IOAI 2026 Australia Selection Guide
International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence
Abu Dhabi, UAE · 2 – 8 August 2026
① Who Can Participate?
- Year 7 – 12 students currently enrolled in an Australian school
- Age: 20 years old or younger on 1 July 2026
- Home-schooled students are eligible (no high-school diploma yet)
- No prior AI or programming experience required for Round 1
- Primary school students (below Year 7) may enter Round 1 & 2 as a challenge experience, but are not typically eligible for progression to later rounds
② What Skills Do I Need?
| Stage | Programming? | What’s Tested |
|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | ❌ No coding needed | AI concepts, maths & logical reasoning |
| Round 2 | ✅ Python basics | AI theory + Python MCQ & coding challenges |
| Final (APOAI) | ✅ Python + sklearn/pandas | Practical ML tasks + theory (80% Theory + 20% Practice) |
| IOAI Final | ✅ Full ML pipeline | 6-hour individual contests, team contest, GAITE |
③ Your Path to Abu Dhabi
29 March 2026 (Sunday morning, local time in your state)
Round 1 — Standard Window
| Format | Online · 45-minute MCQ (A–E) |
| Content | AI fundamentals, mathematics, logical reasoning |
| Coding | None — no programming required |
| Reg. deadline | 27 March 2026 |
12 April 2026 (Sunday morning)
Round 1 — Late Window
| Format | Same as Standard — Online · 45-minute MCQ |
| Who | Students who missed the 29 Mar window |
| Reg. deadline | 5 April 2026 |
| Questions | Different question set from Standard window, calibrated to equal difficulty |
| Note | This is the final opportunity to enter Round 1 |
Late April 2026 (exact date TBA)
Round 2 — Advanced Assessment
| Format | Online · 90 min · Python MCQ + short-answer + coding |
| Content | Theoretical AI knowledge & applied reasoning |
| Coding | Python — online exam platform (no local setup needed) |
| Fee | Free |
| Eligibility | Top performers from Round 1 |
May – June 2026
Final Round — APOAI Stage
| Format | Online · Practical ML + Theory |
| Scoring | Theory 80% + Practice 20% |
| Eligibility | Top performers from Round 2 |
| Outcome | Top 20 → Training Camp · Top 8 → National Team |
2 – 8 August 2026 · Abu Dhabi, UAE
IOAI 2026 — International Final
Hosted by MBZUAI · 2 individual contests (6h each) + team contest + GAITE
④ Exam Day — What You Need
All NOAI selection rounds use a 3-layer proctoring system to ensure fairness. You can sit the exam at home or at an approved venue.
🔐
Layer 1: Locked Browser
NOAI exam system forces full-screen mode. Exiting full-screen or switching windows may be flagged as a violation.
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Layer 2: Screen Recording
Record your entire screen using OBS or macOS built-in recorder. Upload recording after the exam.
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Layer 3: Live Video (Zoom)
A second device joins a Zoom meeting to show your face and workspace throughout the exam.
| At Home | At Approved Venue (Recommended) | |
|---|---|---|
| Locked browser | ✅ Required | ✅ Required |
| OBS screen recording | ✅ Required | ✅ Required |
| Zoom | ✅ 1 student per Zoom session | ✅ Multiple students share 1 Zoom |
| Recording upload | Upload to Google Drive | Submit via USB to venue supervisor |
| Equipment needed | Laptop (no iPad) + second device (phone or tablet for Zoom) | Laptop (no iPad) + venue provides Zoom (1 per classroom) |
| Recording upload deadline | Upload to Google Drive within 24 hours after exam | Hand to venue supervisor via USB on the day |
⚠ Violation policy: Exiting full-screen or switching windows may result in your score being disqualified. If this happens accidentally (e.g. a system notification), immediately report it via Zoom chat or notify your venue supervisor.
Screen Recording Setup
Option A: OBS Studio (All platforms)
- Download from obsproject.com (Windows, macOS, Linux)
- Open OBS → Settings → Video: set FPS to 20
- Settings → Output: Mode = Advanced, Recording Format = MKV
- Add a Display Capture source to capture your full screen
- Click Start Recording before opening the exam
- After the exam, click Stop Recording and save the file
Option B: macOS Built-in Recorder
- Press ⌥ Option + ⇧ Shift + 5
- Select Record Entire Screen
- Click Record
- After the exam, click the Stop button in the menu bar
- Recording saves automatically to your Desktop
Note: OBS is recommended for consistency across platforms. macOS recorder is an acceptable alternative for Mac users.
Pre-Exam Checklist
- ☐ Laptop fully charged + power adapter plugged in
- ☐ Stable internet connection (close other bandwidth-heavy apps)
- ☐ OBS installed and tested with a short trial recording
- ☐ Second device ready for Zoom (phone or tablet, charged)
- ☐ Zoom app installed on second device
- ☐ Zoom meeting link received (sent before exam day)
- ☐ Exam login credentials ready (exam.ioai.org.au)
- ☐ Close all unnecessary apps and notifications on exam laptop
- ☐ Quiet environment with good lighting (for Zoom camera)
⑤ How Are Students Selected?
- 12 students advance based on Round 2 total scores (Theory 80% + Practice 20%)
- 4 students selected by highest Theory-only scores (for those unable to attend Practice round)
- Top 20 finalists → NOAI Training Camp (in-person intensive training, dates TBA — invitations sent with Round 2 results)
- Top 8 → form 2 teams of 4 to represent Australia at IOAI
⑥ What Does It Cost?
