Vanda Science International Competition — 2025/26 Guide for IP Maths & Physics Families
Download printable cheat-sheet (CC-BY 4.0)05 Aug 2025, 00:00 Z
TL;DR
Vanda Science is a 90-minute, two-section paper run by the Singapore International Mastery Contests Centre (SIMCC) for Primary 3 to Sec 4 students worldwide. Section A sets 15 negative-mark MCQs \((+2\space/-1)\); Section B asks 10 non-routine, open-ended problems worth 4 marks each, giving a 70-mark script scored out of 100 % after scaling. Questions span Life, Physical, Earth & Space sciences plus generic “process skills”, so IP students can repurpose Physics and Math heuristics they already know.
1 Who runs Vanda and who can enter?
- Organiser: Singapore International Mastery Contests Centre (SIMCC).
- Levels: Primary 3 (P3) to Secondary 4 (S4) / Grade 10.
- Rounds:
- Round 1 (national/online): mid-July test window for most countries.
- Global Finals: December host city rotates (recently Hanoi, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore).
- Eligibility: no prerequisite Olympiad medals; students may register through schools or as private candidates on SIMCC's portal.
2 Paper format at a glance
| Section | Items | Marking | Raw marks |
| A (MCQ) | 15 | \(+2\) correct, \(-1\) wrong, 0 blank | 30 |
| B (Open-ended) | 10 | Fixed 4 marks each | 40 |
| Total | 25 | 70 |
- Duration: 90 minutes.
- Allowed aids: non-programmable scientific calculator, centimetre ruler, no periodic table.
- Topics: Life Science, Physical Science, Earth & Space, Process & Thinking Skills.
- Answer sheets: OMR for Section A, separate lined pages for Section B with working space.
After marking, SIMCC scales scores to 100 % and awards:
| Scaled % | Award | Typical cut-off* |
| ≥ 90 % | Gold | Top ≈8-10 % |
| 75-89 % | Silver | Next 20 % |
| 60-74 % | Bronze | Next 40 % |
| 50-59 % | Honourable mention | Variable |
*Cut-offs published annually after moderation.
3 Why Vanda dovetails with IP Maths & Physics
3.1 Process-skills questions echo WA data handling
Section B's open-ended tasks often demand unit conversions, graphical reasoning or proportional “order-of-magnitude” estimates that match IP Physics WA rubrics.
3.2 Negative marking = careless-mistake gym
The \(+2/-1\) scheme punishes sign & unit slips — exactly the weakness IP teachers flag in early mechanics. Modelling drills from our Reducing Careless Mistakes post transfer directly.
3.3 Life/Earth items enforce cross-disciplinary vocabulary
IP Physics chargers (energy, power, rate) meet Biology diffusion or Earth albedo in Section A stems, sharpening “read-the-stem-twice” discipline that saves marks in A-Level Paper 2 synthesis questions.
4 Training timeline for IP families
| Phase | Weeks before Round 1 | Focus | Concrete drill |
| Bridging | 8-6 weeks | Speed algebra & unit conversion | 30 two-step conversions (J→eV, nm→m) nightly |
| Core | 5-3 weeks | Topic content gaps | Summarise one science domain daily in Cornell notes |
| Simulation | 2 weeks | Full 90-min papers | Mark with \(+2/-1\); flag careless slips in red |
| Taper | Final week | Rapid-fire MCQ | 3 x 15-item sets under 20 min each |
Parents can repurpose our 12-week IP Physics “grade-jump” camp checklist; simply swap the past-year WA slot for a Vanda specimen.
5 Practical entry & admin tips
- School vs private entry: some IP schools coordinate registration; private entry via SIMCC portal costs \(\approx\) SGD 70 (2025 fee).
- Time-zone caution: overseas centres may run two sittings to curb cheating—check the exact UTC +/- offset printed on your student letter.
- Calculator model: bring the same SEAB-approved Casio fx-97SG X or Sharp EL-W531S you use in school; avoid graphing calculators (disallowed).
- Tie-break: identical scaled scores rank by Section B marks, then by earlier submission time stamp.
- Global Finals travel grants: Gold medallists ranked top 40 % nationally usually qualify; SIMCC may subsidise accommodation but not airfare.
6 Bridging Vanda prep back into IP WAs
- MCQ error log → paste wrong-option stems into a Google Sheet, tag the misconception (units, sign, concept).
- Open-ended solutions → convert final answers into flash-card Q-and-A; revisit on the bus.
- Time-pressure hack: practise filling the OMR in two blocks (Q1-15, then transfer) to mirror A-Level Paper 1 rhythm.
7 Further reading
8 Call-to-Action
Parents: slot a 90-min Vanda mock the weekend before Round 1; review careless-tag patterns with your teen.
Students: screenshot the Section A \(+2/-1\) scheme, tape it above your desk and drill 15 mixed-discipline MCQs every other day.
Last updated 5 Aug 2025. Next review when SIMCC releases the 2026 syllabus update.
