2026
AIO 2026
Competition date
Thursday, 27 Aug 2026
Eligible students
NZ Years 8-13
New Zealand time
4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Delivery
online*
Competition completed
Registration is no longer available.
Australia
• Completed
Australian Informatics Olympiad (AIO)
A three-hour online programming competition for students with coding experience. It challenges students to design algorithms and write efficient programs to solve increasingly difficult computational problems.
COMPUTING & INFORMATICS
Australian Informatics Olympiad (AIO)
Competition Overview
Academic Value / Why Participate
The AIO gives students an opportunity to:
apply programming skills to unfamiliar problems;
develop algorithmic and computational thinking;
practise converting a problem description into a working program;
improve code correctness and efficiency;
receive immediate feedback from an automated judging system;
benchmark their programming ability in a recognised national competition;
gain recognition through Gold, Silver, Bronze, Credit or Participation awards; and
demonstrate potential for advanced informatics training and Olympiad pathways.
The competition is particularly valuable because success depends on problem-solving rather than simply knowing a programming language. Students must analyse each task, design a suitable algorithm and implement it accurately within the competition time.
Who It Suits
The AIO is suitable for students who:
already know how to write programs independently;
enjoy coding challenges and logical problem solving;
are comfortable using variables, loops, conditional statements and arrays;
want to move beyond introductory programming exercises;
are interested in algorithms, computer science or competitive programming;
have completed introductory coding courses or programming competitions;
would like to test their skills against progressively more difficult problems; or
may be ready to explore the Australian Maths Trust’s informatics pathway.
The handbook describes the AIO as suitable for students in Years 7–12 with coding skills. However, readiness should be determined by programming ability rather than school year alone.
Prerequisites and Readiness
Students need previous programming experience and must be able to write, test and debug source code independently.
They should be comfortable with:
variables and basic data types;
input and output;
arithmetic and comparison operations;
ifstatements;forandwhileloops;arrays or lists;
functions;
reading a problem specification carefully; and
producing a complete program in one of the permitted languages.
Allowed languages are:
C
C++
Java
Python 3
AIO is not recommended as a student’s first coding activity. Students who are new to programming should first complete introductory programming exercises and starter problems before attempting past AIO tasks.
ROUND 1
Open Round
Exam Date & Time
16:00-19:00, Thurs 27 Aug 2026
Registration Deadline
Friday, 14 August 2026
FURTHER ROUNDS & PROGRESSION
Explore the later stages of the competition. Progression is subject to the organiser's current qualification requirements.
Semifinal Round
The Semifinal Round builds on the earlier stage with more advanced questions and deeper application.
Exam Date & Time
Saturday, 16 May 2026 · 9:00 am – 12:00 pm (NZT)
Registration Deadline
Friday, 1 May 2026 · 11:59 pm (NZT)
Semifinal Round
The Semifinal Round builds on the earlier stage with more advanced questions and deeper application.
Exam Date & Time
Saturday, 16 May 2026 · 9:00 am – 12:00 pm (NZT)
Registration Deadline
Friday, 1 May 2026 · 11:59 pm (NZT)
Semifinal Round
The Semifinal Round builds on the earlier stage with more advanced questions and deeper application.
Exam Date & Time
Saturday, 16 May 2026 · 9:00 am – 12:00 pm (NZT)
Registration Deadline
Friday, 1 May 2026 · 11:59 pm (NZT)
Semifinal Round
The Semifinal Round builds on the earlier stage with more advanced questions and deeper application.
Exam Date & Time
Saturday, 16 May 2026 · 9:00 am – 12:00 pm (NZT)
Registration Deadline
Friday, 1 May 2026 · 11:59 pm (NZT)
All resources
Past Papers
Guide
Rules and
Exam Instructions
A GOOD PLACE TO BEGIN
RESOURCES & PAST PAPERS
Find available practice, curriculum guidance and competition rules.
Practice
No resources found for these filters.
THE RIGHT SUPPORT. AT YOUR STAGE
PREPARATION COURSES
Explore the programme, choose a teaching format and review the full tuition before enrolling.
CLASS
Placement for Advanced Class is confirmed after consultation.
STAGE
REGULAR CLASS · OPEN ROUND PREPARATION
Open Round Preparation
Build neuroscience knowledge, then apply it to research figures, experimental evidence and unfamiliar questions.
