Dates and how to apply.
You cannot enter an international olympiad on your own: each country picks a team of four to six students through rounds that start at school. Here is when each olympiad is, and how to get on the path.
Next olympiads
From the organisers’ sites, checked 6 Nov 2026. tbc means the host or dates are not final yet.
International Chemistry Olympiad
IChO 2027announced
Chinese Taipei · 19 Jul 2027 to 28 Jul 2027 · source
How to apply
Find your organiserOpen your olympiad below and look up your country.
Get registeredAsk your teacher to enter you for the first round; most are sat at school.
Climb the roundsTop scorers move on: first round, national final, then a selection camp.
Make the teamThe best four to six go to the international olympiad. Check the age rules early.
Open an olympiad to see the route in each country:
IPhOInternational Physics Olympiad
- You cannot enter the IPhO as an individual: each country sends one national team of up to five students.
- The team is chosen by a national body through a series of rounds, usually a school-level paper, a harder second round and a training camp.
- The first round is normally sat at your school, so ask your physics teacher to register you before the national deadline.
- The statutes limit contestants to secondary-school students who have not started university and are not over 20 on 30 June of the competition year.
- Many countries only pick citizens or long-term residents, so check your national organiser's rules if you study abroad.
| Country | Organiser | Route to the team | Next round |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | British Physics Olympiad (BPhO) | BPhO Round 1 (November) → Round 2 (January, by invitation) → training camp (practical and theory) → team of five plus a reserve → mentoring from May → IPhO Your school enters you. Round 1 is a two-hour paper for Year 13 or below; international schools sit it on Monday 16 November 2026. Round 2 is free and by invitation (top Gold and selected Gold Round 1 candidates). | BPhO Round 1 12 Nov 2026 |
| India | Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE, TIFR), with the Indian Association of Physics Teachers (IAPT) for Stage I | NSEP (Stage I, November) → INPhO (Stage II, January) → Orientation-cum-Selection Camp (OCSC) → pre-departure camp → team Enrolment for NSE 2026 ran through IAPT centres from 21 August to 14 September 2026 (Rs. 300 per student per subject) and is now closed. The INO selection list is due by 15 January 2027; selected students must then register on the HBCSE site. | NSEP 2026 (Stage I) 22 Nov 2026 |
| Pakistan | STEM Careers Programme (HEC and PIEAS): National Science Talent Contest (NSTC) | NSTC nationwide screening test in major cities → residential training camps at PIEAS → team Register online through the STEM Careers Programme site. Requirements stated there: 60% or more aggregate in Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics in your last exam, and under 20 when taking part in the international olympiad. Dates for the next contest are not published yet. | NSTC screening test tbc |
| United States | American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT): U.S. Physics Team | F=ma exam (February) → USAPhO (March) → U.S. Physics Team training camp at the University of Maryland → team Your school registers you for F=ma; the 2027 registration deadline is 14 January 2027. | F=ma 2027 9 Feb 2027 |
| Singapore | Institute of Physics Singapore (IPS): Singapore Physics Olympiad (SPhO) | SPhO (for JC or equivalent students) → national team selection for APhO and IPhO Schools are invited by the organising committee each year and individual applications are not accepted, so ask your school's physics teacher-in-charge. | SPhO 2027 tbc |
| Malaysia | Malaysian Physics Olympiad (Olimpiad Fizik Malaysia, OFM) | OFM selection in three stages → training camp → top five students form the IPhO team Ask your school's physics teacher how to enter the OFM; no 2027 dates or registration details were found. | OFM 2027 first stage tbc |
| United Arab Emirates | Ministry of Education: Masterminds Program | Qualification exam (grades 8 to 12, public and private schools) → training stages → national team weekly training → camps (April and June) → team Ask your school about the Masterminds qualification exam. No 2026-27 dates were found, and no UAE team at IPhO 2026 was confirmed. | Masterminds qualification exam tbc |
| Sri Lanka | Institute of Physics Sri Lanka (IPSL): Sri Lankan Physics Olympiad | Island-wide Sri Lankan Physics Olympiad for A/L students → best students selected for APhO and IPhO Apply with the online form linked from the IPSL page; the application deadline is 7 November 2026. An earlier IPSL notice says a team of the best five is sent to IPhO depending on available funds. | Sri Lankan Physics Olympiad 2026 14 Nov 2026 |
| Any other country | Your national IPhO organiser | National first round (usually at school) → national final or camp → team of up to five Find your country's organiser through the IPhO official site (its participating countries and contacts), or ask your school's physics department. Schools register students; individuals cannot enter the IPhO directly. Nigeria: no IPhO team or national physics olympiad route was found. |
Official site: https://www.ipho-new.org/. Rules and dates change; always check with the organiser.
