The Reason & Rationality Oral Exam Contest is the first of its kind for high school students. As written essays and essay competitions have been compromised by AI tools and ghostwriting, oral examinations are re-emerging as a reliable way to assess genuine understanding. They are already standard in parts of higher education and are used in some college admissions contexts, as well as undergraduate evaluation in Princeton University’s philosophy department.

 

The Reason & Rationality Oral Exam Contest is open to students attending the full 2-week program at Princeton in Summer 2026. Participation is free for students in the Advanced Program (returning Reason & Rationality alumni) and is $700 for all other students. 

 

The rules of the 2026 Contest are as follows. Students who wish to participate should send an email message with their election to:  info@reasonandrationality.com by June 1, 2026. Participating students must prepare a short written analysis of no more than 500 words on a topic in ethics to be announced.    

The contest itself will be held on the second to last day of session. Students will be individually examined by a panel of judges that may include Reason & Rationality instructor Noah McKay (Princeton Ph.D. student) and a Princeton University faculty member.  ​