Singapore Junior Physics Olympiad (SJPO) — 2025 IP-Friendly Guide
Download printable cheat-sheet (CC-BY 4.0)05 Aug 2025, 00:00 Z
TL;DR
The Singapore Junior Physics Olympiad (SJPO), run by the Institute of Physics, Singapore (IPS), targets Secondary 2 & 3 students.
The General Round (early August) is a \(2 \space \text{h}\) paper of 50 multiple-choice questions; the top cohort (~top 8 %) is invited to a Special Round with written problems. Medals are awarded Gold → Bronze plus certificates of merit and participation. For IP learners, SJPO doubles as a Term 3 checkpoint before Promo-year mechanics and electricity topics land.
1 What exactly is SJPO?
The SJPO is a national junior Physics contest that feeds into the senior Singapore Physics Olympiad pathway. It has run annually since 2018 under IPS stewardship and typically draws ~2 400 seats, the cap listed in the official guidelines.
2 Eligibility & registration
| Rule | Detail |
| School level | Secondary 2 or 3 only |
| School type | MOE schools & independent/IP schools |
| Registration window | Early June (portal opened 3 Jun 2024 last cycle) |
| Exam venue | Candidates' own schools (online answer submission) |
| Fee | \($25\) per student (2024 rate) |
Source: IPS “SJPO 2024 — Admin Guidelines” PDF.
3 Exam format
3.1 General Round (all candidates)
- 50 one-best-answer MCQs
- Duration \(= 2 \space \text{h}\) (15:00 - 17:00 in 2024)
- Non-programmable scientific calculators allowed
- Marking: +1 for correct, 0 for blank, 0 for wrong (no negative marking)
3.2 Special Round (by invitation only)
- Held 6-8 weeks after results
- 3 written problems, \(3 \space \text{h}\) total
- Calculators allowed
- Counts only for medal ranking; non-attendees drop one medal band.
4 Syllabus snapshot
The organiser publishes a three-page syllabus (unchanged since 2018). Key themes:
- Mechanics: kinematics, Newton's laws, energy, momentum, circular motion
- Oscillations & waves: SHM, standing waves, interference
- Electricity & magnetism: Coulomb's law, dc circuits, magnetic fields, induction
- Thermodynamics: ideal gas behaviour, first law
- No calculus is required, though solutions using calculus are accepted
Download the official syllabus (PDF).
5 Medal structure & score bands
| Band | Typical cut-off* | Award |
| Top ≈ 8 % | \(\geq\) ≈42 / 50 | Gold |
| Next ≈ 14 % | ≈37 - 41 | Silver |
| Next ≈ 23 % | ≈31 - 36 | Bronze |
| Next ≈ 20 % | ≈26 - 30 | Merit certificate |
| Remaining | - | Participation certificate |
Exact cut-offs vary slightly year to year and are published only to teachers.
6 Why IP students should care
- Covers Term 3 mechanics & electricity just before promos — ideal timing to reveal weak spots.
- Non-calculus requirement aligns with O-level style algebraic problem-solving, useful revision for Sec 3s who have only just met vectors and SUVAT.
- Special Round problems preview A-Level Section B thinking without the full calculus load.
- A medal can strengthen DSA, scholarship or leadership applications in Years 4-5.
7 Fast-track study strategy
| Weeks to exam | Physics focus | Daily micro-drill |
| 8-6 | Kinematics & forces | 10 SUVAT MCQs + 1 free-body sketch |
| 5-4 | Energy, momentum, circular motion | Derive \(v^2 = u^2 + 2as\) from work-energy once a day |
| 3-2 | Electricity & magnetism | 15 quick-fire circuit questions |
| 1 | Mixed timed sets | One 50-Q mock under 120 min |
8 2025 timeline (indicative)
| Milestone | Date (tent.) |
| Registration opens | 2 Jun 2025 (Mon) |
| Registration closes | 20 Jun 2025 (Fri) |
| General Round | 6 Aug 2025 (Wed), 15:00 - 17:00 |
| Results released | Early Oct 2025 |
| Special Round | Mid-Oct 2025 |
| Award ceremony | Early Nov 2025 |
9 Further reading
Call-to-action
Parents: Slot a 90-min SJPO booster in late June — it plugs SUVAT and circuit gaps before WA 2.
Students: Download the 2018 paper tonight, attempt Q 1-25 in 60 min, then mark with the syllabus beside you.
Last updated 5 Aug 2025. Next review when IPS releases the 2026 guidelines.