IChOInternational Chemistry Olympiad
- You cannot enter the IChO as an individual: each country sends a team of up to four students.
- Your national chemistry olympiad picks the team through a written first round, a second round and a selection or training camp.
- In most countries the first round is registered and sat through your school, so ask your chemistry teacher well before the deadline.
- The regulations say competitors must be under 20 on 1 July of the competition year and must not be university students.
| Country | Organiser | Route to the team | Next round |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Royal Society of Chemistry: UK Chemistry Olympiad | Round 1 written test at school (January) → Round 2 (spring, dates tbc) → UK training camp → team Schools register, not students: 16 September 2026 to 11 January 2027. Free for schools in the British Isles. British international schools teaching IGCSE/A Level or IB in English can enter Round 1 for a fee (email education@rsc.org); schools in some listed countries (including China, India, Japan, Singapore and the UAE) register through ASEEDER China. Online schools cannot enter. | UK Chemistry Olympiad Round 1 21 Jan 2027 |
| India | Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE, TIFR), with IAPT for Stage I | NSEC (Stage I, November) → INChO (Stage II, January) → OCSC → pre-departure camp → team NSE 2026 enrolment (via IAPT, Rs. 300 per subject) closed on 14 September 2026. INChO 2027 is on 30 January 2027. | NSEC 2026 (Stage I) 22 Nov 2026 |
| Pakistan | STEM Careers Programme (HEC and PIEAS): National Science Talent Contest (NSTC) | NSTC screening test → training camps → best four students form the team Register online through the STEM Careers Programme site (60% or more aggregate in the four sciences/maths, under 20 at the international olympiad). Dates not yet published. | NSTC screening test tbc |
| United States | American Chemical Society: U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO) | Local section exam → National exam (at most two students per school) → study camp → team Students enter through their local ACS section coordinator, who sets local deadlines. 2027 dates are not yet published (the 2026 local exam window was late February to mid March). | USNCO 2027 local section exam tbc (spring 2027) |
| Singapore | Singapore National Institute of Chemistry, NUS Chemistry Department and Ministry of Education: Singapore Chemistry Olympiad (SChO) | SChO theory rounds (Round 2 of SChO 2025 was on 13 November 2025) → further selection → team Entered through schools; ask your chemistry teacher. 2027 dates not found. | SChO 2027 tbc |
| Malaysia | Malaysia International Chemistry Olympiad (MIChO), Chemistry Department, University of Malaya (appointed by the Ministry of Education) | National selection run by MIChO → team Ask your school; no 2027 dates or entry details were found. | |
| United Arab Emirates | Ministry of Education: Masterminds Program | Qualification exam (grades 8 to 12) → training stages → national team training → camps → team Ask your school about the Masterminds qualification exam. No 2026-27 dates were found. | Masterminds qualification exam tbc |
| Sri Lanka | Institute of Chemistry Ceylon: Sri Lanka National Chemistry Olympiad (SLNChO), run by the Chemistry Olympiad Sri Lanka committee | SLNChO → selection by the Chemistry Olympiad Sri Lanka committee → IChO team (Sri Lanka won four bronze medals at IChO 2026) Watch the Institute of Chemistry Ceylon announcements and ask your school; no 2027 dates found. | SLNChO 2027 tbc |
| Any other country | Your national IChO organiser | National chemistry olympiad rounds → camp → team of up to four Find your country's organiser through the IChO Steering Committee site or the current host's participating-countries page, or ask your school's chemistry department. Schools register students. Nigeria: no IChO team or national route was found. |
Official site: https://www.ichosc.org/. Rules and dates change; always check with the organiser.
