Q: What is the SJPO (Singapore Junior Physics Olympiad)? A: The SJPO (Singapore Junior Physics Olympiad) is an annual physics competition run by the Institute of Physics Singapore (IPS). For 2026, the public IPS page says SJPO will be held on Thursday 21 May 2026, 3-5pm, with registration through schools and no individual applications. Use the IPS page, syllabus PDF, and sample questions as the official starting points.
TL;DR\
The Singapore Junior Physics Olympiad (SJPO) is run by the Institute of Physics, Singapore (IPS) and is typically for Secondary 2 & 3 students.\
Past cycles used a General Round MCQ paper and a written Special Round (by invitation).\
Confirm dates, fees, rules, and award bands against the latest official IPS circular before planning.
Registration quick answer (Singapore): Schools nominate candidates; individual sign-up is not accepted. The public IPS page says the 2026 school registration form was due on Thursday 2 April 2026. Confirm your own school's nomination process with the teacher-in-charge.
Registration & Access: School-nominated - your school must nominate you. Individual sign-up is not available. Ask your HOD Science or Physics teacher-in-charge if your school participates. See our access guide for workarounds.
Stay Connected
Use this guide as the SJPO owner page. If you are using SJPO preparation to strengthen school Physics, pair it with our IP Physics hub for Sec 2-4 foundations, then move to the SPhO guide and H2 Physics notes when the work starts looking like JC-level mechanics, fields, and practical reasoning.
See how SJPO, SPhO, APhO, and IPhO fit together without mixing their eligibility rules.
1 What exactly is SJPO?
The SJPO is a junior Physics contest run by IPS. Schools are invited by the organising committee, and individual applications are not accepted. Treat the public IPS page and your school's circular as the current authority for dates, registration, fees, calculator rules, and marking details.
2 Eligibility & registration
Rule
Detail (confirm with the latest IPS circular)
School level
Typically Secondary 2 or 3
School type
MOE schools & independent/IP schools
Registration window
Published in the annual circular (schools register candidates)
Exam venue
Typically candidates' own schools (online submission)
Fee
Published in the annual circular
3 Exam format
The public IPS page confirms the 2026 sitting time, school registration route, calculator restrictions, and official resource links. It does not publish a full 2026 marking scheme on the public page as of 2026-06-02.
3.1 Current public details to verify
2026 sitting: Thursday 21 May 2026, 3-5pm.
Registration: through schools; individual applications are not accepted.
Registration deadline shown publicly by IPS: Thursday 2 April 2026.
Calculators: non-programmable scientific calculators are allowed; graphing calculators are not allowed.
Other electronic devices such as mobile phones and smart watches are prohibited during the test.
3.2 What not to assume from old notes
Do not assume an old marking scheme applies to the current year unless your school circular says so.
Do not rely on informal past-paper uploads as official material.
If your search is specifically about negative marking, ask your teacher-in-charge for the 2026 instruction sheet before deciding whether to guess uncertain MCQs.
4 Syllabus snapshot
The organiser publishes a three-page syllabus. Key themes:
DC Circuits, Electrostatics, Magnetic Fields, Electromagnetic Induction
Thermodynamics
Heat Transfer, Gas Laws, First Law of Thermodynamics
Optics
Reflection, Refraction, Lenses, Interference
No calculus is required for any module. However, solutions using calculus are accepted. Use the current IPS syllabus PDF as the official topic map instead of assuming an unofficial past-paper compilation is complete.
SPhO and IPhO Selection Pipeline
SJPO is the junior entry point to Singapore's physics olympiad pathway:
SJPO (lower to middle secondary): Early exposure to deeper Physics problem solving.
SPhO (JC / upper IP): The senior national Physics Olympiad route, also school-nominated.
APhO and IPhO: Top SPhO performers represent Singapore at the Asian Physics Olympiad (APhO) and International Physics Olympiad (IPhO).
SJPO is not a formal prerequisite for SPhO entry, but it gives younger students early exposure to contest-style physics before the senior route. See the full physics olympiad pathway.
5 Medal structure & score bands
Medal bands and cut-offs are set annually and shared with schools; confirm the current thresholds with your teacher when the latest results circular is released.
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.
When to Start Preparing
Students preparing for SJPO should start from the official SJPO syllabus, then identify which topics overlap with current school work and which need independent study. Building strong IP Physics fundamentals - especially mechanics, circuits, and energy - provides the base for SJPO readiness. Students who enjoy SJPO and want to continue should read the SPhO guide, the full physics olympiad pathway, and the competition calendar.
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 v2=u2+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 Timeline (check the latest circular)
IPS publishes registration windows, paper dates, and resource links each year. For 2026, the public IPS page states that SJPO will be held on Thursday 21 May 2026, 3-5pm, and that the completed registration form had to be submitted by Thursday 2 April 2026. Ask your school for the circular that applies to your cohort.
Past Papers & Practice Resources
Official SJPO resources are managed by the Institute of Physics, Singapore (IPS):
Official syllabus (PDF):ipssingapore.org/events/SJPO_Syllabus.pdf - the three-page syllabus outlining testable topics. Use this to map which topics overlap with your current school curriculum and which need independent study.
