International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO) — 2025 Guide for IP Maths & Physics Families
Download printable cheat-sheet (CC-BY 4.0)05 Aug 2025, 00:00 Z
TL;DR
The International Earth Science Olympiad is one of the 13 subject-specific International Science Olympiads.
Run by the International Geoscience Education Organisation (IGEO), it now draws about 110-150 students from 28-40 countries each year.
Singapore has medalled every year since 2019, and team selection funnels through the National School Earth Science Challenge (NSESC).
For IP students, the Olympiad's data mining and systems papers are stealth training for A-Level spreadsheet analysis and field investigation write-ups.
1 What exactly is the IESO?
| Quick facts | Details |
| Governing body | International Geoscience Education Organisation (IGEO) — not UNESCO |
| First edition | 2007, Seoul |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Team size | Each country may send up to four secondary-school students IESO Regulations |
| Recent scale | 108 students (28 countries, 2021) to 156 students (39 countries, 2019) IESO 2019 Report |
| Next host | Jakarta, Indonesia — IESO 2025 (announced Sep 2024) IESO Facebook |
1.1 Why it matters to IP families
- STEM breadth — Earth science blends physics (seismic waves), chemistry (rock cycles) and data analysis (GIS), reinforcing cross-topic thinking prized in IP curricula.
- Data-first assessment — students parse real climate or satellite datasets, mirroring H2 Physics Paper 3 data-handling.
- MOE scholarship signalling — Olympiad medals feature in A*STAR, DSTA and PSC scholarship shortlists.
2 Competition format (post-2020)
| Component | Style & duration | Skill crossover |
| Data Mining Test (DMT) | 90 min individual paper — interpret multi-sheet spreadsheets, graphs and images | Same spreadsheet LINEST routine tested in A-Level Physics Paper 4 |
| Earth Systems Test (EST) | 90 min individual — scenario-based reasoning across atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, geosphere | Integrates A-Level mechanics, thermal physics and statistics |
| National Team Field Investigation (NTFI) | 1-day task; four students from same nation produce poster + video | Mirrors IP research modules and Project Work |
| International Team Field Investigation (ITFI) | Mixed-nation teams; peer negotiation & joint report | Builds soft skills needed for JC group lab |
Historical note
Pre-2020 in-person editions used a Theory and Practical written paper followed by Classic Field Investigation. The online era replaced those with DMT and EST.
3 Singapore's track record
| Year | Venue | Medals | Notes |
| 2019 | Daegu | 0 Gold, 2 Silver, 2 Bronze | Singapore debut |
| 2020 | Virtual | 1 Silver, 2 Bronze | First online DMT/EST |
| 2021 | Virtual | 1 Silver, 1 Bronze | Added sustainability theme |
| 2022 | Virtual | 2 Silver, 1 Bronze | NSESC becomes main feeder |
| 2023 | Busan (hybrid) | 1 Gold, 1 Silver | Field return after pandemic |
| 2024 | Beijing | 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze | Best haul to date |
Source: MOE press releases 2019-2024 and IESO medal tables.
3.1 Selection pathway
- National School Earth Science Challenge (NSESC) written preliminary
- Boot-camp at NUS, NTU or Science Centre SG
- Final four chosen via data-mining playoff and interview
- Four-month prep: mineral ID, geologic mapping, Python data sprints
Parent tip
NSESC registration opens each January. Lock tutoring slots from Feb-May to avoid WA clashes.
4 Why IP Maths & Physics students gain an edge
| IESO task | IP topic synergy | Tuition cue |
| Statistical trend spotting in climate tables | H2 Math hypothesis testing, JC1 Statistics WA | Drill \(t\)-test vs \(z\)-test decision tree |
| Calculating earthquake epicentres from P-S wave times | H2 Physics kinematics, waves | Recap time-of-flight and triangulation vectors |
| Estimating volcanic gas output from spectrometer data | A-Level Modern Physics absorption spectra | Practise gradient ± SE in Sheets |
Tuition centres that already coach Physics Paper 4 uncertainty and Maths spreadsheet regression can piggyback IESO prep with minimal extra hours.
5 Timeline to 2025 Jakarta
| Month | Milestone | Action for families |
| Jan 2025 | NSESC registration | Book 8-week data-analysis sprint |
| Mar | NSESC prelim round | Balance WA timings; submit worksheet videos |
| Apr-May | National team boot-camp | Shift CCA sessions if clashes |
| Jun | Final team announced | Secure equipment: hand lens, Brunton compass, Casio fx-97SG X |
| Aug | IESO 2025 Jakarta (exact week TBA) | Buffer 1-week after for school make-up tests |
6 Further reading
7 Call-to-action
Parents — slot a 60 min IESO data-mining clinic by March; it turbocharges both Olympiad prep and H2 Physics practical skills.
Students — download last year's DMT sample, open in Sheets, run=LINEST()on every bivariate column pair and explain one insight at dinner tonight.
Last updated 5 Aug 2025 — will refresh once IESO 2025 Jakarta posts its detailed syllabus.
