Eastern students won’t be the only pupils taking tests on campus Thursday.

More than 60 Illinois high schools will send some of their brightest students to Eastern to compete in the sectional level of the Illinois Academic Challenge.

The Academic Challenge is an academic tournament in which both individuals and entire schools compete by taking tests in areas such as biology, chemistry, computer fundamentals, engineering graphics, English, mathematics and physics.

The tests were created by college professors from around the state and have been compared to Advanced Placement tests that qualify high school students for college credit

The sectional level of the competition is co-sponsored by Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering, based out of the University of Illinois-Cacs professor and chair of the pre-engineering program, said the day will begin with a brief opening ceremony by Mary Anne Hanner, acting dean of the College of Sciences, and Margaret Messer, associate director of the Honors Program.

Storm said Messer will give the students information about what the Honors Program has to offer them.

Testing will immediately follow the ceremony at 9:20 a.m in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

Hanner and Storm will present individual awards and team trophies during a ceremony, slated to begin at 1:15 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom.

Local schools advancing to Eastern’s sectional competition are Charleston, Effingham, Marshall and Neoga.