Two BPhO online challenges sit within reach of a KS3 or early-Year-10 student, and both run on the same basic pattern: cheap for schools, low-stakes for students, and over quickly. Here's what's confirmed for 2027, in one place, plus where to go next once you know the shape of it.

The Year 7/8 Physics Challenge

Built specifically for Years 7 and 8 — the only major physics competition aimed squarely at the bottom of secondary school. It's two online papers of 25 minutes each, 25 questions per paper, sat at school. The 2027 window is set for roughly 27 April to 18 May 2027, though the exact dates move slightly year to year, so it's worth checking BPhO's own Year 7/8 Challenge page nearer the time. Entry costs schools £20, covering the whole cohort they choose to enter.

The Junior Physics Challenge

Aimed at Year 10, but Year 9 students are allowed to enter — making this the natural step up for a Year 9 who's outgrown the Year 7/8 paper. Same shape, slightly larger: two online papers of 25 minutes each, 30 questions per paper. The 2027 window is set for roughly 23 April to 14 May 2027, again worth confirming closer to the date. Also £20 per school.

Both are run by the British Physics Olympiad

BPhO is based at the University of Oxford and runs the UK's physics competition ladder end to end — these two online challenges sit at the accessible bottom of it. BPhO itself describes both as "a Quiz, not an exam," which is a genuinely useful way to think about them: low-stakes, online, sat in a normal school session, with no formal record and nothing riding on the result beyond a certificate and the experience of enjoying physics outside the textbook. That framing is worth repeating to a nervous child, too — the word "Olympiad" in the parent organisation's name suggests something far more pressured than what either quiz actually is.

At a glance

Year 7/8 Physics Challenge Junior Physics Challenge
Who it's for Years 7–8 Year 10 (Year 9 allowed)
Format Online, 2 × 25 min, 25 Q each Online, 2 × 25 min, 30 Q each
2027 window ~27 Apr – 18 May 2027 ~23 Apr – 14 May 2027
Cost £20 per school £20 per school

For the full picture — including the Intermediate Physics Challenge for a stretch option and how to ask your child's school to enter — see our full BPhO guide.

How to actually get ready

Because there's no published archive of past questions for either quiz — BPhO releases sample question PDFs, not a bank of past papers to work through — the useful preparation isn't "do the last five years." It's building genuine comfort with the underlying KS3 physics facts these quizzes draw on: forces, gravity, energy, electricity, sound and density. BPhO facts every KS3 child should know lays those out in full, and preparing for BPhO with spaced repetition explains why short, spaced review sessions suit a fact-based, time-pressured quiz far better than a single revision cram.

Given both windows sit in the April–May stretch, starting that kind of light, regular review a month or two beforehand — rather than the week before — gives the facts time to genuinely settle in.

Which one should your child sit?

If your child is in Year 7 or Year 8, the Year 7/8 Physics Challenge is the one built for them — it's the only major physics competition aimed squarely at that age group, and the questions assume nothing beyond core KS3 physics. A Year 9 who found that paper straightforward the year before has a natural next step in the Junior Physics Challenge, sitting alongside Year 10 and 11 students but on the same low-key, online, in-school format. There's no need to rush a younger child into the harder paper — let the Year 7/8 Challenge do its job first, and treat the step up as something to grow into rather than something to chase.

FAQ

When are the 2027 BPhO Year 7/8 and Junior Physics Challenge windows?

The Year 7/8 Physics Challenge runs roughly 27 April to 18 May 2027, and the Junior Physics Challenge runs roughly 23 April to 14 May 2027. Both dates can shift slightly year to year, so confirm the exact window on BPhO's own pages closer to the time.

How much does it cost to enter?

£20 per school for either challenge — there's nothing for a parent to buy, and no individual entry fee. Schools enter students, typically covering a large number of pupils for that single fee.

Is either challenge marked like a formal exam?

No. BPhO describes both as a Quiz, not an exam — they're low-stakes online papers sat in school, and results don't go on a formal academic record.

Duke Harewood runs aitutors.me and built its KS3 physics tutor, Professor Newton. Updated 26 August 2026.