UK Coding, Maths and AI Competitions 2026-27

In short

The 2026-27 UK competition year opens with UKMT's Mathematical Olympiad for Girls on 22 September 2026 and runs through the Senior Mathematical Challenge on 7 October, the Primary Mathematics Challenge from 9 to 20 November, UK Bebras in November, the British Informatics Olympiad over December and January, the Perse Coding Team Challenge from 25 January 2027, and the Junior Mathematical Olympiad on 15 June 2027. Beyond school, the UK Olympiad in AI chooses the team for the International Olympiad in AI, held in Singapore from 4 to 10 July 2027. Most of these are entered through a school, and many are free. We teach the problem solving, programming and mathematics underneath them in live online classes for ages 6 and up; we do not run or enter any competition, and we promise no results. A first class is free; groups are USD 100 a month and one-to-one USD 150.

Courses behind the competitions

Three courses that train the thinking competitions reward

Competitions test reasoning, not memory. These three build it at three stages.

COMP / 01

Maths through coding

For primary and lower secondary pupils: puzzles and patterns solved with small programs, good grounding for the Primary Mathematics Challenge and Bebras.

Open the syllabus →

Maths Olympiad & Competition Course course thumbnail

COMP / 02

Olympiad mathematics

For the UKMT challenges and olympiads: written solutions, proof and the habit of checking every case.

Open the syllabus →

COMP / 03

Competitive programming for teens

For the British Informatics Olympiad and team coding challenges: algorithms, timing and careful testing.

Open the syllabus →

The calendar

The 2026-27 competition year, month by month

Dates are as each organiser published them when we checked in September 2026. Most competitions are entered through a school, so a teacher usually registers pupils.

UK coding, maths and AI competitions with published dates, 2026-27
When	Competition	Run by	Who and how
22 September 2026	Mathematical Olympiad for Girls; Mathematical Competition for Girls	UKMT	Two papers for girls, sat in school
September 2026 to January 2027	National Cipher Challenge	University of Southampton	Registration opens 24 September; weekly codes to crack online
Late September 2026, final 26 November 2026	Sentinus Young Innovators: Young Coder and Young Mathematician of the Year	Sentinus	Northern Ireland; entrants under 19 on 1 July 2027; final at Ulster University, Belfast
7 October 2026	Senior Mathematical Challenge	UKMT	Senior pathway, sat in school
A two-week window in November 2026	UK Bebras Challenge	Raspberry Pi Foundation	Free, 45 minutes, ages 6 to 19, sat in school
9 to 20 November 2026	Primary Mathematics Challenge	Primary Mathematics Challenge	Primary pupils, sat in school
18 November 2026	Andrew Jobbings Senior Kangaroo; British Mathematical Olympiad Round 1	UKMT	Follow-on rounds for strong senior entrants
December 2026 and January 2027	British Informatics Olympiad, round one	British Informatics Olympiad	A 3-hour programming test sat in school
20 January 2027	British Mathematical Olympiad Round 2	UKMT	By qualification from Round 1
25 January to 5 February 2027	Perse Coding Team Challenge, round 1	The Perse School	Free, UK pupils up to Year 11 or S4; round 2 from 1 to 12 March
27 January 2027	Intermediate Mathematical Challenge	UKMT	Intermediate pathway, sat in school
15 to 19 March 2027	Sixth Form Gold Rush	The Perse School	The Perse challenge's round for sixth formers
18 March 2027	Grey and Pink Kangaroo; Cayley, Hamilton and Maclaurin Olympiads; Primary Kangaroo	UKMT	Follow-on rounds by qualification
5 May 2027	Junior Mathematical Challenge	UKMT	Junior pathway, sat in school
15 June 2027	Junior Kangaroo; Junior Mathematical Olympiad	UKMT	Follow-on rounds from the Junior Challenge
4 to 10 July 2027	International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence, Singapore	IOAI	The UK team is chosen through the UK Olympiad in AI

Some competitions run all year or had not set 2026-27 dates when we checked. The European Astro Pi Challenge 2026/27 is free for under-19s, with Mission Zero taking about an hour and Mission Space Lab two to six hours; it is an ESA Education project run with the Raspberry Pi Foundation. The Big Bang Competition is free for young people aged 11 to 18 and awards UK Young Engineer, Young Technologist and Young Scientist of the Year, but had not announced its next dates.