IBOInternational Biology Olympiad
- You cannot enter the IBO as an individual: each member country sends a team of four students.
- Your national biology olympiad picks the team, usually through an online or written first round, a practical round and a selection camp.
- Schools register students for the first round, so ask your biology teacher.
- National rules apply the IBO limits: still at secondary school and not older than 20 on 1 July of the IBO year (for example, as stated on the Malaysian page of the IBO site).
| Country | Organiser | Route to the team | Next round |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | UK Biology Competitions (a Special Interest Group of the Royal Society of Biology): British Biology Olympiad (BBO) | BBO: two 45-minute online papers at school (January) → invitation to UK team selection (Easter holiday) → team Teachers register the school (open since 1 October). Free for UK schools; GBP 50 per school outside the UK. Open to Y12/Y13 or equivalent. To be picked for the UK team you must have studied in the UK for the past two years, so students at schools abroad can usually win medals but not a UK team place. | British Biology Olympiad 2027 15 to 25 January 2027 |
| India | Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE, TIFR), with IAPT and ATBS for Stage I | NSEB (Stage I, November) → INBO (Stage II, January) → OCSC at HBCSE (June) → pre-departure camp → team of four NSE 2026 enrolment (via IAPT, Rs. 300 per subject) closed on 14 September 2026. INBO 2027 is on 31 January 2027. | NSEB 2026 (Stage I) 22 Nov 2026 |
| Pakistan | STEM Careers Programme (HEC and PIEAS): National Science Talent Contest (NSTC), listed by the IBO as the National Biology Talent Contest | NSTC screening test → residential training (2026 team trained at NIBGE) → team Register online through the STEM Careers Programme site (60% or more aggregate in the four sciences/maths, under 20 at the international olympiad). Dates not yet published. | NSTC screening test tbc |
| United States | Center for Excellence in Education: USA Biolympiad (USABO) | Online Open Exam at a registered school → Semifinal (top 10%, US citizens or legal residents only) → National Finals → team Schools register and pay (USD 125); the 2027 payment deadline was 23 October 2026 and has passed. Students at a non-participating school can use the site's host-school search (form due 20 November 2026). | USABO 2027 Open Exam tbc (early 2027) |
| Singapore | Singapore Institute of Biology (SIBiol) with the Ministry of Education: Singapore Biology Olympiad (SBO) | Online theory test at school (November) → practical tests for the top 10% → interviews and weekly training (April to May) → residential camp (late May or early June) → team Schools send their top biology students; ask your biology teacher. | SBO theory test November (exact 2026 date not found) |
| Malaysia | Malaysian Biology Olympiad (MyBO) Secretariat, appointed by the Ministry of Education, with the University of Malaya | Biology Explorer Competition (online, Round 1) → MyBO theory and practical test in Kuala Lumpur (Round 2) → national selection camp (top 20) → final camp (top 4 = team) Register for the Biology Explorer Competition on the MyBO site. Round dates are not listed on the IBO page. | Biology Explorer Competition tbc |
| United Arab Emirates | Ministry of Education: Masterminds Program | Qualification exam (grades 8 to 12, public and private schools) → training stages → camps (April and June) → team Ask your school about the Masterminds qualification exam; no 2026-27 dates were found. | Masterminds qualification exam tbc |
| Sri Lanka | Institute of Biology, Sri Lanka: Sri Lankan Biology Olympiad | Round 1 national exam at seven university centres → Round 2 training and exam for gold and silver medallists → Round 3 final selection exam → team Watch the Institute of Biology announcements and ask your school; no exam dates are given on the IBO page. | Sri Lankan Biology Olympiad Round 1 tbc |
| Nigeria | Nigerian National Biology Olympiad | Nigeria is listed by the IBO as an observer, not a full member, so it may not send a competing team. No 2027 selection details were found. | |
| Any other country | Your national biology olympiad | National biology olympiad rounds → practical round or camp → team of four Find your country on the IBO list of countries and regions, which links each national biology olympiad. Schools register students. |
Official site: https://www.ibo-info.org/en/. Rules and dates change; always check with the organiser.
