not be considered.

House Rules

• The audience must follow the house rules.

• Please switch off your mobile phones and electronic devices while the competition is
in session. Keep in mind that taking photographs of the competition is prohibited.
• Please refrain from distracting other contestants during the competition
i.e. prompting, pointing, whispering etc.
• Please remain seated during the competition.
• Show your support for the contestants by applauding.

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Second Round
Speed Short Answer Round

Participating teams and Groupings

• 20 teams with the highest score from the First Round and 8 teams with the highest
score from the Revival Round will proceed to compete in the Second Round. The list of
teams qualified from the Revival Round will be announced at the beginning of this
round.
• The competing teams will be assigned into 4 groups based on the score from the First
Round. There will be 7 teams competing in each group: A, B, C, and D.
• The Second Round will be held in 4 sessions, with one group competing per session.
• The order of the competing groups will be randomized before the first session. The set
of questions used in each session will be randomized at the beginning of that particular
session.

The Competition

• Each question will be displayed on the personal monitor and the main projector. The
question will be read aloud once, then the start signal will sound.
• Write your answer only after the start signal is heard. Any team that fails to
comply to this rule will be disqualified from answering that particular question. The
team may resume answering in the next question.
• The competing teams will have 60 seconds to answer each question on the electronic
device. After you finish writing the answer for each question, click submit. Once you
have submitted your answer, you will not be able to edit or resubmit. If you do not
click submit, the answer will be automatically submitted at the 60-second mark.
• Before each session, an example question will be asked at the beginning to ensure that
every contestant understands the rules. The example question, whether answered
correctly or not, will not affect the score.
• In case of unexpected circumstances in which the judges had decided that a particular
question can no longer be used, a new question will be randomly selected. This new
question will be read twice and will not be shown on the screen. Any point earned in
the retracted question will be annulled.

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Scoring

• Points will be given to the team with correct answer with regard to the time
remaining.
• Incorrect answers will not gain any point.

TIME REMAINING (seconds) POINTS

50.00 – 59.99 20
40.00-49.99 18
30.00-39.99 16
20.00-29.99 14
10.00-19.99 12
0.01-9.99 10

Elimination Rules

There is a total of 9 questions in each session. At the end of question 5 and 7, up to 2

teams with the lowest scores will be eliminated.
• If there are 2 teams with equally low scores, both team will be eliminated.
• If there are more than 2 teams with the equally low scores, no team will be eliminated.
• If there is only 1 team with the lowest, that team will be eliminated.

Qualification

• At the end of Question 9, 2 teams with the highest score in each group will proceed
to the Semi-Final Round. If there are more than 2 teams with the highest score, points
from the First Round will be taken into consideration.
• Additionally, the third-ranking team from each group will have a chance to
compete in the extra session for the last two spot of the Semi-final Round. The
ruleset of the Second Round will also be applied to the extra session. Further
information will be announced beforehand.

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Semi-final Round
Flash Oral Question Round

Participating teams and Groupings

• The 10 teams from the Second Round will compete in 2 sessions, A and B, with 5
teams in each session. Before the competition begins, one representative from each
team will come up on the stage to take a draw to determine the session and order in
which they will compete. For example, getting ballot ‘3B’ means that the team will
compete in session B as the third team to choose the question.
• Session A teams will compete first, followed by session B teams.
• The set of questions used for each session will be randomized before the competition
begins.

The Competition

• Each session is further divided into 4 rounds.

• For each round, every team has to send one delegate to the buzzer to represent the
team. The representatives are the only ones responsible for the points of their teams in
each assigned round.
• Team members must be seated in the order of representation.
• The representative of team 1A or 1B is the first one in each round to choose a
question from a panel of 25 questions.
• The question will be read aloud twice, followed by the start signal. The representative
who chose that question has to answer within 15 seconds. Only the first answer is
considered even the time remains.
• If the answer is correct, the team will be given 3 points.
• No point will be deducted for an incorrect answer.
• Failure to answer within the time limit will be regarded as incorrect.
• If the answer is incorrect or there is no response within 15 seconds, the steal signal
will sound. The other teams will have a chance to get the points from that question by
both pressing the buzzer and answering within 10 seconds. The only team with a
ringing buzzer can answer the question. Only the first answer is considered.
• If the answer is correct, the team will be given 2 points.
• However, an incorrect answer will cost the team 1 point and the chance to answer that
question again. The ‘steal signal’ will then sound again for the remaining three teams
to answer.
• Failure to answer within the time limit will be regarded as incorrect.

