International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO) 2026-27: Exam Date, Eligibility, Selection Process, Syllabus & Awards
The International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO) is an annual individual and team competition in the natural sciences for students under 16 years of age on 31 December of the competition year. It tests Physics, Chemistry, and Biology together through an integrated approach, and aims to promote interest in science, problem-solving, critical thinking, and experimentation among school students. Each country sends a team of up to 6 students, and the competition is held every December in a different host country.
In this article, you'll find the latest on IJSO 2026 (Bulgaria), how to qualify for IJSO 2027 through NSEJS 2026, India's 5-stage selection process, eligibility, syllabus, dates, and awards.
1.0What is the International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO)?
The International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO) is a yearly science competition for students under 16 years old by December 31 of that year. It aims to celebrate excellent science skills, help talented students improve in natural sciences, and help students from different countries make friends and connect.
Several nations have organised the IJSO in the past few years, including Germany, Argentina, the Republic of Korea, Indonesia, the Netherlands, Botswana, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. The IJSO provides both individual and team events. Natural science students participate in several theoretical and practical events.
The IJSO 2026 Indian team has been selected through the 2025-26 Junior Science Olympiad programme (NSEJS 2025, INJSO 2026, and OCSC). To represent India at IJSO 2027, students must now start with NSEJS 2026-27.
2.0IJSO 2026 Important Dates: Exam Schedule
The IJSO tests students on problems that integrate Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, rather than treating them as separate subjects. The competition includes theory, experimental work, and a team component. The event also promotes international friendship and cultural exchange among young scientists.
IJSO 2026 Highlights: Key Dates
3.0IJSO Selection Process in India (5 Stages)
India's Junior Science Olympiad programme runs in five stages:
The top performers at OCSC form the team of 6 students that represents India.
4.0IJSO Syllabus 2026
The International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO) syllabus outlines the necessary skills and knowledge areas that competitors need to know. It guides the scientific committees in host countries in creating tasks and helps leaders from participating countries train their students effectively. To ensure the syllabus remains current, it should be reviewed, revised, expanded, or condensed every three years.
The syllabus content is derived from the previous IJSO syllabus, as well as the syllabi used by students up to 15 years of age in participating countries. It also includes problems from the IJSO until the 5th IJSO held in 2008. Adjustments were made as necessary, including omissions and additions, to ensure relevance and suitability. Here is the PDF link for the new and corrected version of the new IJSO syllabus.
5.0IJSO Eligibility Criteria 2026-27
For NSEJS 2026-27 (the entry point for IJSO 2027):
- Be studying in Class 8, 9, or 10 as on 30 November 2026.
- Be born between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2013 (both inclusive).
- Be eligible to hold an Indian passport.
- Be residing and studying in India (the "resident since" date is set in the official notification, so check IAPT's brochure).
- Not have completed (or be scheduled to complete) the Class 10 board exam before 30 November 2026.
- Not appear in NSEA, NSEB, NSEC, or NSEP 2026 (a student can't take NSEJS and the senior NSEs together).
For IJSO (international level):
- Participants must be under 16 years of age on 31 December of the competition year.
- Each team has up to 6 students, led by team leaders and teachers.
6.0IJSO Science Olympiad Registration: How to Participate
One of the key aims of the Olympiads is to expose the youth to cultures and help the students from different parts of the world interact. Thus, the Olympiads have tremendous scope to promote peace and harmony throughout the globe. The countries which have attended past IJSOs can register by using the login ID and password sent by IJSO.
New countries wishing to participate for the first time or those still needing their login credentials should contact the IJSO official website to obtain their login ID and password.
7.0IJSO Exam Pattern 2026: Marking and Format
Once you have completed the registration process for the exam, you must know the exam pattern to get an idea of the exam mode, duration, types of questions, and marking schemes.
For now, the exam pattern is the same as last year, but if there are any changes in the future, we will update it in the same blog. So please find the IJSO exam pattern below:
- The exam is conducted over three days with an interval of 1 day between each exam.
- The questions on these exam papers should align with the IJSO syllabus, covering as much of the content as possible and crafted creatively, with answers that do not depend on language.
- The multiple-choice and theoretical exams are scored individually.
- In the multiple-choice exam:
- Correct answers score 1 point.
- Incorrect answers incur a penalty of 0.25 points.
- Unanswered questions receive 0 points.
8.0IJSO Result 2026-27
After the completion of the International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO) exams, the much-awaited IJSO 2026 results will be out. Contestants can download their results only on the official IJSO website (ijsoweb.org). Only those candidates who have written the final round of the IJSO will be privileged to download and view their results.
9.0How to Prepare for IJSO and NSEJS
- Build strong conceptual clarity in Class 6–10 NCERT Science and Maths.
- Study integrated science, since IJSO questions mix Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.
- Solve NSEJS and INJSO previous year question papers.
- Practise the experimental part: lab skills, measurements, and data analysis.
- Take mock tests under timed conditions.
- Start early. The path from NSEJS to the team is long and competitive.
10.0Benefits of Participating in IJSO
- Represent India at an international level.
- Develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
- Strong foundation for later JEE, NEET, and science Olympiads (IPhO, IChO, IBO).
- Experience in hands-on experimentation.
- Medals, certificates, and recognition.
- Exposure to young scientists from around the world.