IMOInternational Mathematical Olympiad
- Participation in the IMO is by invitation only: each invited country sends a team of up to six students.
- Teams come from the national mathematical olympiad or an equivalent selection programme, usually a school-level challenge, olympiad rounds and selection camps.
- Ask your maths teacher to enter you for the first national round; it is normally sat at school.
- Contestants must have been born on or after 1 July twenty years before the IMO year (on or after 1 July 2007 for IMO 2027) and been in full-time primary or secondary education on or after 1 December before the IMO.
- You normally represent the country you are a citizen of; long-term foreign residents may qualify after at least one full academic year there.
| Country | Organiser | Route to the team | Next round |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | United Kingdom Mathematics Trust (UKMT): British Mathematical Olympiad | Senior Mathematical Challenge (7 October 2026) → BMO Round 1 (18 November 2026) → BMO Round 2 (20 January 2027) → training and selection camp (March/April 2027) → IMO selection camp (May/June 2027) → team Entry is through your school; BMO1 places come mainly from SMC results. The SMC for this cycle has already been sat. | BMO Round 1 18 Nov 2026 |
| India | HBCSE (TIFR) with the Mathematics Teachers' Association (India) | IOQM (September 2026) → RMO (15 November 2026) → INMO (17 January 2027) → IMO Training Camp → team RMO is only for students who qualified through IOQM 2026. IOQM registration for this cycle has closed. | RMO 2026 15 Nov 2026 |
| Pakistan | STEM Careers Programme (HEC and PIEAS): National Science Talent Contest (NSTC); IMO team trained at COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus | NSTC screening test → training camps at the National Training Center (CUI Lahore) → final preparatory camp (June) → team Register online through the STEM Careers Programme site (60% or more aggregate in the four sciences/maths, under 20 at the international olympiad). Dates not yet published. | NSTC screening test tbc |
| United States | Mathematical Association of America (MAA): American Mathematics Competitions | AMC 10/12 (November 2026) → AIME (February 2027) → USAMO/USAJMO (March 2027) → selection and training → team Schools or approved competition managers register students. AMC 10A/12A were on 5 November 2026; the B sittings follow (date below is from a secondary source, confirm with MAA). | AMC 10B / AMC 12B 13 Nov 2026 |
| Singapore | Singapore Mathematical Society: Singapore Mathematical Olympiad (SMO) | SMO (Junior, Senior, Open sections; Round 1 then Round 2 for top scorers) → national training and team selection Schools in Singapore register students through the Head of Department of Mathematics. 2027 dates not yet published (past rounds ran mid-year). | SMO 2027 tbc |
| Malaysia | IMO National Selection Test (IMONST) and the Malaysia IMO committee | IMONST → BIMO intensive training camp → team IMONST registration was listed on ContestHub for 2026; no 2027 dates found. | IMONST 2027 tbc |
| United Arab Emirates | Ministry of Education: Masterminds Program | Qualification exam (grades 8 to 12) → training stages → national team training → camps → team (the UAE sent five contestants to IMO 2026) Ask your school about the Masterminds qualification exam; no 2026-27 dates were found. | Masterminds qualification exam tbc |
| Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka Olympiad Mathematics Foundation with the Department of Mathematics, University of Colombo | Sri Lanka Mathematics Competition (SLMC) → Sri Lanka Mathematics Challenge Competition (SLMCC) → IMO team selection → team of six Ask your school about the SLMC; no 2026-27 dates were found. | SLMC tbc |
| Nigeria | National Mathematical Centre (NMC): Nigerian National Mathematical Sciences Olympiad | National Mathematical Sciences Olympiad → team (Pan-African Mathematics Olympiad 2026 team came this way) Nigeria did not compete at IMO 2025 or 2026; the NMC says no invitation was received. No 2027 selection details found. | |
| Any other country | Your national mathematical olympiad | School-level challenge → national olympiad rounds → selection camp → team of up to six Find your country's page and contacts on the IMO official site, or ask your school's maths department. Schools register students for the first round. |
Official site: https://www.imo-official.org/. Rules and dates change; always check with the organiser.