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• If the first stealer answers incorrectly, the process will repeat once more. The
remaining 3 teams can now steal the question. Please keep in mind that for each
question, each team only has one chance to answer.
• The buzzer must be pressed after the steal signal. If the buzzer goes off before the
signal, the team will be deducted 1 point and lose the chance to answer that
question.
• After the first question is finished, the second team, 2A or 2B, will get the chance to
choose a question. The competition will go on in the same manner.
• When all 5 teams have chosen their questions, another set of representatives will
come up to the buzzer to resume the next round. Each member can only represent the
team once, which means that everyone will get to select one question from the panel.
• In case of unexpected circumstances in which the judges decide that a particular
question can no longer be used, a new question will be randomly selected. This new
question will not be shown on the screen. Any point earned in the retracted question
will be annulled.

Qualification

• 2 teams with the highest scores from each session, 4 teams in total, will proceed to
the Final Round.
• At the end of each session, if there are more than 2 teams with the highest scores,
points from the First Round will be taken into consideration.

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Final round
Short Answer Round

The Competition

• There are a total of 15 questions. Each question will be displayed on the personal
monitor and the main projector, and the question will also be read aloud twice.
• After that, the start signal will sound. Contestants will have 60 seconds to discuss the
question within the team and write the final answer on the provided electronic device.
Write your answer only after the start signal is heard. Any team that fails to
comply with this rule will be disqualified from answering that particular question. The
team may resume answering in the next question.
• After you finish writing the answer for each question, click submit. Once you have
submitted your answer, you will not be able to edit or resubmit. If you do not
click submit, the answer will be automatically submitted at the 60-second mark.
• Any writing on the screen will be considered as the final answer. If the contestants do
not wish to answer, the screen of the device must be left blank. There will be a clear
button on the device for those who wish not to answer at the last minute.
• Before the competition, an example question will be asked to ensure that every
contestant understands the rules of this round. The example question, whether
answered correctly or not, will not affect the score.

Scoring

• The time taken by each team to submit the answer will not be calculated into points.
• If the answer is correct, the team will be given 10 points. If the answer is
incorrect, 20% of the team’s total score in this round will be deducted. If you do
not answer, the team will not be given or deducted any points.
• The team’s current scores will be rounded to the nearest hundredth at the end of each
question and will be used to determine the ranking.

Ranking
• The team with the highest score will be the winner of SIMPIC 2018. The teams that
scored second, third and fourth will be awarded as first runner-up, second runner-up,
and consolation prize respectively.
• If the scores of two or more teams are equal at the end of 15 questions, these teams
will have to compete against each other using the sudden death rule to determine their
final rankings.

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Sudden Death Rules

Sudden death rules will be used when scores of two or more teams are equal at the
end of the Final Round. For Second and Semifinal Rounds, Sudden Death Rules will be used
only when scores from the first round cannot decide the final ranking.

The Competition

• A question will be randomly selected. The question will be read aloud twice.
• After that, the start signal will sound. Contestants will have 60 seconds to discuss the
question within the team and write the final answer on the provided electronic device.
Write your answer only after the start signal is heard. Any team that fails to
comply with this rule will be ranked lowest.
• Once the time is up, the answer will be automatically submitted. Leaving the
answer screen blank will be regarded as an incorrect answer.

Ranking

In case of 2 or 3 teams competing:

• If only one team is correct, the team will get the highest rank.
• However, if only one team is wrong, the team will get the lowest rank.
• The remaining teams will go on to compete in a new question.
In case of 4 teams competing:
• If only one team is correct, the team will get the highest rank. The remaining teams
will go on to compete in a new question.
• If only one team is wrong, the team will get the lowest rank. The remaining teams will
go on to compete in a new question.
• If 2 teams are correct, then 2 team will go on to compete in a new question to
determine which team will get the first and second place. Another 2 teams will also
compete with each other in another question to determine third and fourth place.
• The Sudden Death Rule will be used until all ranks are determined.

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Appendix I: Acceptable abbreviations for SIMPIC 2018

Abbreviation Meaning

Ab antibody
Ag antigen
CBC complete blood count
CD cluster of differentiation
DNA deoxyribonucleic acid
dsDNA double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid
dsRNA double-stranded ribonucleic acid
ELISA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
Fab fragment, antigen-binding
FAD flavin adenine dinucleotide
Fc fragment, crystallizable
HAART highly active antiretroviral therapy
Hb hemoglobin
HBeAg hepatitis B early antigen
HBsAg hepatitis B surface antigen
HIV human immunodeficiency virus
HLA human leukocyte antigen
HTLV human T-cell leukemia virus
IFN interferon
Ig immunoglobulin (Including IgM, IgG, etc.)
IL interleukin
MHC major histocompatibility complex
NAD nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide
NK cell natural killer cell
NNRTI non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor
NRTI nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor
PPD test purified protein derivative test
RBC red blood cell
RNA ribonucleic acid
ssDNA double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid
ssRNA single-stranded ribonucleic acid
Th cell helper T cell
TNF tumor necrosis factor
TXA2 thromboxane A2
WBC white blood cell

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