Explore student competitions.

QUICK SUMMARY

Rated Expert, A US research competition in which final-year secondary students submit substantial original individual work and a holistic scientific application. Eligible students apply directly online and must meet strict residence or citizenship, school-status, independence and research-ethics rules. The main challenge is sustaining rigorous research, documentation and scientific judgement, then explaining the work convincingly if selected for national finals.

QUICK SUMMARY

A UK physics olympiad where students solve advanced written problems requiring full working and mathematical reasoning. Open mainly to Year 13 students through participating schools, with overseas participation available in some regions. Rated Expert Level, with difficulty mainly coming from challenging multi-step problems, broad physics knowledge and rigorous written solutions.

QUICK SUMMARY

A UK astronomy competition where students answer short online questions on space, the night sky and basic astrophysics. Aimed mainly at Year 10 students, with participation encouraged across Years 7–11 through registered schools. Rated Intermediate Level, with difficulty mainly coming from unfamiliar astronomy concepts, scientific reasoning and time pressure.

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 and Ireland chemistry olympiad where students solve challenging written problems based on real-world chemical contexts. Open mainly to students aged 16+ through participating secondary schools and colleges. Rated Expert Level, with difficulty mainly coming from unfamiliar applications, advanced chemical reasoning and highly selective progression.

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

Difficulty varies by division from Intermediate to Advanced, A team STEM project competition in which students investigate or solve a problem in their own community through scientific inquiry or engineering design. Students in grades six to nine work with an adult advisor and meet the programme’s eligibility rules. The main challenge is documenting credible evidence and explaining the team’s decisions, with presentations at later stages.

QUICK SUMMARY

A global STEAM project competition where students develop and present original research, innovation or creative projects across science, technology and the arts. Open to students aged 10–19, entering individually or in teams of up to three. Rated Advanced Level, with difficulty mainly coming from project development, originality, live presentation and judges’ questions.

QUICK SUMMARY

Rated Advanced, An international environmental and sustainability project competition spanning nine scientific, technical, creative and performance disciplines. Students aged 13–18 worldwide apply individually or in small teams, subject to discipline and country-pathway rules. A competitive application, substantial original work, category-specific documentation and an in-person finalist presentation demand sustained preparation.

QUICK SUMMARY

An all-Ireland STEM competition where students develop and present original science, technology, engineering or mathematics projects. Open to second-level students across Ireland through schools and regional SciFest events. Rated Advanced Level, with difficulty mainly coming from project development, scientific investigation, presentation skills and competitive progression to the national final.