The UK Olympiad in AI (UKOAI) is a free online test for secondary students living in the UK; the 2026 test was on 7 March 2026, and the 2026 International Olympiad in AI took place in Astana, Kazakhstan, from 2 to 8 August.

Coolest Projects UK, the Raspberry Pi Foundation's showcase, took place in Bradford in May 2026, and a 2027 event had not been dated. FIRST LEGO League, in LEGO Education's own words, comes to an end after the 2026-2027 BIOGLOW season; LEGO League starts in August 2027.

Three we could not confirm and so do not describe: the Oxford University Computing Challenge, the TeenTech Awards and the CyberFirst Girls Competition, whose NCSC page now points to the government's TechFirst programme. Check with the organiser before planning around any of them.

Sources: UKMT competitions; Primary Mathematics Challenge; British Informatics Olympiad; Raspberry Pi Foundation, UK Bebras 2026; National Cipher Challenge; Perse Coding Team Challenge; UK Olympiad in AI; IOAI; Astro Pi; Sentinus Young Innovators 2026; EngineeringUK, the Big Bang Competition; LEGO Education. Read 20 September 2026.

By age

A first competition at six, an olympiad at seventeen

Most learners do not jump straight to an olympiad. They start with something short and friendly, find they enjoy it, and move up.

Primary school

The Primary Mathematics Challenge and UKMT's Primary Kangaroo on the maths side, UK Bebras for computational thinking from age 6, and Astro Pi's Mission Zero, which takes about an hour. In Scotland, the Scottish Mathematical Challenge is open to upper primary pupils, mainly P7.

Lower secondary

The Junior Mathematical Challenge and its follow-on rounds, the Perse Coding Team Challenge for pupils up to Year 11, the National Cipher Challenge, and Enterprising Maths in Scotland for teams drawn from S3 and S4.

Upper secondary

The Intermediate and Senior Challenges, the Cayley, Hamilton and Maclaurin papers, the British Mathematical Olympiad, the British Informatics Olympiad, the UK Olympiad in AI, the Big Bang Competition, and Mathématiques sans Frontières in Scotland for S4 to S6.

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Who can enter

The rules differ by nation, age and school

Read the eligibility line of any competition before planning around it. Some are open to the whole UK, some to part of it, and some depend on a school entering you.

Eligibility as each organiser states it
Competition	Who can enter, in the organiser's terms
British Informatics Olympiad	Students in full-time pre-university education in mainland Britain
UK Olympiad in AI	Secondary school students living in the UK
Perse Coding Team Challenge	UK pupils up to Year 11 (S4 in Scotland); free
UK Bebras Challenge	Students aged 6 to 19; free
Astro Pi	Young people under 19; free
Big Bang Competition	Young people aged 11 to 18; free
Sentinus Young Innovators	Applicants under 19 on 1 July 2027; finals in Belfast
Scottish Mathematical Challenge	Individual pupils in Scottish secondary schools and upper primary schools, mainly P7

Notice the British Informatics Olympiad's phrase: mainland Britain. A family in Northern Ireland should check with the organiser before a child prepares for it, and look at Sentinus Young Innovators, which is based in Belfast and has a Young Coder of the Year category.

Most of the maths challenges are entered by schools. If a school does not take part, ask the organiser how else a pupil can sit the paper, rather than assuming there is no route.

Preparing well

How to prepare without cramming or copying

Good preparation looks like good learning: regular, varied and honest about what the learner can do alone.

