What is PSQ?

The Philippine Statistics Quiz (PSQ) is a nationwide annual contest designed to test the knowledge of statistics of freshman students enrolled in colleges and universities in the 17 regions of the country.

The 2019 PSQ is the 25th in the series. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the central statistics authority of the government on primary data collection and, the Philippine Statistical Association, Incorporated (PSAI),  a non-stock, non-profit organization of professional statisticians from government and nongovernment agencies and the academe are the organizers of this year’s event.

The PSQ was launched in 1992 by the National Statistics Office (now part of the PSA pursuant to RA 10625), the primary statistical arm of the government, and the PSAI. The quiz is the brainchild of then NSO Administrator Tomas P. Africa. From 1992 until 2013, the annual competition was a fruitful partnership between the NSO and the PSAI.

What are the objectives of the PSQ?

The objectives of the PSQ are:

1. To assess the competency and skills of students in statistics as acquired from the secondary education curriculum;
2. To promote, enhance, and instil awareness and appreciation of the importance and value of science, statistics in particular, among the students, and
3. To generate public awareness on the importance of statistics in all development-planning activities and win overall support for all government statistical activities.

What is the significance of the PSQ?

The PSQ identifies and nurtures talents especially in the field of statistics. It contributes to the advocacy in the use of statistics for evidencebased decision making. Results of the contest can also provide indications of the effectiveness of the statistics component of mathematics as a subject of the secondary curriculum.

Who may compete in the PSQ?

The PSQ is open to all Filipino first-time college freshmen currently enrolled in the second semester for the school year 2019-2020 in any recognized tertiary academic institution in the country. First-time college freshmen are those who have enrolled for not more than two semesters (or its equivalent term) in college.

Contestants are entitled to one coach. The coach must be officially endorsed by an official of the academic institution where the contestant is enrolled. Interested students and coaches should register with the PSQ Regional Steering Committee (RSC) through the PSA Regional Office for the regional championships. The number of contestants in the regional championships depends on the recommendation of the PSQ-RSC but not to exceed three contestants per school.

Relatives within the third degree of affinity and consanguinity of members of the various working committees of the 2019 PSQ and of the PSAI Board of Directors are not eligible to participate in the contest.

What are the prizes at stake?

All regional champions will be awarded, during the PSQ national finals, with a PSQ medal and a certificate of recognition. Likewise, their coaches will be given a certificate of recognition.
The college or university where the 17 regional champions are enrolled, as well as the high school where they graduated, shall all be awarded with Certificates of Recognition.

The top five winners in the PSQ national finals shall be given a PSQ trophy and cash prize.

When and where will the competition be held?

The 2019 PSQ regional championships will be held in the regional centers on 12 November 2019, while the national finals will be held on 29 November 2019 in Metro Manila.