[4][5] The competition began with 284 contestants (143 boys and 141 girls), winnowed down from 11 million students who participated in local bees around the country.

[12] Notwithstanding efforts to avoid a third year running of inseparable co-winners (see below), Jairam Hathwar and Nihar Janga were declared co-champions after 24 championship rounds.

[13][14] Co-champion Nihar Janga, at age 11, was the first winner since 2002 to win in his first appearance at the national bee.

Other finalists, in order, included Smrithi Upadhyayula, Rutvik Gandhasri, Cooper Komatsu, Sreeniketh Vogoti, Mitchell Robson, and Jashun Paluru.

After two consecutive years where the Bee ended in a tie, it was announced in April 2016 that harder words would be used in the final rounds.