About VIJSO

The Vanda International Junior Science Olympiad is an annual event held in STEAM AHEAD. This competition places a strong emphasis on students’ abilities to engage in critical and creative thinking, allowing them to uncover hidden information to assist in problem-solving.

VIJSO caters to students ranging from primary 3 to secondary 4 (Grade 3 to Grade 11). We are using Singapore Science (i.e., Cambridge) as the basic syllabus. However, since this is at the Olympiad level, we will have more application based questions. We are not testing the students on understanding different classroom experiments or Terminologies. We emphasize Problem-Solving and application.

One distinctive feature of VIJSO is its significant emphasis on teamwork within the competition. The gold-winning group showcases exceptional levels of collaboration and mutual support. These skills hold high value, as many of our previous winners have successfully gained admission to top schools by sharing the experiences they acquired through their participation in the Vanda International Junior Science Olympiad during admission interviews.

The competition questions are built upon a solid foundation of scentific knowledge and methodology. They encourage the development of reasoning and analytical skills, decision-making and problem solving abilities, flexibility in responding to diverse contexts, and the cultivation of an open and inquisitive mind. All of these aspects are aligned with the essential 21 st-century competencies.

Objectives

IGNITE YOUR PASSION
VIJSO ignites students’ hidden passion for science! Vanda provides a range of interesting content in questions to spark their curiosity and encourages them to venture deeper into the world of science.

AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL
VIJSO exposes students to a Science Olympiad Competition that follows closely to their syllabus and their level of content learned. This gives them the confidence to take part in more challenging science competitions and start scoring A* in Science.

REACHING GREATER HEIGHTS
VIJSO helps students to be comfortable with various science Olympiad papers in the right environment. VIJSO wants students to utilize this experience to continue to take part in more challenging Science Olympiad Competitions in the future.

VIJSO Prerequisites for the competition

Bronze and above winners for VNJSO 2025 from each country are invited to represent their country.
Honorable mention winners can join if they attend the Vanda training.

Competition Format

Individual Round Format

VANDA International Junior Science Olympiad – (GRADES 3 TO 10/11/12)
Competition Date: 14th Dec 2025 Time: 9am to 12pm
Duration: 90 minutes
Contestant starts with 10 bonus points.
Competition paper for each level contains 25 questions.

VIJSO Team Challenge

The entire paper consists of four main sections, each with a distinct purpose and marking weight:
Competition Date: 14th Dec 2025 Time: 1pm to 530pm
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes
Team size: typically 4 students per team

Contest Structure

Individual Round Structure

This structure ensures that the VIJSO remains a prestigious international competition that fosters scientific inquiry, logical reasoning, and creative problem-solving in students from around the wird Each section serves a distinct purpose in evaluating different dimensions of