Primary Science Olympiad 

What is the Primary Science Olympiad (SPSO) 

The Singapore Primary Science Olympiad (SPSO) is a prestigious national science competition aimed at Primary 5 students and has been organised annually by NUS High School of Mathematics and Science since 2009. 

Its purpose is to inspire young students in the fields of biology, chemistry, and physics, while identifying and nurturing scientific talent from an early age. 

Topics from Chemistry that are tested include: 

• Properties of Matter
• Phase transformations (solid/liquid/gas)
• Physical, chemical and biological transformations

The competition is also a key selection platform for Singapore’s participation in the International Mathematics and Science Olympiad (IMSO).

What is the Process of the Primary Science Olympiad? 

The SPSO consists of two main components: 

1. The Theory Round is conducted within the students’ own primary schools and typically held in May. It features a mix of multiple-choice and short-answer questions that assess core scientific knowledge and application skills. 

*The SPSO 2025 consisted only of the theory round.

1. Top scorers from the Theory Round are then invited to participate in the Practical Round, which is held at NUS High School. This round offers hands-on experiments and laboratory-based problem-solving to test students’ scientific thinking and practical skills.

How to Register for the Primary Science Olympiad?

Students are to obtain registration information directly from their respective schools. Schools have the discretion to determine the number of participants and select students for participation.

• Only MOE primary schools are allowed to register.
• Registration fee: $24 nett (inclusive of 9% GST) per participant.

The period for registration is from 10 Mar to 7 Apr 2025.

Other Competitions

Apart from SPSO, other science competitions for upper primary students in Singapore include the Raffles Science Olympiad (RSO), hosted by Raffles Institution, and the Junior Science Whiz Challenge (JSWC), typically organised by River Valley High School. 

These competitions offer similar opportunities to showcase critical thinking and interdisciplinary knowledge in science. All theory rounds are usually conducted at students’ schools, while practical or finals are hosted by the organising institutions.