Preparation that works, and what to avoid
Do	Why	Avoid
Use the organiser's own past papers	They show the real style and difficulty, and they are the organiser's to share	Copied or reworded papers passed around online
Solve, then write the reasoning down	Olympiads mark the argument, not just the answer	Checking only whether the final number matches
Test programs on nasty inputs	Informatics rounds run hidden tests	Stopping when the sample input passes
Work on a little each week	Problem solving grows slowly and stays	A cram in the last week
Treat a low score as data	It shows which idea to learn next	Treating a result as a verdict on the child

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Where we fit

What live classes add, and what they cannot

A competition is a good reason to learn more. It is not the only one, and a class should serve the learner either way.

What classes add

A teacher who explains why a method works, weekly practice that builds on itself, and someone to read a written solution or a program and say where it breaks.

What they cannot do

Enter a pupil for a school-based paper, guarantee a qualifying score, or replace the organiser's rules and instructions.

When not to bother

If a learner is not enjoying it. The skills competitions test are worth having regardless, and a class can build them with no competition in view at all.

One page each

A preparation page for every competition we could confirm

Each page below is written for one competition: what the organiser actually asks for, what a learner should practise, and where the real past papers live.

Astro Pi Mission Zero and Space Lab · British Informatics Olympiad · British Mathematical Olympiad · Cayley, Hamilton and Maclaurin · Coolest Projects UK · CyberFirst Girls Competition · First competitions for primary children · FIRST LEGO League · Junior Mathematical Olympiad · Mathematical Olympiad for Girls · Maths olympiad training · National Cipher Challenge · Oxford University Computing Challenge · Perse Coding Team Challenge · Primary Maths Challenge · Scottish Mathematical Challenge · Sentinus Young Innovators · Student hackathons in the UK · Team Maths Challenges · The Big Bang Competition · UK Bebras Challenge · UK Olympiad in AI · UKMT Kangaroo rounds

Stepping up

Five stages from a first puzzle to a national team

Ages are rough. Learners move on when their work shows the next habit is in place.

From puzzles to olympiads
Roughly	Stage	The habit it builds
Ages 6 to 9	1. Puzzles	Reading a problem slowly and finding what it really asks
Ages 9 to 12	2. Challenges	Quick, careful reasoning under a time limit
Ages 11 to 14	3. First programs	Turning a method into code and testing it
Ages 13 to 16	4. Olympiad papers	Writing an argument or program that holds for every case
Ages 15 to 18	5. National selection	Depth, speed and calm on problems never seen before

Skipping stages

A strong twelve-year-old can sit an intermediate paper, and a beginner of sixteen can start at stage 2 and move quickly. What matters is the habit, not the birthday.

The coding roadmap shows the programming topics in order.

Around the school year

Autumn and late winter are busy on the calendar above. Learners often raise their practice for a few weeks before a round and ease off after it.

Adults who enjoy puzzles use the same stages for their own sake.

The catalogue

Nine courses for competition-minded learners

Grouped by what they prepare for. Each card opens its syllabus, and a free class shows which fits.

I

Mathematics

From puzzles to proof

COMP / MATH / 01

Maths with small programs

Patterns and puzzles explored in code, for primary and lower secondary pupils.

Open the syllabus

COMP / MATH / 02

Olympiad mathematics

Written solutions for challenge and olympiad papers, checked case by case.

Open the syllabus

COMP / MATH / 03

Python and AI for children

A first typed language, handy for Bebras-style thinking and simple simulations.

Open the syllabus

II

Programming contests

Algorithms that survive hidden tests

COMP / CODE / 01

Competitive programming

Contest problems, time limits and the discipline of testing edge cases.

Open the syllabus

COMP / CODE / 02

Algorithms and data structures

The toolkit behind informatics olympiad problems, reasoned out on paper first.

Open the syllabus

COMP / CODE / 03

Advanced competitive programming

For sixth formers and students aiming at the harder rounds.

Open the syllabus

III

Projects, AI and security

For showcases, hackathons and AI rounds

COMP / PROJ / 01

AI and machine learning for teens

Models trained and evaluated honestly, the ground the AI olympiad covers.

Open the syllabus

COMP / PROJ / 02

Hackathon preparation for teens

Building a working project fast, then presenting it clearly.

