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Reader's Digest National Word Power Challenge

Competition began at school level. Typically, teachers gave students 25-question multiple-choice tests. Classroom winners then competed with other classroom winners from the same grade to determine the school-wide grade-level champion. The school champion then took a multiple-choice test which determined the top 100 students in the state.

The top 100 students were invited to a state competition, where they were given 25 multiple-choice questions to determine the top ten. The top ten then went through a few rounds of questions to determine the state champion. The state champion advanced to national competition.

Students from every state, Washington, D.C., and one student from a Department of Defense school got to compete at national level. The students took a 25-question multiple-choice test, with the top ten scorers going on to compete in a nationally televised event. The moderator was a celebrity; Al Roker was a regular.

• All students at the state level received treat bags.
• The top 10 students at the state level received Reader's Digest books.
• All students at the national level received treat bags.
• All state winners were offered free trips to the location of the national competition (usually Florida).
• Scholarships were awarded at the national level:
  • First place: $25,000
  • Second place: $15,000
  • Third place: $10,000

In 2007, the RDNWPC website stated that the competition would not be held for the 2007-2008 year. The Reader's Digest website no longer mentions the RDNWPC.^[1]

• National Vocabulary Championship (now defunct)
• Scripps National Spelling Bee