Schools, parents and students seeking to participate in the 2027 International STEM Olympiad will be able to begin registration after August 15, 2026, organisers have announced.
The registration portal will open for the new academic session following the successful conclusion of the 2026 International STEM Olympiad and Coding Olympiad Grand Final held in Rome, Italy, from July 2 to 8, 2026.
The organisers disclosed this in a statement posted on its examination website on Friday.
The Rome event brought together 1,154 participants and guests from 54 countries, with the award ceremony marking the end of the global competition.
The organisers also confirmed that the 2027 Grand Final will take place in Lisbon, Portugal, inviting students worldwide to begin preparations for the new competition cycle.
What is the International STEM Olympiad?
The International STEM Olympiad is a global academic competition designed to promote education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) through real-world problem-solving rather than conventional classroom testing.
Unlike traditional examinations that assess students based mainly on memorisation, the Olympiad focuses on applying scientific and mathematical concepts to practical situations, encouraging critical thinking, logical reasoning and innovation.
The competition is organised by Main Team Organisation GmbH, a Germany-based educational organisation established in 2012, which conducts educational programmes and international competitions for students and teachers across Europe, the United States and other parts of the world.
According to the organisers, the Olympiad was created to provide students interested in STEM with access to international-standard questions and learning materials while giving them the opportunity to compete with peers from different countries.
Categories available
Students can participate in three categories: Mathematics – Grades 1 to 12, Science – Grades 1 to 12, and Technology and Engineering – Grades 6 to 11
The organisers noted that the Coding categoryis no longer part of the STEM Olympiad, explaining that it has now become a standalone Coding Olympiad accessible through a separate platform.
Who can participate?
The competition is open to students from Grades 1 to 12, regardless of age.
Students are expected to register according to their current grade level rather than their age or year of school enrolment.
There is no restriction on nationality, and schools or individual students from participating countries can register.
How to register
Registration will commence after August 15, 2026, through the official International STEM Olympiad portal.
To complete registration, students or schools are expected to:
Create an account on the official student portal.
Register using the student’s current grade.
Select one or more competition categories.
Pay the applicable registration fee.
Choose their preferred examination date once announced.
Students are allowed to register for multiple categories.
However, the organisers stated that each category requires a separate registration fee during the Qualification Round.
Payments become non-refundable once completed.
Competition stages
The Olympiad consists of four stages.
1. Qualification Round
The Qualification Round is conducted entirely online.
Students who achieve the minimum qualifying score progress to the next stage.
The organisers said schools will be able to choose from alternative examination dates that best suit their academic calendar.
2. Final Round
Students who qualify from the first stage automatically proceed to the Final Round.
Participation in the Final Round is free of charge.
Students continue competing in the same category in which they qualified.
3. Best of the Best (BOB) Global Round
The Best of the Best Global Round is reserved for the top 15 per cent of participants in the Mathematics and Science categories from Grades 6 to 11.
Only one category can be selected if a student qualifies in both Mathematics and Science.
The organisers said this stage is conducted entirely in English and also carries no registration fee.
4. Grand FinalRelated News
Successful participants are invited to compete physically at the international Grand Final.
The 2027 Grand Final has already been scheduled to hold in Lisbon, Portugal.
Examination format
Each examination lasts 60 minutes.
The structure includes:
Mathematics: 25 questions
Science: 25 questions
Technology and Engineering: 25 questions
Students in the Best of the Best Global Round answer 30 questions in Mathematics or Science.
Online monitoring
The examinations are conducted under strict online supervision.
Participants must use a device with a functioning camera throughout the examination.
The organisers explained that:
* Qualification and Final Round examinations require one camera.
* The Best of the Best Global Round requires two active cameras.
The entire examination session is recorded.
Students caught cheating or attempting to use unauthorised materials risk immediate disqualification.
The organisers also warned that opening another browser tab during the examination automatically sends an alert to the examination centre.
AI use prohibited
The organisers stressed that the use of artificial intelligence tools to answer examination questions is strictly prohibited.
According to them, advanced monitoring systems analyse examination responses for irregularities, and candidates found using AI assistance will have their results cancelled and be disqualified from the competition.
What students cannot use
Participants are prohibited from using:
Calculators
Books
Printed materials
Dictionaries
AI tools
Additional browser tabs
Awards
Students who participate receive digital certificates based on their performance.
During the Final Round:
The top three students in each eligible grade receive physical gold medals and Certificates of Achievement.
The top performers also receive digital medal certificates according to their rankings.
Students are grouped into Gold, Silver, Bronze and Honourable Mention categories based on their overall performance.
Grand Final discounts
Outstanding performers also receive discounts to attend the international Grand Final.
The discounts include:
75 per cent for first-place winners
50 per cent for second-place winners
25 per cent for third-place winners
The discounts apply only to the winning student and not to accompanying parents or school groups.
Languages
Qualification and Final Round examinations are available in:
* English
* Spanish
* French
* Russian
* Azerbaijani
* Turkish
The Best of the Best Global Round, however, is conducted only in English.
Organisers look ahead to Portugal
Following the successful hosting of the 2026 Grand Final in Rome, the organisers expressed appreciation to participating schools, students and partner institutions, saying they look forward to welcoming finalists from around the world to Lisbon, Portugal, for the 2027 edition.
They added that detailed registration guidelines, examination schedules and portal access will become available when registration officially opens after August 15, 2026.
For curriculum, past questions, and payment guide for teachers/ students, interested applicants are to head to: https://stemolympiad.org/all_you_need_stem_olympiad/
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