Open the syllabus

COMP / PROJ / 03

Defensive cyber security for teens

Ciphers, puzzles and safe, legal security thinking.

Open the syllabus

The classes

Weekly practice with a teacher who reads the working

Lessons are live and online. India, where our teachers work, is five and a half hours ahead of the UK in winter and four and a half in summer, so most competition learners take a slot after school or at the weekend, fixed in UK time.

After school

Short, regular problem sessions for primary and secondary pupils.

Weekend mornings

Longer blocks for olympiad papers and programming rounds.

Evenings

For sixth formers fitting practice around A levels or Highers.

Written solutions read

The teacher reads the full argument or program, not just the final answer.

Fresh practice problems

Written in each competition's style, never lifted from its papers.

Small matched groups

Five to ten learners at a similar level, so explanations are shared and argued over.

One to one for a target

For a learner aiming at a particular round with little time left.

Honest feedback

Clear notes on what went wrong and which idea to learn next.

Nothing promised

No scores, medals or selections are promised, because no teacher can deliver them.

Student work

Projects our students built

Four published examples of student work. There are more on the student labs page.

AI and ML

NutriLife

An AI nutrition coach that reads what you eat and works you toward a target.

by Bhavya · Open it

AI and ML

Misti

A chatbot that answers mathematics and programming questions, built and deployed by a student.

by Harshit · Open it

AI and ML

GuardianX

An assistant that helps a young person recognise unsafe situations online.

by Vivaan · Open it

Web app

SkyCast

A weather forecasting site with live conditions for any location.

by Krish

Fees

Monthly, in US dollars, as for every family outside India. Nothing to pay before the first class.

Free first class

USD 0

no card required

A real problem-solving lesson
A frank view of the right stage
No payment details

Book it

Group batch

USD 100

a month, billed in US dollars

Five to ten learners at one level
The same teacher every week
Solutions read and marked
A certificate at the end

Start here

One to one

USD 150

a month, billed in US dollars

A teacher for one learner
Built around a target round
Suited to strong or late starters

Enquire

What families say

Rated 4.9 across 547 Google reviews

What families wrote on Google, reproduced as it stands.

★★★★★

"The one step solution for my son. Modern Age Coders make learning coding so simple that kids love it. The teachers explain complex concepts clearly with practical exercises and interactive content."

Ria Mukherjee

Parent

★★★★★

"Modern Age Coders has been a game-changer for me. I struggled to grasp IT concepts and coding before joining, but their classes transformed everything. I can now confidently write complex programs with ease."

Samriddha Mondal

Student

★★★★★

"One of the most wonderful education centres out there. Education is not limited to school syllabus but focuses on skill development."

Vansh Agarwal

Student

★★★★★

"My child Dhairya is really enjoying the Modern Age Coders classes. This is his first online class and he eagerly looks forward to it. I can already see his improvement, and the teachers are very cooperative."

Sonam Oswal

Parent of Dhairya

★★★★★

"Modern Age Coders have wonderful teachers who teach in a clear, easy and practical way. The teacher boosts students' confidence and inspires them to learn without hesitation."

Sonu Goyal

Parent

★★★★★

"I highly recommend this computer coding class! The teachers are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about coding."

Ritu Kedia

Parent

Questions about competitions

What families ask about UK competitions

When is the Junior Mathematical Challenge in 2027?

UKMT lists the Junior Mathematical Challenge on 5 May 2027, with the Junior Kangaroo and Junior Mathematical Olympiad on 15 June 2027. The Intermediate Challenge is on 27 January 2027 and the Senior Challenge on 7 October 2026.

What is the British Informatics Olympiad?

A programming competition whose first stage is a 3-hour test taken in schools during December and January, open to students in full-time pre-university education in mainland Britain. It leads to a final and, for the top four, the International Olympiad in Informatics.

Is there a competition for young children?

Yes. UK Bebras is free and open from age 6, and takes 45 minutes in school; the Primary Mathematics Challenge runs from 9 to 20 November 2026; and UKMT's Primary Kangaroo is on 18 March 2027.

