Everything You Need to Know About IPsyO
The IPsyO is open to all high school students around the world. Students must be enrolled in high school, secondary, or pre-collegiate education at the time of the competition and must be graduating in the year following the event or later. This includes students in grades 9-12 or equivalent educational levels in their respective countries. Fresh graduates, gap year students, and college students are not eligible to participate.
No, gap year students and fresh graduates are not eligible to participate. Students must be currently enrolled in high school and graduating in the year following the event or later. College and university students are also not eligible.
There is no specific age limit, but participants must be enrolled in high school or equivalent pre-collegiate education. Typically, this means students aged 14-19, though this may vary by country and educational system.
While prior psychology knowledge is helpful, it's not required. IPsyO welcomes students at all levels, from beginners to those with advanced psychology coursework. We provide study resources and materials to help all participants prepare effectively.
Participation in IPsyO is free of charge — there are no registration fees, examination fees, or any hidden costs. We believe in making psychology education accessible to all talented students regardless of their financial background. To qualify, students complete the official IPsyO qualification bundle on the LearningFirst platform, and the bundle is purchased separately on the platform.
Registration is done through our online application form. You'll need to provide basic information about yourself and your school/organization. An advisor (teacher or school official) must verify your academic level and identity. Visit our Apply page to begin the registration process.
No, we will ask for the complete list of participants later. During initial registration, you only need to provide basic information about your school or organization. The detailed participant list will be requested after the initial registration is approved.
Yes, an advisor is required. The advisor doesn't need to be heavily involved in the registration process; they just need to verify your academic level and identity. This is typically a teacher, counselor, or school administrator who can confirm you're a current high school student.
You register as an individual. Once registered, you qualify by completing the official IPsyO qualification bundle on LearningFirst. All qualified students compete individually.
Qualification is earned entirely through the LearningFirst platform. Complete the official IPsyO qualification bundle and earn 470 points or more. There is no separate qualification examination, and you can study at your own pace - just make sure you qualify before the deadline.
We want every competitor to be genuinely prepared. An exam measures performance on a single day; completing the official qualification bundle shows real, sustained engagement with psychology. Studying to qualify also means you arrive at the competition already prepared — the bundle's structured lessons and practice materials reach well beyond a syllabus, so the time you invest in qualifying is time invested in competing well. Students who take the competition seriously tell us this is exactly the preparation they wanted. The requirement exists to ensure that everyone who reaches the competition has made that same commitment.
It raises the standard for entering the competition — deliberately. Qualification is now earned through study rather than a single test, so the time commitment is real but the format is flexible: you work through the official bundle on LearningFirst at your own pace. Students who are ready to prepare will find this is exactly what competing well requires anyway. Students who are not ready are asked to prepare first — or to step aside. Either way, everyone who competes has genuinely prepared.
The qualification bundle covers the core areas of psychology. You earn points as you work through it, and reaching 470 points confirms your qualification. You can find the bundle through the resource link on your IPsyO dashboard in the EAE system, or by searching for IPsyO content in Plaza on LearningFirst.
The competition is held entirely online. All examinations and written response tasks are conducted through a dedicated online examination system. This allows students from around the world to participate without travel requirements.
The competition has a qualification pathway and two modules:
The competition modules are held on fixed dates, and specific times for your region will be communicated after registration. Qualification through the LearningFirst bundle has no scheduled time - you study whenever you like.
The top 6 students from each country/region in Module A (Analytical Reasoning) become Medalists. Medalists advance to Module B (Advanced Thinking) and receive a Gold, Silver, or Bronze Award, determined by their combined Module A + Module B score based on fixed global proportions.
The competition is conducted entirely in English. All questions, materials, and presentations must be in English. This ensures fairness and consistency across all participants worldwide.
Students receive comprehensive support including:
Starting in 2026, all official IPsyO preparatory materials are hosted on LearningFirst (www.learningfirst.io) and are provided free of charge. You can access them via the resource link on your IPsyO dashboard in the EAE system, or by searching for IPsyO content in Plaza on LearningFirst. The platform features structured learning materials, AI tutoring, progress tracking, and continuously updated content. The official IPsyO qualification bundle, which is required to qualify for the competition, is purchased separately on the platform.
We recommend starting preparation 3-4 months before the competition. Dedicate at least 5-10 hours per week to studying psychology concepts, working through practice questions, and reviewing materials. The exact time needed varies based on your prior knowledge and learning pace.
Focus on major areas of psychology including:
Refer to the official syllabus for detailed topic breakdown.
You'll need:
Detailed technical requirements will be provided before the exam.
During the competition modules you cannot use external resources beyond what is provided. Module A (Analytical Reasoning) supplies all reading materials within the exam, and Module B (Advanced Thinking) supplies the source material for your written response. Qualification on LearningFirst, by contrast, is a study process - you are expected to work through the collections at your own pace.
All participants receive a certificate of participation. Based on performance, students may receive:
You can reach us through:
We typically respond to inquiries within 24-48 hours during business days.
Yes, schools and organizations can register multiple students. There's no limit to the number of students a school can register. In fact, we encourage schools to promote IPsyO among all interested psychology students.
If you couldn't find the answer you're looking for, please don't hesitate to contact us.