15 Competitions for High School Students in Australia
- Stephen Turban
- 9 minutes ago
- 9 min read
Australia has a wide range of opportunities for high school students who want early exposure to outside regular classes. One option is to join competitions, which let you test what you learn through structured challenges. These competitions help you see how ideas from school apply to actual problems, whether you are working on a science question, building a small project, or presenting an argument based on research.
Competitions also play a role in your future applications, even if you do not win a prize. Many of them provide certificates for participation, which you can include in college or job applications. These documents show that you took initiative, worked toward a defined goal, and engaged with a process that required deadlines, rules, and responsibility. Through the tasks involved, you learn how systems work, how decisions are made, and how to manage information logically.
To help you navigate the options available, we’ve created a list of 15 competitions for high school students in Australia!
15 Competitions for High School Students in Australia
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free; Winners will receive a total of $20,000 in cash prizes and scholarships.
Program dates: Submissions open July 21st, winners announced on December 16.
Submission deadline: November 2nd. Apply here!
Eligibility: Students from any country enrolled in high school (as of December 31) can apply. More details on eligibility here!
The Lumiere Scholars Essay Award is a global essay competition open to high school students worldwide. 6 winners from 3 categories (Humanities, STEM, and Social Sciences) will receive a total of $20,500 in cash prizes and scholarships. Entries will be judged by professors from Oxford, Cambridge, Cornell, and Dartmouth. As a participant, you will choose one of the six prompts and submit an argumentative essay on the chosen question. Submissions should be formal academic essays, in English, featuring a clear central argument, well-organized reasoning, use of relevant sources, and thoughtful analysis of opposing perspectives. Entries are judged on five criteria: originality, analysis, evidence, structure, and presentation. The award seeks well-reasoned, research-based argumentative essays rather than original research papers.
Location: Online (global entry; winners attend Immerse Education summer programs in Oxford, Cambridge, London, Sydney, or New York)
Cost: Free
Dates: Typically in September
Deadline: September 18
Eligibility: Students aged 13-18 of all nationalities
Immerse Education’s Essay Contest invites you to submit an essay on a set theme or question in a subject of your choice. The contest is designed to help you develop your academic writing and research skills. Winners receive full or partial scholarships to attend an Immerse Education summer program at university locations such as Oxford, Cambridge, or Sydney. Taking part helps you build your writing portfolio and shows initiative to university admissions or scholarship committees. Because the contest is global, your work is judged alongside submissions from students around the world, giving you an international platform to demonstrate your academic ability.
Location: At your school/online
Cost: The entry cost is A$9.35 per student
Dates: Typically in May
Application Deadline: Not specified on the website
Eligibility: Students in grades 7-10
The ASI Big Science Competition is a 50-minute online test run by Australian Science Innovations. You are assessed on science fundamentals as well as your critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The questions go beyond textbook theory and ask you to apply science concepts to real-life situations. The test follows the Australian curriculum and is offered at four levels based on your grade. After completing it, you receive a participation certificate and a performance report that compares your results with school-level and national averages. Doing well in the competition can also help you qualify for programs such as the Junior Science Olympiad Training Squad and Curious Minds, a STEM program for girls.
Location: Online
Cost: $35 entry fee; prizes for winners and runner-ups
Dates: Entry period February 20 - April 30
Application Deadline: The application deadline is the same as the end of the entry period
Eligibility: High school students
The STEM Birds Scratch Coding Competition is a good way for you to test out your coding mettle and logical reasoning. This is Australia’s largest Scratch coding contest, where you get to build creative games, stories, or work on interactive projects. Beginners, intermediate, and advanced coders can participate, and your project is judged on originality and coding skill. Some examples of projects are “Treasure Hunt Quest” and “Maze Runner Challenge”. The competition gives you a chance to win a cash prize, a trophy, class vouchers, and have your project showcased online.
Location: Rotates through Australian capital cities; the latest event was in New South Wales
Cost: School registration fee A$300 + team registration A$50 per additional team
Dates: Takes place in October/November; this year’s final is scheduled for November 1
Application Deadline: Registrations open late November previous year, deadline not specified
Eligibility: Secondary school students in Australia (school teams)
Tournament of Minds is a team-based competition where students tackle long-term and spontaneous challenges in disciplines such as STEM, language, literature, social sciences, and the arts. You’ll spend weeks preparing, then present live before judges and an audience in the in-person finals. The competition helps you develop creative thinking, teamwork, problem-solving, presentation skills, and reasoning. Participating in such a tournament shows that you can work under pressure, think on your feet, and present your ideas clearly.
Location: Online
Cost: Free entry
Dates: August 5 - September 2
Application Deadline: The registrations are open throughout the period of the challenge
Eligibility: High school and college students
ANU College of Science STEM Challenges is a 4-week competition run by the Australian National University. Each week, you complete a new STEM task, which may involve building something, proposing a science solution, or solving a difficult math problem. The challenges test both your STEM knowledge and your creativity. You submit your work online with photos or explanations, and your entry is judged by ANU science staff. All participants receive a certificate of completion and recognition on ANU’s social media. Weekly winners receive a winner’s certificate and a prize pack.
Location: Online
Cost: Free entry
Dates: Submission dates from March 20 to September 15
Application Deadline: Not specified on the website
Eligibility: High school students
Insight Creative Writing Competition invites you to submit an original piece of fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction based on the annual theme. Your work is judged by published writers and editors, and you have the chance to win cash prizes and see your writing published by Insight. The competition releases a longlist and then a shortlist before the final awards ceremony. It aims to encourage young writers and help you express your voice, offering useful feedback even if you do not win.
