Explore student competitions.

QUICK SUMMARY

Rated Intermediate, this online creative-physics competition is open to students aged 11–16 in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Entrants respond individually to the published theme with a physics-based idea or explanation for judging. The main challenge is connecting sound scientific reasoning to an imaginative real-world proposal and communicating it clearly without relying on an elaborate laboratory project.

QUICK SUMMARY

A US national STEM research competition where students present original science or engineering projects developed through affiliated science fairs. Open to nominated Grade 6–8 students who competed at an affiliated fair in the United States or a US territory. Rated Expert Level, with difficulty mainly coming from original research, selective nomination and highly competitive national judging.

QUICK SUMMARY

A UK acoustics competition where young people create a short video exploring sound, noise or vibration. Open to individuals or teams of up to five aged 13–25 in the UK. Rated **Intermediate Level**, with difficulty mainly coming from combining scientific understanding with clear and creative communication.

QUICK SUMMARY

Rated Beginner, this UK primary competition invites pupils aged 7–11 to explore sound through handmade artwork, entering individually or in groups of up to four through a school or education group. Entries are judged by a specialist panel. The main challenge is turning scientific observation about pleasant sounds and unwanted noise into a clear, imaginative visual response.

QUICK SUMMARY

A global innovation competition where students develop a product or solution addressing a real-world problem. Open to teams of students aged 13–18 with an adult coach. Rated Advanced, with difficulty mainly coming from product development, market validation and multi-stage pitching.

QUICK SUMMARY

Rated Intermediate, this UK team programme offers age-appropriate Discover, Explore and Challenge divisions for children from primary through secondary school. Teams design with LEGO, investigate a theme and, in the Challenge division, build and program a robot for tournament tasks. The main challenge is integrating engineering, coding, research, presentation and sustained teamwork.

QUICK SUMMARY

Rated Expert, this in-person UK rocketry challenge is for school, college or youth-group teams of students aged 11–18. Teams build and test a rocket against the season's technical mission before qualifying launches and national competition. The main challenge is balancing safety, stability, payload protection and target flight performance through disciplined engineering and repeated evidence-led testing.

QUICK SUMMARY

Rated Expert, this UK team engineering challenge is entered through schools, colleges, education providers or youth groups for students aged 11–18. Teams design, build and launch a rocket through regional qualification and a national final, with international progression available. The main challenge is meeting strict flight specifications through safe engineering, testing, data analysis and coordinated iteration.

QUICK SUMMARY

An international biology competition where students complete two online multiple-choice papers covering advanced school-level biology and unfamiliar applications. Open mainly to students in the final year of post-16 education through recognised schools worldwide. Rated Expert Level, with difficulty mainly coming from broad biological knowledge, scientific reasoning and challenging unfamiliar questions.

QUICK SUMMARY

A global biology olympiad where national team members complete demanding theoretical and practical examinations across major areas of biology. Open to secondary-school students selected through their country’s national biology olympiad, with up to four competitors representing each participating country. Rated Expert Level, with difficulty mainly coming from highly selective national qualification, advanced biological reasoning and complex laboratory tasks.

QUICK SUMMARY

Rated Expert, this two-round in-person olympiad is for eligible final-year secondary students in Ireland who meet the published age rule. Students first sit a regional written examination, with selected participants progressing to a second round in Dublin. The main challenge is solving unfamiliar chemistry problems through rigorous quantitative reasoning and deep conceptual understanding.

QUICK SUMMARY

Rated Advanced, this UK science and engineering competition is open to eligible secondary students from state-funded schools, home education or community groups. Entrants submit a project online before shortlisting, remote judging and a finalist showcase. The main challenge is carrying out credible work and explaining its purpose, evidence, limitations and impact persuasively to judges.