Explore student competitions.

QUICK SUMMARY

A UK physics competition where Year 13 students solve structured problems using advanced school-level physics and mathematical reasoning. Open to Year 13 students through participating schools. Rated Advanced Level, with difficulty mainly coming from multi-step calculations, unfamiliar applications and clear written working.

QUICK SUMMARY

An international STEM award where students complete a long-term, self-directed research or engineering project. Typically suited to students aged 16+, working individually or in groups. Rated Advanced Level, with difficulty mainly coming from the 70-hour commitment, independent project management and external assessment against advanced criteria.

QUICK SUMMARY

A UK poetry competition where students write an original poem on any theme and in any style. Open to young people aged 12–18 living in the UK. Rated Advanced Level, with difficulty mainly coming from originality, poetic technique and competitive judging.

QUICK SUMMARY

A UK poetry competition where primary-school pupils create an original poem in any style. Open to children aged 4–11 through participating UK schools. Rated Beginner Level, with difficulty mainly coming from creativity, self-expression and developing an original poem.

QUICK SUMMARY

It consists of two 30-minute sets of multiple choice questions which are largely about physics ideas, but also encouraging some wider reading and interest in the subject. It is an opportunity for students to take part in a national physics competition and to develop their confidence in the subject. It is definitely a quiz which is accessible to sound students but is not an ''Olympiad Challenge''. Length - 2 x 30 minutes (can be sat on different days if required) with each section containing 20 questions. Sat within your school supervised by the teacher. It may not be sat by students at home or run remotely.

QUICK SUMMARY

It consists of two 30 minute sets of multiple choice questions which are largely about physics ideas, but also encouraging some wider reading and interest in the subject. It is an opportunity for students to take part in a national physics competition and to develop their confidence in the subject. It is definitely a quiz for participation, which is accessible to sound students but is not an ''Olympiad Challenge''. Length - 2 x 30 minutes sections(can be sat on different days if required) with each section containing 20 questions. Sat within your school supervised by the teacher. It may not be sat by students at home.

QUICK SUMMARY

UK Chess Challenge is a nationwide junior chess pathway for UK players aged 18 or under, welcoming a wide range of playing experience through schools, clubs and individual routes. Participants can progress from local activity towards regional and national honours. The main challenge is making accurate decisions under time pressure and adapting across repeated games against unfamiliar opponents.

QUICK SUMMARY

Rated Advanced, This school-invigilated astronomy and physics paper combines multiple-choice, short-response and longer analytical questions in a one-hour format. It is for Year 13 students and younger who are studying physics or an equivalent A-level course, with teachers arranging entry and marking. The main challenge is applying familiar physics and data analysis to celestial mechanics, stars, cosmology and observational astronomy in unfamiliar contexts.

QUICK SUMMARY

Rated Advanced, This one-hour, non-calculator physics paper uses multiple-choice problems as the entry stage for the main British Physics Olympiad pathway. It is intended for strong pre-university physics students and is entered through a registered teacher, with successful candidates invited to Round 1. The main challenge is moving quickly from standard A-level knowledge into harder calculations, elimination and unfamiliar problem solving without a calculator.

QUICK SUMMARY

A UK team mathematics competition where students solve collaborative problems across group, crossnumber and shuttle rounds. Open to teams of four Year 12–13 students, or equivalent, through participating UK schools and colleges. Rated Advanced Level, with difficulty mainly coming from non-routine problem-solving, time pressure, teamwork and selective progression to the national final.

QUICK SUMMARY

A UK computational thinking competition where students solve interactive logic and problem-solving tasks online. Open to young people aged 6–19 through schools, clubs or home-education coordinators. Rated Beginner Level, with difficulty mainly coming from unfamiliar puzzles, logical reasoning and working accurately within the 45-minute limit.

QUICK SUMMARY

Rated Expert, This two-hour national astrophysics paper combines many short problems with a choice of extended questions and begins the UK astronomy team-selection route. It is open through schools to Year 13 students and younger, but it best suits confident A-level physicists prepared to study additional astronomy material. The main challenge is sustaining rigorous mathematical reasoning across celestial mechanics, stellar physics, optics and cosmology while selecting longer problems strategically.