IOIInternational Olympiad in Informatics
- You cannot enter the IOI as an individual: each country sends a delegation with one to four contestants.
- The team is picked by a national informatics olympiad through online or school-based programming rounds, a national final and often a training camp.
- Many first rounds are online, but most still need a teacher or school to register and supervise you.
- To be eligible you must have been at secondary school (not at university half-time or more) for most of September to December in the year before the IOI, and not be older than 20 on 1 July of the IOI year.
| Country | Organiser | Route to the team | Next round |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | British Informatics Olympiad (BIO) | BIO Round 1 (three-hour paper sat at school during a winter window) → final in Cambridge (April) → team Teachers enter students. BIO 2027 details, including registration, are due to be published later in November 2026 (BIO 2026 Round 1 could be sat any day from 8 December 2025 to 23 January 2026). | BIO 2027 Round 1 tbc (window expected December 2026 to January 2027) |
| India | Indian Association for Research in Computing Science (IARCS): Indian Computing Olympiad | ZIO (written) and/or ZCO (programming) → INOI (6 February 2027, C++ only) → IOI Training Camp → team Any school student in India up to Class 12 in 2026-27 from any board; no minimum age. ZIO registration closes 6 November 2026; ZCO registration closes 1 December 2026 (C++, Java or Python). | ZIO 2027 21 Nov 2026 |
| Pakistan | Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE): Pakistan Olympiad in Informatics (POI) | POI contests → training → best scorers form the IOI team Check the FBISE IOI page for the next POI notification; no 2027 dates were found. | POI 2027 tbc |
| United States | USA Computing Olympiad (USACO) | Online contests (January to February) → US Open (proctored, March) → training camp (May) → top four USA students form the team Online contests are open to anyone through the USACO site; the 2026-27 schedule is not yet posted. | USACO 2026-27 first online contest tbc |
| Singapore | National Olympiad in Informatics (NOI), NUS School of Computing | NOI preliminary contest (February) → NOI final (March) → team selection Register through your school's teacher-in-charge; homeschoolers in Singapore email the organisers. Registration was free in 2026; the 2027 deadline is not yet published. | NOI 2027 preliminary February 2027 (exact date tbc) |
| Malaysia | Malaysian Informatics and Programming Society (MIPS) | Malaysian Computing Challenge (MCC) → MCO qualifying rounds → Malaysian Computing Olympiad (MCO) → APIO and Southeast Asia Team Selection Test (SEATST) → team MCC 2026 ran 31 October to 1 November 2026. Check the MIPS site for MCO 2027 qualifying round registration. | MCO 2027 qualifying rounds December 2026 to February 2027 |
| Sri Lanka | IEEE CodeX Sri Lanka: National Olympiad in Informatics (NOI) | Registration → online qualifier → national finals → IOI team selection (four students) No 2027 cycle dates were found; watch IEEE CodeX Sri Lanka announcements. | |
| Any other country | Your national informatics olympiad | National online or school round → national final or camp → team of up to four Find your country's organiser through the IOI official site (participating countries), or ask your school's computer science department. No IOI selection route was found for the United Arab Emirates or Nigeria. |
Official site: https://ioinformatics.org/. Rules and dates change; always check with the organiser.
Upcoming national rounds
First rounds on the way to each team, where the organiser has published a date.