Competition Rules

Both competitions run over four rounds. A student sits the next round only if they advance from the one before it.

1. School Level — 60 questions in 60 minutes. Online — from anywhere.
2. District Level — 75 questions in 60 minutes. Online.
3. State Level — 100 questions in 60 minutes. Online.
4. National Grand Finale — 100 questions in 60 minutes. Physical · BYOD at official venue.

AKSC Primary 2026 dates: School Level 3 Sep 2026 · District Level 18 Sep 2026 · State Level 25–26 Sep 2026 · National Final 18 Oct 2026. SRMC Secondary dates are on the competition structure page.

Advancement is on merit. After each round the committee reviews the results and the students who performed best move up to the next level. The qualifying standard is set by the committee and is not published in advance — a student sits the paper to do their best, not to reach a number.

A student is told through their own dashboard whether they have advanced. Nobody else is told on their behalf.

• Be registered, with the correct year or standard on the account. A paper sat in the wrong category cannot be ranked.
• Where a round carries an entry fee, it must be settled before the round opens.
• Sit somewhere quiet, on a device you can keep in full screen, with a connection you trust, and with the full time free. The clock does not stop for anything.

These are enforced by the software, not just asked for:

• It is one sitting. Leaving the page ends it.
• Stay in full screen for the whole paper. Do not minimise, and do not switch tab, window or app.
• Do not open developer tools, the console, inspect, or a second window.
• Do not copy, cut, paste, print, screenshot or photograph any question.
• Do not use a phone, notes, another device or another person.

Each blocked action gives a warning, and the warnings are recorded. Past the warning limit the paper is submitted exactly as it stands, and the marks already earned still count.

You may go back and change an answer as often as you like until you submit. The answer showing when you submit is the one that is marked.

A power cut, a dropped connection or a device that gives up is not the student’s fault, and SSD can see when it happens. Do not try to start again on your own — tell us, and if the round is still open we will deal a fresh paper.

If you only find out after a round has closed, tell us anyway. We would rather hear late than have a child lose a round to something outside their control.

A score appears as soon as a paper is submitted. Whether a student has advanced is confirmed after the committee has reviewed the round, and appears on their dashboard. Certificates are issued for each level completed; medals and prizes are awarded at the National Final.

If you believe a result is wrong, write to us within fourteen days of it being published, saying what you think is wrong and why. We will look at the stored paper — every answer is kept — and give you a written answer. The committee’s decision on the final standing of a round is final.

Sitting a paper for somebody else, sharing questions with another student, or using a second account is cheating, and a paper affected by it will not stand. We will always speak to the parent before any entry is set aside, and we will say what we saw.