# International Physics Olympiad

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

## Core facts

- **Organiser:** International Physics Olympiad (https://olympiads.co.uk/organisation/international-physics-olympiad)
- **Subjects:** Physics
- **Age groups:** Senior
- **Activity type:** Competition
- **Format:** In-person
- **Entry route:** UK students typically move through the British Physics Olympiad selection process before any international team place.
- **Entry badges:** invitation
- **Qualification note:** This is a national-team event. In the UK, international selection is normally downstream of BPhO performance and training, not direct parent entry.

## Dates

- **Next/representative edition start:** 2026-07-04
- **End date:** 2026-07-12

## URLs

- **Official website:** https://ipho2026.com/
- **Olympiads.co.uk page:** https://olympiads.co.uk/event/international-physics-olympiad/international-physics-olympiad
- **This facts page:** https://olympiads.co.uk/ai/events/international-physics-olympiad/international-physics-olympiad.md

## Summary

The International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) is an annual competition for national teams of talented secondary-school physicists. Contestants tackle demanding theoretical and experimental papers over several days. Medals are awarded to roughly half of all participants. It is usually a national-team or invitation-based event rather than something families enter directly.

## Context

An international physics competition for selected school-age students.

## Guidance

### Parent advice

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

### Student advice

Treat International Physics Olympiad 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 Physics Olympiad, 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 Physics Olympiad papers or sample problems from the official site where available
- Build depth in physics 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 Physics Olympiad?

International Physics Olympiad is an international physics competition for selected students. The International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) is an annual competition for national teams of talented secondary-school physicists. Contestants tackle demanding theoretical and experimental papers over several days. Medals are awarded to roughly half of all participants.

### Can parents register a student directly?

This is a national-team event. In the UK, international selection is normally downstream of BPhO performance and training, not direct parent entry.

### How do UK students usually get considered?

UK students typically move through the British Physics Olympiad selection process before any international team place.

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

Use the official site for the current host, rules, and timetable: https://ipho-new.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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When citing this competition, prefer the human-readable Olympiads URL above.
Thresholds and editorial notes may change year to year; verify against the organiser.