Olympiads, essay prizes, science fairs, and more — organised by subject. Dates are approximate and may vary by year.
A 60-minute multiple-choice challenge for students in Years 9-11 (ages 13-16). Top performers qualify for the Intermediate Olympiad or Kangaroo rounds.
The American Mathematics Competitions — a gateway to AIME and the US Maths Olympiad. AMC 10 is for students under 17.5; AMC 12 is for under 19.5. Open to international students at registered schools.
An international maths competition held in over 90 countries. Multiple levels from junior to senior. Engaging problems that reward creative mathematical thinking.
The International Schools Mathematics Teachers Foundation competition for international school students. Individual and team rounds covering problem-solving and applied maths.
An online interactive maths contest held six times a year. Problems are engaging and visual, covering logic, geometry, and number theory. Great for building competition experience.
Team-based maths events run by the AMSP (UK) or similar organisations. Focus on collaborative problem-solving, communication, and mathematical reasoning.
A challenging physics problem-solving competition for GCSE-age students. Tests conceptual understanding and mathematical application beyond the school syllabus.
A US-based team competition covering multiple science events including physics challenges, bridge building, and experimental design. Many international schools participate.
Teams of students propose a physics experiment to be carried out at CERN's particle accelerator. Winning teams travel to CERN to conduct their experiment. Incredibly prestigious.
Online physics problem-solving platform with regular challenges. Problems range from GCSE to Olympiad level. Excellent preparation for physics competitions and university study.
A 90-minute written exam set by the University of Cambridge. Questions go beyond the school syllabus and test chemical reasoning. Awards: Copper, Silver, Gold, Roentgenium.
The Royal Society of Chemistry's premier competition. Tests problem-solving in organic, inorganic, and physical chemistry. Top performers represent the UK at the International Chemistry Olympiad.
A team chemistry competition run by the RSC for younger students. Involves practical experiments, quizzes, and problem-solving. Great entry-level competition experience.
The International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) is the world's largest pre-college science competition. Regional fairs feed into national and then international finals. Chemistry projects are a popular category.
Run by the Royal Society of Biology for GCSE-age students. Tests biological knowledge, data interpretation, and scientific reasoning. Good preparation for the Biology Olympiad.
A prestigious competition testing university-level biological thinking. Top performers are selected for the International Biology Olympiad. Highly regarded on university applications.
Community science events where participants identify as many species as possible in a set time and area. A practical way to develop ecology skills and contribute to real research.
Submit an original biology research project and compete against students worldwide. Projects range from genetics to ecology to biomedical engineering.
An essay competition on topics in philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, theology, and law. Highly competitive and valued by top universities. 2,000 words maximum.
Various creative writing competitions throughout the year for poetry, short stories, and flash fiction. Multiple age categories and themes. Published winners receive an anthology.
One of the largest youth poetry competitions in the world, run by The Poetry Society. Submit poems on any theme. Winners receive mentoring and publication opportunities.
Delegates represent countries and debate global issues. Develops public speaking, research, negotiation, and essay writing skills. Many international schools host MUN conferences.
An essay competition for international school students on thought-provoking questions. Encourages critical thinking and analytical writing across a range of disciplines.
Student teams research and debate historical questions. Develops source evaluation, argumentation, and public speaking skills. Regional and national rounds.
Students create projects (documentaries, exhibits, websites, papers, or performances) based on an annual theme. Culminates in a national contest in Washington, D.C.
An essay prize for school students run by Trinity College, Cambridge. Write up to 3,000 words on any historical topic that excites you. No set question.
Delegates research historical and current global issues from a country's perspective. Excellent for developing historical knowledge in a geopolitical context.
The premier geography competition for school students. Includes written, multimedia, and fieldwork components. National selection processes determine each country's team.
A geography knowledge competition testing physical and human geography. School, regional, and national levels. Questions range from map skills to current geopolitical events.
Various awards for young geographers including fieldwork projects, photography, and writing. The Young Geographer of the Year award recognises outstanding geographical work.
While not a traditional competition, this programme challenges students to improve their school's environmental sustainability. Develops practical geography and sustainability skills.
An exhibition for young artists aged 4-19, held alongside the famous Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. All media accepted. Selected works are exhibited at the RA in London.
The UK's premier competition for young instrumentalists. Categories include strings, keyboard, woodwind, brass, and percussion. Televised final with a full orchestra.
The world's largest youth drama festival. Schools perform abridged Shakespeare plays in professional theatres. Develops performance, teamwork, and appreciation of classic literature.
One of the longest-running recognition programmes for creative teens in the US. Categories include painting, sculpture, photography, poetry, journalism, and more.
While technically exams rather than competitions, ABRSM grades are globally recognised qualifications in music performance. Grades 1-8 plus diploma levels. Excellent for building a music profile.
The UK's top computing competition. Involves solving algorithmic problems in any programming language. Top performers progress to selection for the International Olympiad in Informatics.
An online algorithmic programming contest with four levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Open to international students. Excellent preparation for competitive programming.
A yearly set of Christmas-themed programming puzzles released daily in December. Any language works. Great fun, increasingly challenging, with a supportive online community.
Weekend-long events where teams build software projects from scratch. Major League Hacking (MLH) organises events worldwide. Great for teamwork, learning new technologies, and portfolio building.
UK government-backed cybersecurity programmes for young people. Learn ethical hacking, cryptography, and digital forensics through gamified challenges. Free to enter.