About BSO
Focused academic competition.
The British Scholars Olympiad is an organisation running online academic competitions for students in the UK.
Humanities and STEM
The 2026 Humanities programme comprised timed essay competitions in Classics, History and Sociology, all of which have now taken place. The STEM programme opens with an online Chemistry Olympiad in September 2026.
Humanities entrants form a concise argument under timed conditions. They rely on their existing knowledge: research is not permitted, formal citations are not required and AI tools may not be used to plan or write the final essay.
Who can enter
BSO competitions are primarily aimed at sixth-form students. Entry is also open to students in Years 10 and 11 and to undergraduates in the UK.
Students may enter individually or in a team of two.