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1 What exactly is SJPO?
2 Eligibility & registration
3 Exam format
Q: What is the SJPO (Singapore Junior Physics Olympiad)? A: The SJPO (Singapore Junior Physics Olympiad) is an annual physics competition for Secondary 2 and 3 students, run by the Institute of Physics Singapore (IPS) since 2018. It has a General Round (50 MCQ, 2 hours, no negative marking) and a Special Round (3 written problems, 3 hours, by invitation). Schools nominate candidates - individual sign-up is not available. Check ipssingapore.org for current dates.
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 isn’t offered. Check the latest IPS circular via https://www.physics.nus.edu.sg/olympiad/sjpo and confirm the current cycle with your 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.
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Link this competition back to our IP Physics hub so proofs, WA prep, and practicals reinforce each other.
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SJPO is the junior physics route toward SPhO.
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Check school nomination, eligibility, General Round, Special Round, syllabus, calculator rule, teacher-in-charge, registration window, fees, and access workaround.
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The best preparation is not memorising formulas; it is solving mechanics, waves, electricity, and thermodynamics problems carefully under time pressure.
A Sec 3 student should be able to draw force diagrams before attempting harder circular motion problems.
Best next step
Ask your Physics teacher whether your school will nominate students this cycle.
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; seat caps and registration windows are published in the yearly circular.
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
3.1 General Round (all candidates)
Historically 50 one-best-answer MCQs in 2h; confirm timing for the current cycle.
Non-programmable scientific calculators allowed (check current rules).
Past marking: +1 for correct, 0 for blank/wrong (no negative marking); confirm current scheme.
3.2 Special Round (by invitation only)
Typically held a few weeks after results.
Historically 3 written problems over 3h; calculators allowed (confirm current rules).
Counts only for medal ranking; non-attendance may affect medal eligibility per the circular.
4 Syllabus snapshot
The organiser publishes a three-page syllabus (unchanged since 2018). 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. The syllabus has remained unchanged since SJPO's first run in 2018, so past papers from any year are valid preparation material for all topics above.
SPhO and IPhO Selection Pipeline
SJPO is the junior entry point to Singapore's physics olympiad pathway:
SJPO (Sec 2-3): Strong General Round performers are invited to the Special Round. Medal winners are identified for further training.
SPhO (JC / IP Year 5-6): Top SJPO performers and other strong physics students compete in the Singapore Physics Olympiad. SPhO includes theory and practical rounds.
APhO and IPhO: Top SPhO performers represent Singapore at the Asian Physics Olympiad (APhO) and International Physics Olympiad (IPhO).
A SJPO medal is not a formal prerequisite for SPhO entry, but it provides early identification and access to training resources. Students who medal at SJPO and continue to JC typically have a strong foundation for SPhO. 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 typically sit SJPO in Secondary 2 or 3, so preparation should ideally begin 8-10 weeks before the General Round (historically in August). If your school has a physics Olympiad CCA, joining by Sec 1-2 provides early exposure to contest-style problem solving. For self-study, start with the official SJPO syllabus to identify which topics overlap with your 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 medal at SJPO and want to continue should target SPhO in JC; see the full physics olympiad pathway and the competition calendar for how the pipeline works.
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 award ceremonies each year-ask your school for the latest circular (historically registration opens in June with the General Round in August).
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 has published sample question PDFs through the official SJPO page - check ipssingapore.org for the latest available samples.
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?
SJPO is typically held in August each year, with registration opening around June. Dates are announced by IPS via school circulars. Check ipssingapore.org and your school's physics teacher for the confirmed 2026 schedule.
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?
SJPO has two rounds:
General Round (all candidates): Historically 50 one-best-answer MCQs in 2 hours. Non-programmable scientific calculators are allowed. Past marking: +1 correct, 0 blank or wrong (no negative marking). Confirm current rules in the latest IPS circular.
Special Round (by invitation only): Typically 3 written problems over 3 hours, held a few weeks after General Round results. Calculators allowed (confirm current rules). Counts for medal ranking.
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?
No. Past SJPO General Round marking was +1 for correct, 0 for blank or wrong answers. Confirm the current marking scheme in the latest IPS circular.
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 (Gold, Silver, Bronze, Honourable Mention) are percentile-based and determined by IPS after all papers are marked each year. IPS does not publish fixed score thresholds in advance - cutoffs are shared with schools in the post-competition results circular. The exact percentages may vary by year depending on cohort performance. Check with your physics teacher-in-charge once results are released.
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 H2 Physics syllabus as your foundation - SJPO covers similar content (mechanics, waves, electricity and magnetism, thermodynamics) but at greater depth. Key areas to strengthen: rotational dynamics, simple harmonic motion, electromagnetic induction, and optics. Use Halliday, Resnick & Walker's Fundamentals of Physics as your core textbook, then move to problem sets from past SJPO papers and similar-level competitions. Practise laboratory skills separately (measurement, uncertainty estimation, data analysis) as SJPO includes a practical component. Most candidates self-study using the official SJPO syllabus PDF as a guide - consistent daily problem-solving over 3–4 months is more effective than cramming.
Which science olympiads count for JC DSA?
SJPO is the most commonly cited science olympiad in JC Direct School Admission applications, particularly for schools like Raffles Institution, Hwa Chong Institution, and Nanyang Junior College. These schools accept strong SJPO results under their Science or Mathematics & Computational Thinking DSA categories. A SJPO medal (Bronze and above) is typically the threshold that admissions panels find meaningful. For the most selective programmes, Special Award or team representative status carries more weight. Always verify directly with your target JC's DSA office for the current year's criteria. See our DSA and Math Olympiad guide for context across subjects.
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.