Australian Selection Rounds
| Round 1 | Registration fee applies — see registration page for current pricing |
| Round 2 | Free (no fee for qualified students) |
| Final Round | TBA |
International Final (Abu Dhabi)
| Period | Deadline | Per Team |
|---|---|---|
| Early Bird | 31 Jan 2026 | €1,550 |
| Standard | 30 Apr 2026 | €2,100 |
| Late | 1 Jun 2026 | €2,600 |
Included: airport transfers, 7 nights accommodation, meals, contest access, social events.
Not included: flights to Abu Dhabi, visa fees, insurance. Financial aid is available — see ioai-official.org.
⑦ How to Prepare
For Round 1 (no coding needed)
- Elements of AI — free intro course, covers core concepts
- Google ML Crash Course — focus on concepts, skip the coding labs
- Practice logical reasoning and basic probability/statistics
For Round 2 (Python required)
- Kaggle Learn — free micro-courses on Python, Pandas, ML
- scikit-learn tutorials — hands-on ML in Python
- Practice on Kaggle Getting Started competitions
For Final & IOAI (advanced)
- fast.ai Practical Deep Learning — free, project-based
- MIT 6.S191 Intro to Deep Learning
- Dive into Deep Learning — interactive textbook
Past Papers & Practice Tasks
- awesome-ioai-tasks — collection of IOAI & regional olympiad tasks
- IOAI Official Resources — educational materials & curated resource list
- IOAI 2026 Official Syllabus (PDF) — complete topic list
⑧ What Topics Does the IOAI Cover?
The official syllabus classifies every topic as Theory (understand the maths), Practice (implement in code), or Both.
| Area | Key Topics | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Supervised Learning | Linear & logistic regression, SVM, decision trees, kNN, ensemble methods, bias-variance tradeoff, cross-validation | Both |
| Unsupervised Learning | k-means clustering, PCA | Both |
| Neural Networks | Fully-connected networks, backpropagation, activation functions, loss functions | Both |
| Computer Vision | CNNs, image classification | Practice |
| NLP | Text processing, embeddings, transformers (conceptual) | Practice |
| Mathematics | Linear algebra, probability, statistics, optimisation, calculus basics | Theory |
⑨ Frequently Asked Questions
I’ve never done programming. Can I still enter?
Yes! Round 1 has no coding at all — it is a pure multiple-choice test on AI concepts, maths, and logic. If you advance to Round 2, you’ll need basic Python skills, but you have several weeks between rounds to learn.
I missed the 29 March Round 1 date. Is it too late?
No — there is a Late Window on 12 April 2026 (Sunday). Register by 5 April to sit Round 1 in the late session. Same format, same questions level.
Do I need to travel to Sydney?
No. All Australian selection rounds (R1, R2, Final) are online. You can sit them at home or at an approved venue in your city. Only the IOAI international final in Abu Dhabi requires travel.
Should I sit the exam at home or at a venue?
Venues are recommended. At a venue, one Zoom session covers an entire classroom (simpler setup), and you hand in your screen recording via USB on the day. At home, you need two devices (laptop + phone/tablet), manage OBS + Zoom yourself, and must upload your recording to Google Drive within 24 hours. Venue information will be provided to registered students.
What if I accidentally exit full-screen during the exam?
The system may flag this as a violation, which could result in disqualification. If it happens by accident (e.g. a system notification popped up), immediately report it via Zoom chat or notify your venue supervisor. Accidental incidents with a clear explanation on record are treated differently from deliberate violations.
I’ve never used OBS. Is it hard to set up?
OBS is free and straightforward. Download it from obsproject.com, set Video FPS to 20 and Output format to MKV (Advanced mode), add a Display Capture source, and click Start Recording. Test it once before exam day with a 1-minute trial recording. Mac users can alternatively use the built-in recorder (⌥ + ⇧ + 5).
How many students make the national team?
Australia sends up to 2 teams of 4 students (8 total) to the IOAI, plus team leaders.
When and how will I get my results?
Results for each round are sent via email within 1–2 weeks after the exam. Make sure the email address you registered with is correct and check your spam folder.
Who pays for Abu Dhabi?
The international registration fee covers accommodation, meals, and local transport. Flights and visa are typically the responsibility of the delegation. Financial aid may be available — contact the organising committee for details.
⑩ For Schools & Organisations
Schools and education organisations can support NOAI as an Approved Venue Partner.
What does a Venue Partner do?
- Provide a supervised exam venue (classroom with desks, power, Wi-Fi)
- Set up one Zoom session per classroom to cover all students
- Collect OBS screen recordings via USB from students after the exam
- Ensure exam conditions are maintained (no external resources, no talking)
Benefits for students at venues
- Simpler setup — no need for a second personal device
- No Google Drive upload — recordings submitted on-site
- On-site support if technical issues arise
How to register as a Venue Partner
For enquiries, contact noai@ioai.org.au.
⑪ Key Links
| Register (Australia) | Click Here |
| Exam platform | exam.ioai.org.au |
| IOAI Official | ioai-official.org |
| Syllabus (PDF) | 2026 Syllabus |
| Past tasks | awesome-ioai-tasks (GitHub) |
| Official resources | ioai-official.org/resources |
| IOAI 2026 Abu Dhabi | ioai-official.org/uae-2026 |
Questions? Contact noai@ioai.org.au