16 hours total
8 x 2-hour lessons
· Connect neural structures with function and disease.
· Intepret graphs, experiments and research extracts.
· Complete an Open Round-style mock with an individual error review.
Session 1 — Foundations
……Session 2 — Core concepts
……Session 3 — Problem solving
……
Choose your teaching format
Small-group preparation with up to 3 students, offering structured teaching, guided practice and personalised feedback.
16 hours · 8 × 2-hour sessions
NZ$1,060
per student · full programme
Focused preparation for two students learning together, with guided teaching, targeted practice and personalised feedback.
16 hours · 8 × 2-hour sessions
NZ$1,280
per student · full programme
Fully personalised one-to-one preparation with teaching, practice and feedback tailored to the student's needs.
16 hours · 8 × 2-hour sessions
NZ$1,840
per student · full programme
Select a teaching format to view tuition, lesson format and enrolment details.
Competition Gallery
Submission and Confirmation
Please check your email address carefully before submitting the registration form.
Once you submit the form, you will receive a confirmation email automatically.
All other important communications (including the Exam Instructions, Results and Certificates, etc) will be sent to the email address you submitted to us. Please check your email inbox and junk mail / spam folder regularly!
What Happens Next?
1
2
3
4
Registration Received
We will send you a confirmation email
We may review your registration if required
Eligibility Review
You will receive the Exam Instructions closer to the date
Exam Instructions
Participate and do your best!
Competition Day
Competition Overview
Australian Informatics Olympiad (AIO)
The Australian Informatics Olympiad (AIO) is a three-hour programming competition organised by the Australian Maths Trust for school students with existing coding skills. Rather than testing general computer literacy or factual knowledge about computers, the AIO challenges students to design algorithms and write programs that solve a set of computational problems.
Students submit source code that is compiled and tested automatically against a range of input scenarios. Problems vary in difficulty and are designed to assess logical reasoning, algorithmic thinking, coding accuracy and computational efficiency.
The competition uses one common paper, with Intermediate and Senior divisions used for award purposes. Students may program in C, C++, Java or Python 3. The AIO is available online to eligible students in Australia, New Zealand and other participating countries.
The AIO gives students an opportunity to:
apply programming skills to unfamiliar problems;
develop algorithmic and computational thinking;
practise converting a problem description into a working program;
improve code correctness and efficiency;
receive immediate feedback from an automated judging system;
benchmark their programming ability in a recognised national competition;
gain recognition through Gold, Silver, Bronze, Credit or Participation awards; and
demonstrate potential for advanced informatics training and Olympiad pathways.
The competition is particularly valuable because success depends on problem-solving rather than simply knowing a programming language. Students must analyse each task, design a suitable algorithm and implement it accurately within the competition time.
The AIO is suitable for students who:
already know how to write programs independently;
enjoy coding challenges and logical problem solving;
are comfortable using variables, loops, conditional statements and arrays;
want to move beyond introductory programming exercises;
are interested in algorithms, computer science or competitive programming;
have completed introductory coding courses or programming competitions;
would like to test their skills against progressively more difficult problems; or
may be ready to explore the Australian Maths Trust’s informatics pathway.
The handbook describes the AIO as suitable for students in Years 7–12 with coding skills. However, readiness should be determined by programming ability rather than school year alone.
AIO awards are determined separately for the Intermediate and Senior divisions.
Gold Award
Awarded to approximately the top 10% of participants in the relevant division.
Silver Award
Awarded to approximately the next 15%.
Bronze Award
Awarded to approximately the next 25%.
Credit
Awarded to approximately the next 20%.
Participation
Awarded to all remaining participants.
Every participant receives an electronic certificate displaying their result. Award cut-offs may vary according to the difficulty of the competition and the performance of the participant group.
The AIO is one of the Australian Maths Trust’s principal opportunities for identifying talented school programmers. Students who perform strongly may be considered for invitation-only informatics training or competitions administered through the AMT’s Olympiad programs.
For eligible Australian and New Zealand students, subsequent opportunities may include the Australian Invitational Informatics Olympiad, an invitation-only competition used to identify students for further informatics training and selection activities.
An AIO award does not guarantee an invitation. Invitations, training opportunities and eligibility to represent a country internationally are determined separately under the applicable Olympiad programme rules.