Explore student competitions.

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

Rated Intermediate, A school mathematics league built around several short cumulative meets rather than one long annual examination. Schools enter teams from grades 2-9 or AP Calculus and may involve any number of students at the registered level. Compact time limits and cumulative scoring reward accurate reading, flexible problem solving and reliable performance across the school year.

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

Difficulty varies by division from Beginner to Advanced, A free school linguistics olympiad built around decoding unfamiliar-language patterns rather than recalling vocabulary. Four divisions cover ages 7 to 18; the younger divisions allow teams, while the oldest division uses an individual paper. Challenge rises by age group, from accessible pattern spotting to multi-step analysis and a pathway toward international team selection.

QUICK SUMMARY

Rated Intermediate, A free United States challenge introducing computational thinking through short logic and informatics problems rather than coding syntax. Students aged 6-18 participate in six age groups through a registered school or homeschool coordinator during the November challenge window. No programming background is required, but efficient decomposition, pattern recognition and careful risk management matter under the 45-minute scoring format.

QUICK SUMMARY

Rated Advanced, this UKMT follow-on challenge is for senior students who qualify through the Senior Mathematical Challenge or receive discretionary entry through a UK school. The 60-minute paper contains 20 integer-answer problems. Success depends on choosing efficient methods, maintaining accuracy across unfamiliar topics and checking three-digit answers without relying on multiple-choice options.

QUICK SUMMARY

A UK mathematical olympiad where students solve six demanding proof-based problems. Open to eligible secondary-school students who qualify through the Senior Mathematical Challenge or are entered at their school’s discretion. Rated Expert Level, with difficulty mainly coming from advanced problem-solving, rigorous written proofs and selective progression to BMO Round 2.

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

Rated Expert, A post-16 biology challenge built around two 45-minute online papers taken under school invigilation. Recognised schools register eligible upper-secondary students; individuals cannot enter directly. Questions move beyond recall, asking students to apply core principles, logic and biological intuition to unfamiliar material, with the strongest eligible UK performers considered for IBO team selection.

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.