The International Astronomy and Astrophysics Competition: Qualification Round 2026

The International Astronomy and Astrophysics Competition(IAAC) is an educational science competition that enables students from all countries to test their skills in astronomy and astrophysics. Since 2019, more than forty thousand students from around the world have participated.

The International Astronomy and Astrophysics Competition aims to be accessible to all students from all countries regardless of their background, school, or institution. For that, the International Astronomy and Astrophysics Competition uses today’s technologies and the global connection through the internet to make this competition possible: All you need is a pen, paper, and an internet connection to participate!

To participate in the competition, current high school and university students from all grades and countries are eligible. There are three age groups:

• Junior: 10th Grade and below (and < 16 years of age)
• Youth: 11th to 13th Grade (and < 19 years of age)
• Senior: 1st Year College/University and higher (or ≥ 19 years of age)

In the competition, the qualification round is the first stage and consists of five astronomy problems.

Once you finalize your solutions, submit them here. (If you need assistance with submission or any technical problems, you can contact one of your national ambassadors. )To follow up in the upcoming rounds, you should access your portal/status page. The problems in the Qualification Round encompass a wide range of topics, varying in difficulty and discipline. Some of the problems test your astronomy knowledge, while others require calculations. Each problem gives 5 points, and to qualify for the Pre-Final Round in May 2026, you have to score at least 12, 14, or 17 points based on your age group.

Qualified participants can register for the Pre-Final Round. The round will be more challenging but also more engaging! This round is a supervised 60-minute exam with three problems, which include reading a real-world research paper as preparation. The problems vary in difficulty, points, and subject: 1x Basic Problem (4 Points), 1x Advanced Problem (6 Points), and 1x Research Problem (8 Points).

All participants who are qualified and registered for the Pre-Final Round will receive the research paper via email or via their participant account on Friday, 29 May 2026. Participants have until Tuesday, 2 June 2026, to take the Pre-Final Round Exam. This year’s registration costs are 13 EUR to fund the competition. (Financial aid, including partial and full waivers, is available to assist socio-economically disadvantaged participants.)

Participants who have solved the Pre-Final Round successfully are qualified to participate in the Final Round: a supervised exam with around 30 questions taking place globally on Tuesday, 30 June 2026. The exam features different problem formats, including short-answer problems and multiple-choice responses. It requires knowledge of astronomy and astrophysics, as well as the content of all previous rounds.

Timeline

Qualification Round 2026

Pre-Final Round 2026

Final Round 2026

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Tsiyon Hone

Tsiyon is an aspiring astrophysicist and lover of the night sky. She strives to blending science and communication in the global scientific community . She has a deep interest in explosion of binary stars and supernovae.

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