Spellers just finished the preliminary test, which consists of 12 spelling words and 14 vocabulary words. They all took it in the same room, at the same time. Combined with the on-stage spelling tomorrow, the test will determine who moves on in the Bee.
Noah Brandt, speller 56, had seen his sister compete before. He said he was expecting the test to be "pretty hard" - and it was.
"It's a lot different, actually in competition," he said. "I think it's harder doing it yourself."
Naysa Modi, speller 210, is in her third Bee. Last year, she said, she missed moving on by one point. Today, she has mixed feelings about how she did.
Naysa was nervous because while there were "definitely" some words she knew, there were others she did not. And she didn't know what the cutoff would be.
But there's one big thing in her favor.
"I think I'm more prepared," she said.
Alyssa Dela Cruz, speller 44, said she had practiced the format - with Dr. Bailly reading the questions - at home in Guam.
Today, she said, there were some words she recognized and some she didn't.
"It was definitely challenging," she said, "I feel like I did my best and I hope I do well tomorrow."
Andrew Elias, speller 160, said there were "a lot of complicated words" but he tried hard. He said he watched videos of previous Bees to prepare.
Jee'vor Pratt, speller 271, said there were plenty of "hard and confusing words" but he felt some relief when he recognized ones that he knew.
"I felt good," he said. "I feel like I have as good a chance as everyone else."
