Explore student competitions.

QUICK SUMMARY

Difficulty varies by division from Intermediate to Advanced, MOEMS is a five-contest problem-solving programme delivered monthly through schools, homeschools, districts and institutes in paper or online form. Division E primarily serves grades 4–6, while Division M covers grades 6–8; an adult PICO enrols and supervises each team. Students face five non-routine questions in 30 minutes, so the central challenge is independent reasoning under time pressure across a sustained season.

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.

QUICK SUMMARY

Rated Expert, A team robotics competition in which students build and program an industrial-sized robot for an annual game and three-team alliance matches. For ages 14-18 (grades 9-12) through a registered team with adult mentors; teams also plan for equipment, workspace, travel and events. Teams integrate mechanical, electrical and software systems with testing, strategy, fundraising, outreach and judged awards across a long season.

QUICK SUMMARY

A UK physics olympiad where top students solve exceptionally challenging theoretical physics problems requiring advanced mathematical reasoning. Open by invitation to leading BPhO Round 1 performers who are eligible for UK team selection. Rated Expert Level, with difficulty mainly coming from advanced physics, complex multi-step problems and highly selective progression to national training.

QUICK SUMMARY

Rated Expert, This invitation-only three-hour astrophysics paper is the final written competition stage before the Oxford training and UK-team selection camp. Entry is limited to eligible top performers from Astro Round 1 or students invited to BPhO Round 2, and schools supervise the sitting. The main challenge is solving sustained, near-international-level astrophysics problems that demand high-level mathematical physics, specialist preparation and careful explanation.

QUICK SUMMARY

Difficulty varies by division from Intermediate to Advanced, Purple Comet! Math Meet is a free international online team mathematics competition with middle- and high-school contests. Teams of one to six students participate under an adult supervisor, with competitive age and school-stage limits and an unrestricted non-competitive option. The main challenge is coordinating under time pressure to solve a set of problems that range from accessible questions to extremely demanding ones.

QUICK SUMMARY

Rated Intermediate, This school-run physics quiz uses two short online papers covering core topics, practical awareness and everyday physical reasoning. It is aimed mainly at UK Year 10 students, with Year 9 and Year 11 also allowed, and entries are organised and supervised by teachers. The main challenge is answering a broad mix of unfamiliar multiple-choice questions accurately under two timed sessions.

QUICK SUMMARY

A UK physics competition where younger secondary students solve accessible physics problems designed to develop scientific reasoning and problem-solving skills. Open mainly to students in Years 7–8 through participating schools. Rated Intermediate Level, with difficulty mainly coming from applying basic physics ideas in unfamiliar contexts and reasoning beyond routine classroom questions.

QUICK SUMMARY

Difficulty varies by division from Intermediate to Advanced, A team-based computer science league with four online contests, five divisions and an invitational online Finals. Students in grades 3-12 enter through a registered school, organization or local group, with an advisor selecting the division. Upper divisions combine computer science questions with programming; Classroom and Elementary are non-programming. Consistent performance across the season is the main challenge.

QUICK SUMMARY

A UK short story competition where young writers submit an original work of fiction of up to 1,000 words. Open to young people aged 14–18 living in the UK. Rated Advanced Level, with difficulty mainly coming from originality, narrative craft and highly competitive national judging.

QUICK SUMMARY

An Ireland-based computational thinking competition where students solve online logic and problem-solving tasks inspired by computer science. Open to primary and secondary-school students across Ireland through participating schools, with age-based categories. Rated Beginner Level, with difficulty mainly coming from unfamiliar puzzles, logical reasoning and age-appropriate problem-solving.