British Algorithmic Olympiad (BAO)

The British Algorithmic Olympiad (BAO) is an annual UK competition combining Mathematics and Computer Science into a single paper focused on problem-solving, logical thinking and programming. The contest is paper-based and designed to encourage algorithmic and programming skills alongside pure and discrete mathematics.

The BAO is targeted towards UK school students up to Year 13. The syllabus covers GCSE, Further Mathematics, A level Mathematics and A level Computer Science topics; Mechanics and Statistics are explicitly not required.

The full, official syllabus is available from the BAO website for teachers and students to consult before sitting the exam.

Teachers register their students when registration opens. Individual schools mark their students' papers using a mark scheme and guidance supplied by the BAO. Resources on the website are copyright © The British Algorithmic Olympiad (BAO).