Is there an AI olympiad for UK students?

The UK Olympiad in AI is a free online test for secondary students living in the UK and selects the UK team for the International Olympiad in AI, which will be held in Singapore from 4 to 10 July 2027.

Can students in Northern Ireland enter the British Informatics Olympiad?

The organiser describes it as open to students in mainland Britain, so check with the organiser directly. Sentinus Young Innovators, based in Belfast, has a Young Coder of the Year category.

Is FIRST LEGO League still running?

LEGO Education says FIRST LEGO League comes to an end after the 2026-2027 BIOGLOW season, and that LEGO League begins in August 2027.

Do you enter students into competitions?

No. Most competitions here are entered by schools or directly with the organiser. We teach the mathematics, programming and problem solving they draw on, and we promise no results.

Do you use past papers in class?

We write fresh practice in each competition's style and point learners to the organisers' own past papers, which remain theirs to publish.

What do classes cost?

The first class is free. After that it is USD 100 a month in a group of five to ten, or USD 150 a month one to one, with no fee to join and no annual contract.

When are lessons, in UK time?

At a fixed weekly slot agreed in the free class, usually after school or at the weekend. India is five and a half hours ahead of the UK in winter and four and a half in summer.

Related pages

More on competitions and the UK

Deeper pages on single competitions and on UK learning.

UKMT maths challenge tutoring

The Junior, Intermediate and Senior Challenges in depth.

International Olympiad in Informatics training

Where the British Informatics Olympiad leads.

The coding olympiad track

How programming contests build on one another.

USACO preparation

An online contest many UK students also take.

Coding classes in the UK

The four school systems, and every UK page.

Choosing an online class in the UK

Seven checks for any provider.

Start here

Start with a free problem-solving class

Tell us the learner's age and which competitions interest them. The first class is a real session on the kind of problem those competitions set.

Read first if you prefer: every course page has a syllabus, how we teach explains the method, and the roadmap sets out the order of topics.

WhatsApp us · +91 91233 66161 · contact@modernagecoders.com

WhatsApp from a UK mobile is free and usually quickest. Our number is Indian, and we say so; there is no UK office.

Three courses that train the thinking competitions reward

Maths through coding

Olympiad mathematics

Competitive programming for teens

The 2026-27 competition year, month by month

A first competition at six, an olympiad at seventeen

Primary school

Lower secondary

Upper secondary

The rules differ by nation, age and school

How to prepare without cramming or copying

What live classes add, and what they cannot

What classes add

What they cannot do

When not to bother

A preparation page for every competition we could confirm

Five stages from a first puzzle to a national team

Skipping stages

Around the school year

Nine courses for competition-minded learners

Mathematics

Maths with small programs

Olympiad mathematics

Python and AI for children

Programming contests

Competitive programming

Algorithms and data structures

Advanced competitive programming

Projects, AI and security

AI and machine learning for teens

Hackathon preparation for teens

Defensive cyber security for teens

Weekly practice with a teacher who reads the working

Written solutions read

Fresh practice problems

Small matched groups

One to one for a target

Honest feedback

Nothing promised

Projects our students built

NutriLife

Misti

GuardianX

SkyCast

Fees

Rated 4.9 across 547 Google reviews

What families ask about UK competitions

When is the Junior Mathematical Challenge in 2027?

What is the British Informatics Olympiad?

Is there a competition for young children?

Is there an AI olympiad for UK students?

Can students in Northern Ireland enter the British Informatics Olympiad?

Is FIRST LEGO League still running?

Do you enter students into competitions?

Do you use past papers in class?

What do classes cost?

When are lessons, in UK time?

More on competitions and the UK

UKMT maths challenge tutoring

International Olympiad in Informatics training

The coding olympiad track

USACO preparation

Coding classes in the UK

Choosing an online class in the UK

Start with a free problem-solving class

Keep exploring Modern Age Coders

More maths tuition

Learn more

Free resources

From the blog

Start here