Competitions · Season calendar

Physics Competitions:
Format, Dates & Prep for Irvine Students

6 physics competitions in school-year order; 6 have official dates for this season.

Photo: cottonbro studio / Pexels

Physics (6)

Oct12026British Physics Olympiad (BPhO)BPhO is the most authoritative physics competition in the UK system, built around problem solving rather than recall, and its certificates are well recognised by UK universities and international schools. For Irvine students applying to both UK (G5) and U.S. universities, a BPhO Gold serves both applications at once — and even as pure training, the Round 1 long questions are excellent practice in physics writing and derivation.HighRound 0 and Round 1 are open to students in Year 13 and below (U.S. grade 12 and below), entered by a registered teacher on the official competition platform — students cannot enter themselves. International schools may sit Round 0 and Round 1 on slightly later dates; schools outside the UK and Europe register through the official partner ASEEDER/ASDAN. Round 2 is by invitation and restricted to students eligible for the UK team: attending a UK school and either a UK citizen or educated in the UK since Year 8 or earlier.
Nov42023Princeton University Physics Competition (PUPC)DiscontinuedPUPC is known for a small number of hard, fully-written problems, so it showcases modeling and explanation rather than speed, and students can enter individually without a school team. For a student who has outgrown AP Physics C but is not yet at USAPhO level it is a useful intermediate step. One caution for families: the official site has not posted a new cycle for two years, so confirm with the organizers that the current edition is running before planning around it.HighOpen worldwide to students who have not yet graduated from high school, competing individually. Physics Unlimited runs the exam through partner sites: some countries (China, Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, Germany among them) register through local partner organizations with their own sessions, while everyone else competes in a virtual proctored session by default.Register by Nov 1
Nov232026British Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad (BAAO)BAAO is one of the few international-level competitions themed on astronomy and astrophysics that is built entirely on high school physics, which suits students drawn to space who have never taken a formal astronomy course. It shares BPhO's entry platform and calendar, so one preparation effort can yield results on two tracks — a distinctive differentiator for applicants to physics, astronomy or aerospace programs.HighAimed mainly at Years 12 and 13 (U.S. grades 11–12), though younger students may attempt it. Astro Round 1 is open to Year 13 and below, entered by a registered teacher on the official platform, and international schools may sit it at the same time as UK schools. Astro Round 2 is invitation-only (Top Gold in Astro Round 1 who are eligible for the UK team, or those already invited to BPhO Round 2), and the organisers state there is no paid entry route. The competition is syllabus-independent and assumes no specialist astronomy modules.
Jan302027International Young Physicists' Tournament (IYPT), with the U.S. qualification routeIYPT is the most research-like physics competition there is: no answer key, students design their own experiments, handle real data and defend conclusions in English before international juries. For applicants to top STEM programs who want to demonstrate research capability and teamwork, that narrative is worth far more than a single exam score. Families should note that the U.S. route differs from the Chinese or British systems — it requires a school-based team and about a year of lead time.HighA team is three to five secondary school students and cannot be changed during the tournament; students graduating that year may compete, but anyone already enrolled at university may not. Entry is national: students must go through their country's recognised member organisation rather than registering directly. The United States is represented by US IYPT (IOC member Elia Eschenazi, recognition valid through 2029). The related domestic event, USIYPT, is run by USAYPT and requires teams of three to four students from the same high school with at least one faculty member from that school.
Feb122026F=ma Exam and U.S. Physics Olympiad (USAPhO)F=ma and USAPhO form the only official pathway to the U.S. national team and the IPhO, which makes them the most respected physics credential a U.S. high schooler can earn. Simply qualifying for USAPhO (about 400 students nationwide), let alone medaling, is a hard, verifiable signal for engineering, physics and EECS applications — far more distinctive than a strong AP score alone.HighF=ma: U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, or students attending a U.S. school, who must be physically inside the United States on exam day (most U.S. territories other than Puerto Rico do not qualify because of time zones). USAPhO and the training camp additionally require U.S. citizenship or a green card, and students must be under 20 as of June 30 of the competition year. Both exams must be proctored; parents, relatives, and for-profit test-prep centers are not acceptable proctors.Register by Jan 21
Mar182026AAPT PhysicsBowlPhysicsBowl is one of the most widely taken high school physics contests in the U.S.: low barrier to entry, organized through the school, and a natural first step on a physics competition path. It gives a grade 9–10 student a nationally comparable score early, and it is a cheap way to test whether the F=ma/USAPhO track is worth a bigger investment.HighOpen to high school students, entered by their school with school-arranged proctoring. First-year physics students compete in Division I, second-year (and beyond) students in Division II. A school team score is the sum of its top five scorers, so at least five entrants are needed for a team result. Parents and relatives may not proctor; test-prep centers and educational services are placed in their own region and are eligible for individual student awards only.Register by Feb 25

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