Sample questions: IPS links a public sample-question PDF from the official SJPO page.
Past papers: IPS does not routinely publish full past papers online. Past SJPO questions historically circulate through school physics departments and Olympiad CCAs - check with your school's physics teacher-in-charge.
Preparation strategy without past papers: Since full past papers are not officially released, use the detailed topic syllabus table above to guide your preparation. Work through textbook problems for each module, focusing on mechanics and electricity (which historically carry the most weight in the General Round). Supplement with international physics olympiad problems at the introductory level.
Always verify current availability through official channels, as resource pages may change between cycles.
Recommended textbooks: Halliday, Resnick & Walker's Fundamentals of Physics covers most SJPO theory topics; supplement with Irodov's Problems in General Physics for challenge problems
SJPO past papers are less widely available than math competition papers - school-compiled practice packages from IP schools are the most common prep resource
Frequently Asked Questions about SJPO 2026
What is the SJPO (Singapore Junior Physics Olympiad)?
The SJPO (Singapore Junior Physics Olympiad) is Singapore's national junior physics competition for Secondary 2 and 3 students, run by the Institute of Physics, Singapore (IPS) since 2018. It is the entry point to the Singapore physics olympiad pathway, feeding into SPhO, APhO, and IPhO.
What does SJPO stand for?
SJPO stands for Singapore Junior Physics Olympiad.
When is SJPO 2026?
The public IPS page says SJPO 2026 will be held on Thursday 21 May 2026, 3-5pm. It also says the completed registration form had to be submitted by Thursday 2 April 2026. Confirm school-specific reporting instructions with your teacher-in-charge.
How do I register for SJPO?
SJPO registration is through school nomination only - individual sign-up is not available. Your school's physics teacher-in-charge nominates candidates and submits entries to IPS. Confirm the nomination process and deadline with your school.
What is the SJPO format?
The public IPS 2026 page confirms a Thursday 21 May 2026 sitting from 3-5pm, school registration, non-programmable scientific calculators, and no graphing calculators or electronic devices. It does not publish a full marking scheme on the public page, so follow your school circular for attempt strategy.
Who is eligible for SJPO?
SJPO is typically for Secondary 2 and Secondary 3 students in MOE schools and independent/IP schools. Confirm the current eligibility rules with IPS or your school.
Does SJPO have negative marking?
Do not assume from old online notes. As of 2026-06-02, the public IPS page confirms the 2026 date, registration route, calculator rules, syllabus, and sample questions, but it does not publish a public marking scheme. Ask your teacher-in-charge for the current instruction sheet before deciding whether to guess uncertain MCQs.
What topics does SJPO test?
SJPO tests: mechanics (kinematics, Newton's laws, energy, momentum, circular motion), oscillations and waves (SHM, standing waves, interference), electricity and magnetism (Coulomb's law, DC circuits, magnetic fields, induction), and thermodynamics (ideal gas, first law). No calculus is required, though solutions using calculus are accepted. Download the official syllabus PDF at ipssingapore.org/events/SJPO_Syllabus.pdf.
What are the SJPO medal bands?
Medal bands and cut-offs are set annually by IPS and shared with schools after results. Confirm current thresholds with your teacher when the latest results circular is released.
What are the SJPO medal cutoffs?
SJPO medal cutoffs are not published as fixed public thresholds in advance. Check with your physics teacher-in-charge once the results circular is released for your cohort.
Is SJPO useful for DSA applications?
Yes. A SJPO medal can strengthen DSA, scholarship, or leadership programme applications at the end of Sec 3 (Year 4 - 5 for IP students). Confirm with your target school's DSA criteria.
How does SJPO relate to SPhO and IPhO?
The Singapore physics olympiad pathway is: SJPO (Sec 2 - 3) → SPhO (JC/IP) → APhO → IPhO. SJPO is the junior entry point that identifies students for early SPhO preparation and the national training pipeline.
How do I prepare for SJPO with no prior olympiad experience?
Start with the official SJPO syllabus PDF, then build topic coverage in mechanics, waves, electricity and magnetism, thermodynamics, fluids, and optics. Use the official sample questions to calibrate difficulty before moving to similar-level competition problems. Consistent problem-solving over several months is more useful than memorising a leaked-paper list.
Which science olympiads count for JC DSA?
SJPO can support a science-focused DSA or scholarship portfolio when it matches the receiving school's published criteria, but each school sets its own evidence requirements. Check the current DSA page or admissions office for the school you are applying to before treating any medal, award band, or participation record as sufficient. See our DSA and Math Olympiad guide for broader context across competitions.
Can my child prepare for SJPO without tuition?
Yes - self-study is in fact the default preparation path for SJPO. The official SJPO syllabus PDF clearly maps which topics to cover, and most content overlaps with the Sec 3/IP Physics curriculum. Working through the syllabus systematically, supplementing with textbook problems and past SJPO papers, is how the majority of candidates prepare. School physics Olympiad CCAs provide additional support where available. See our competition prep resources guide for free materials.
Last updated 01 Dec 2025 - verify all dates, fees, and rules against the latest IPS SJPO circular before planning.
