British Psychology Olympiad - Minds Underground

The British Psychology Olympiad (BPO) is a global psychology competition run by Minds Underground for secondary students in Years 9-12. The competition aims to engage students in high-level psychology discussion, develop research and critical-thinking skills, and provide a platform for students to showcase analytical and writing abilities.

Study resources and past papers are provided free of charge to support preparation. The 2026 BPO runs in three stages. Round 1 is an online multiple-choice qualifier (20 questions, 90 minutes) to be sat on Sunday 8 February 2026.

Round 2 is an online national short-answer test for qualifiers on Sunday 22 February 2026. Successful Round 2 participants are invited to the Global Round essay competition (Spring 2026) with a submission deadline of 3 April 2026; essays must be 1000-1500 words, in English, and use Harvard citation format.

Awards include Gold, Silver and Bronze for top places and Excellence Awards for the top 60% of entrants. High-performing students may be invited to the ‘Beyond the Syllabus’ summer camps: an in-person week-long Psychology Summer Camp at the University of Oxford (tuition, accommodation and meals covered for invitees) or an online summer school.

Further competition guidelines and resources are available on the Minds Underground site.