Location: Rosehill Gardens Racecourse, Rosehill, NSW, Australia
Cost: Registration fees are A$350 per team
Dates: December 4 - December 6
Application Deadline: November 28
Eligibility: High school students (teams that qualify via state championships)
VEX V5 Robotics Competition Australian National Championships brings high school teams from across the country together to compete in the VEX V5 robotics format. You design, build, and program a robot, then take part in matches held over two competition days. The event gives you experience in engineering, coding, teamwork, and problem-solving. Since the competition is in person, you can meet other students, talk with mentors, and network with industry sponsors. If you submit an Engineering Notebook, you are also considered for a Judger Award at the ceremony, which can be a useful addition to your CV.
Location: Online
Cost: Free to enter; trophies and tech prizes for winners
Dates: Submissions close on September 9, judging starts on September 18
Application Deadline: August 7
Eligibility: Students in years 3-12
Australian STEM Video Game Challenge is run in partnership with the Australian Council for Educational Research. In this competition, you design and code a video game based on a STEM topic linked to the annual theme. You can compete alone or with a team and use platforms such as Unity, Scratch, or Godot while learning game mechanics, storytelling, and basic programming. Your finished game is judged by experts from Australia’s tech, education, and gaming sectors, with a focus on creativity, impact, and code quality. Winners are showcased at a national expo and may receive awards or industry mentorship. All submitted games are included in an online gallery for teachers and students, giving you a chance to share your work even if you do not win.
Location: First round at your school with online submission, national round at a local host university
Cost: Free to participate
Dates: March 4 (first round); March 26 (national round)
Application Deadline: February 27
Eligibility: Students in school years 7-12
Australian Computational and Linguistics Olympiad, or OzCLO, introduces you to linguistics and computational thinking through puzzles and team-based problem solving. The competition has two rounds. In the first round, you join a team of four at your school and work on language analysis problems. The top three teams from each region move on to the national round, which is held at a local host university. Winners of the national round represent Australia at the International Linguistics Olympiad. Taking part in OzCLO helps you build your profile and connect with other students and faculty who are interested in linguistics.
Location: Online submission from anywhere in Queensland
Cost: Free; winners receive robotics prizes, travel, and accommodation
Dates: Submission dates are from February 10 to September 12
Application Deadline: Not specified on the website
Eligibility: Students in grades 3-10
Queensland Premier’s Coding Challenge is a competition run by the Queensland Government where you design an app, game, or website that addresses a problem connected to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. You create your project, record a short video explaining it, and submit your work for judging. The contest offers more than fifteen thousand Australian dollars in prizes. All participants receive a signed certificate from the Premier and learn how coding can be used to address social and environmental issues. Winners are invited, with travel covered for you and a parent or teacher, to an awards ceremony where you meet technology professionals.
Location: Online
Cost: The registrations are free, and winners receive awards worth $150 - $200
Dates: Starting registration till November 10, which is the submission deadline
Application Deadline: Registrations are accepted anytime, although the recommended date is before September 1
Eligibility: Students in Years 9–10 (and others) in Australia; teams or individuals
NSPC is a project-based competition run with the Statistical Society of Australia, where you investigate a topic of your choice, conduct research, and create an informative poster to present your findings. Your project must involve the use of statistics and data. You can participate in a team of two to five people, and since last year, you also have the option to compete individually. Through the competition, you build skills in data collection, analysis, graphing, and visual communication. Preparing and submitting the poster shows initiative and independent project skills, which can support future research opportunities or university applications. The program ends with awards for both participating schools and individual students.
Location: Online submissions; events at ANSTO (Sydney) for finalists
Cost: Free; prizes for winners
Dates: Submissions open April 28 - July 4; winners announced in August
Application Deadline: Registration open till the last date of submission - July 4
Eligibility: Students in years 3-10
ANSTO’s Think Science! Competition is designed to make science accessible and enjoyable for all students, regardless of their level or background. You work in small teams of 2 to 4, conducting a first-hand science investigation on any topic that interests you, including those already being taught in class. The program is flexible and doesn’t require special equipment, so you and your team can get creative with whichever resources you have. Each team prepares a short video (up to 4 minutes for secondary students) that explains their project and demonstrates their skills in scientific investigation and communication. The quality, clarity, and creativity of the video are key to winning, making communication as important as the experiment itself. Over A$10,000 worth of prizes are given to winners.
Location: Online
Cost: Entry cost of $25.9 per student
Dates: August 27
Application Deadline: August 21
Eligibility: For intermediate students up to year 10
Australian Informatics Olympiad is a three-hour programming contest where you solve computational problems using languages such as C, C++, Java, or Python 3. You work through tasks that require logical thinking, algorithms, and coding skills, and your solutions are judged on speed, efficiency, and correctness. Top performers are recognized at the national level, and many are invited to further training with the possibility of representing Australia in international competitions.
Location: Administered at schools across Australia via printed test papers
Cost: $50 school fee plus $8 per student
Dates: Submission dates open till June 4
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: Students in years 7-10
The Australian History Competition is a paper for high school students based on the Australian history curriculum. The paper consists of 50 questions, which are to be solved within 45 minutes. While students are given a source booklet, the paper tests their knowledge, skills, and understanding. The competition is delivered conveniently as hardcopy tests at your school, helping you step away from the screens and work in a fun and focused environment. National winners get cash prizes, while both state and national winners get medallions.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
Image Source - Lumiere Education logo