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Junior Science Olympiad Y9-10 2026 Dates, Format and Preparation Guide
The Junior Science Olympiad Years 9-10 paper is for accelerated students who can connect school science knowledge to unfamiliar data, mechanisms and experimental situations.
What is this exam?
Junior Science Olympiad Exam Years 9-10
The Junior Science Olympiad Years 9-10 paper is for accelerated students who can connect school science knowledge to unfamiliar data, mechanisms and experimental situations.
Use JSO as a science transfer test: students need to connect school science with data, mechanisms, experimental design and unfamiliar contexts.
Official date
Wednesday 10 June 2026
Registration status
Registrations for the 2026 JSO Exam are closed.
Exam length
Two hours, completed wholly online under normal exam conditions and supervision.
Eligibility
Australian high school students in Years 7-10; registrations must come via schools, registered distance education facilities or home schools.
Exam levels
Students can only sit one level: JSOE Years 7 & 8 or JSOE Years 9 & 10.
When is the Junior Science Olympiad (Years 9-10) in 2026?
Before June
School registration
Organised by school, registered home school or distance education facility.
10 Jun
JSO Y9-10 exam
Two-hour online supervised sitting.
After results
Certificates and reports
Teachers/facilitators access reports via ASI Teacher Portal.
Sep/Oct
JSO Spring School
Top eligible students may be invited for residential extension.
December
International JSO pathway
Selected students may represent Australia after further training.
Content map
What do students need to know for the Junior Science Olympiad (Years 9-10)?
The Junior Science Olympiad paper covers four topic areas: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Earth and skills.
Biology
CellsBody systemsEcologyAdaptationEvidence
Chemistry
ParticlesReactionsMixturesAcids and basesConservation
Physics
ForcesEnergyCircuitsWavesMeasurement
Earth and skills
Earth systemsGraphsVariablesExperimental designUncertainty
Format and focus
Where to go next
For Y9-10, the useful groundwork is senior-stage subject depth before olympiad problems.
Acceleration
Y9-10 Chemistry Acceleration
Lessons
30 lessons
Learning time
35–45 hrs
Difficulty
Year group
Y9–10
Best for
- Wants a head start on senior chemistry
- Preparing for Chemistry Olympiad
By the end: Stage 5 chemistry complete, with the groundwork for olympiad problems.
A$369 one-time
Try 3 lessons freeFull curriculum & details →Acceleration
Y9-10 Physics Acceleration
Lessons
45 lessons
Learning time
45–60 hrs
Difficulty
Year group
Y9–10
Best for
- Heading toward senior physics or olympiad
- Wants depth, not revision
By the end: Stage 5 physics complete, with olympiad-style reasoning built in.
A$399 one-time
Try 3 lessons freeFull curriculum & details →Acceleration
Y9-10 Biology Acceleration
Lessons
30 lessons
Learning time
35–45 hrs
Difficulty
Year group
Y9–10
Best for
- Preparing for senior biology or olympiad
By the end: Stage 5 biology complete, with olympiad-level depth on the key systems.
A$369 one-time
Try 3 lessons freeFull curriculum & details →Advanced
JSO Advanced
Lessons
29 lessons
Learning time
35–45 hrs
Difficulty
Year group
Y7–8
Best for
- Finished Foundation or already scoring well
- Aiming at JSO selection
By the end: Able to handle multi-step olympiad science problems under time pressure.
A$299 one-time
Try 3 lessons freeFull curriculum & details →Where should preparation effort go for the JSO paper?
Knowledge
Biology, chemistry, physics and Earth science
Preparation focus
Data
Read evidence before explaining
Preparation focus
Experiment
Fair comparison and limitations
Preparation focus
Transfer
Apply school knowledge to new systems
Preparation focus
AceAchievers preparation pathway
How should students prepare for the Junior Science Olympiad (Years 9-10)?
Preparation runs in three stages: build a solid foundation, then learn by topic and question type, then mock exam and targeted practice.
Build a solid foundation
Make sure the core school skills behind this competition are stable before moving into harder questions.
Learn by topic and question type
Practise the topic patterns and question types that appear most often in this competition.
Mock exam and targeted practice
Use timed mocks to find weak areas, then practise those exact topics deliberately.
What mistakes cost students marks in the JSO paper?
Good school science marks do not automatically translate into JSO performance. JSO may use unfamiliar contexts even when the underlying science is familiar. Another mistake is memorising facts without practising data and experiment questions.
Internal resources
Go deeper
Guides
- Junior Science Olympiad (JSO): The Complete Parent Guide — who runs it, eligibility, dates, fees, format and the pathway to international teams.
- How to Prepare for the JSO: An 8-Week Plan — free official past papers, a week-by-week schedule and mistakes to avoid.
- JSO vs Big Science Competition vs ICAS Science — dates, cost, format and difficulty compared, plus which to sit at each age.
Questions parents ask
FAQ
When is JSO Y9-10 in 2026?
The Years 9-10 exam is scheduled for Wednesday 10 June 2026.
Is JSO Y9-10 harder than JSO Y7-8?
Yes. It expects stronger science knowledge, reasoning and data interpretation.
Can JSO lead to further science opportunities?
High-performing students may be considered for further JSO pathway opportunities.
How should a Year 10 student prepare?
Combine content review with exam-style reasoning practice, especially data interpretation and multi-discipline questions.
Should my child do Big Science before JSO?
Big Science can be useful, but JSO is the more targeted science Olympiad pathway.