# International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence

> Canonical facts page for LLMs and citation crawlers. Human-readable page: https://olympiads.co.uk/event/international-olympiad-in-artificial-intelligence/international-olympiad-in-artificial-intelligence

## Core facts

- **Organiser:** International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (https://olympiads.co.uk/organisation/international-olympiad-in-artificial-intelligence)
- **Subjects:** Computer Science
- **Age groups:** Senior
- **Activity type:** Competition
- **Format:** In-person
- **Entry route:** Entry is through national-team selection or an official country coordinator. UK students should check current IOAI country-team announcements before preparing a direct application.
- **Entry badges:** invitation
- **Qualification note:** This is a national-delegation event. UK students should first find the relevant national olympiad or selection process in informatics and computer science.

## Dates

- **Next/representative edition start:** 2026-08-02
- **End date:** 2026-08-08

## URLs

- **Official website:** https://ioai-official.org/
- **Olympiads.co.uk page:** https://olympiads.co.uk/event/international-olympiad-in-artificial-intelligence/international-olympiad-in-artificial-intelligence
- **This facts page:** https://olympiads.co.uk/ai/events/international-olympiad-in-artificial-intelligence/international-olympiad-in-artificial-intelligence.md

## Summary

IOAI is distinct from IAIO. It challenges students in AI theory and practice over a week-long international competition. UNESCO patronage announced for 2026. It is usually a national-team or invitation-based event rather than something families enter directly. This is IOAI, not IAIO. The two artificial-intelligence olympiads are separate competitions with separate organisers and schedules.

## Context

An international informatics and computer science competition for selected school-age students.

## Guidance

### Parent advice

Start by identifying the UK or national selection route for International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence. The international event itself is too late in the process to be the first step.

### Student advice

Treat International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence as a long-term target. Build strong fundamentals, practise official-style problems, and use national olympiad rounds as your proving ground.

### Teacher advice

If a student is aiming at International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence, point them towards the relevant national olympiad or selection body and help them prepare with past papers and extension work.

## How to prepare

- Work through past International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence papers or sample problems from the official site where available
- Build depth in informatics and computer science beyond normal school specifications
- Practise under timed conditions and review full solutions carefully
- Follow the relevant UK national selection route rather than waiting for international registration to open

## FAQ

### What is International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence?

International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence is an international informatics and computer science competition for selected students. IOAI is distinct from IAIO. It challenges students in AI theory and practice over a week-long international competition. UNESCO patronage announced for 2026.

### Can parents register a student directly?

This is a national-delegation event. UK students should first find the relevant national olympiad or selection process in informatics and computer science.

### How do UK students usually get considered?

Entry is through national-team selection or an official country coordinator. UK students should check current IOAI country-team announcements before preparing a direct application.

### Where should we check the official rules and dates?

Use the official site for the current host, rules, and timetable: https://ioai-official.org/

## Data provenance

- **Sources:** Supabase activity/event catalogue; Olympiads editorial frontmatter (content/events)
- **Last generated:** 2026-06-13
- **Representative edition:** yes
- **Projected dates:** no / not applicable

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