Reach for the Top

Reach for the Top is a Canadian game show in which high school students participate in trivia tournaments. The non-televised tournaments held at high schools throughout Canada during the year are known as Schoolreach; both are commonly referred to simply as "Reach".

Types of questions

• Snappers

Snappers begin and end every round, and are called "snapstarts" and "snapouts" respectively. They are usually found in sets of four (10 points each, for a total of 40 points); however, at the end of every game, there is a snapout consisting of 8-12 questions.

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• Chain Snappers

Chain snappers are like snappers but each answer is related to the next question.

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• Open Questions

These types of questions are open to both teams. Open questions are found in sets of two, three or four. Each correct answer is worth 10 points.

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• Team Questions

A Team Question is actually a set of questions, worth a possible total of 40 points. When a team question is announced, both teams have an opportunity to answer the first question, called a "scramble". The team that answers the scramble first will have an opportunity to answer the remaining three questions, whereas the opponent will not. In the event that neither team answers the scramble, the remaining questions are open to both teams. However, in some leagues, the team question is forfeited completely.

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• Who/What/Where am I?

The purpose of a Who/What/Where am I? question is to guess a person/thing/place. Clue are provided by the reader, and are read, one at a time. Between clues, both teams have an opportunity to guess the person/thing/place. If both teams provide incorrect guesses, the next clue will be read. This continues until the fourth and final clue is read. If neither team can provide a correct answer, the answer will be revealed, and no points will be awarded.

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If a team provides the correct answer after being provided with one clue, that team will earn 40 points. Each subsequent clue reduces the question's value by 10 points.

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• 20-point special

A correct attempt at a 20-point special will earn 20 points.

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• Assigned questions

Assigned questions are found in sets of eight--four questions per team. A question is assigned to each person; if the person cannot answer the question correctly, his/her opponent (sitting directly across from him/her) will have an opportunity to answer. Players may not consult with their teammates when they are assigned a question.

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• Relay questions

Each team is presented with four questions, one team at a time. The first three questions are worth 10 points each, while the last question is worth 20. If a team provides an incorrect answer at any point in the relay, the remaining questions assigned to that team are forfeited.

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• List questions

List questions are open to both teams, and are worth a possible 50 points. The reader will introduce the theme of the question, and ask for five items relating to that theme. For example, if the theme were "Chemical elements", the reader could ask for the first five elements of the periodic table. Teams alternate responses; if one team provides an incorrect response, then the other team shall have an opportunity to name the remaining items in the list.

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• Shootout questions

Shootouts consist of 12 snappers, and are open to both teams. If a participant provides a correct answer, he/she will not be able to answer any further questions in the shootout. A team will be awarded 40 points if they provide four correct answers before their opponents do. This will end the shootout. If neither team provides four correct responses before the end of the shootout, no points are awarded.

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