CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES
INO 2026 Open Round
Format
Registration Deadline (NZ Time)
Eligible Years
Remote online
9 October 2026 at 11:00:00 pm
NZ Years 10-13
Remote Online
Competition Date (NZ Time)
Open Round: 15:00-16:00, Fri 26 Oct 2026
Location
NZ Nationwide
Competition Gallery
Course Information
Optional preparation courses or resources for this round (if available)
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?
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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
International Neuroscience Olympiad (INO) Open Round
The International Neuroscience Olympiad (INO) Open Round is the first stage of a research-oriented international neuroscience competition originating at the University of California, Berkeley. INO aims to inspire young people to explore the human brain while developing their understanding of modern neuroscience, scientific research and real-world applications.
Designed for New Zealand Years 10–13, the Open Round challenges students to apply neuroscience knowledge, interpret scientific information and reason through research-oriented problems. The competition consists of 40 questions — 35 multiple-choice questions and 5 short-answer questions — completed online in 60 minutes.
Students who receive a Global Award in the Open Round are eligible to progress to the INO Semifinal Round, where the competition places greater emphasis on written scientific reasoning and application.
The INO Open Round gives students an opportunity to:
explore neuroscience beyond the standard school curriculum;
investigate how the brain and nervous system influence behaviour and function;
practise interpreting scientific graphs, figures and research data;
develop evidence-based scientific reasoning;
apply biological knowledge to unfamiliar neuroscience scenarios;
gain experience with research-oriented competition questions;
test an interest in neuroscience, medicine, psychology or biomedical science;
receive international or regional recognition; and
compete for progression to the INO Semifinal Round.
A major strength of INO is that students are not assessed only on what they can remember. They must also work out what scientific information means and determine which conclusions are supported by the evidence.
The Open Round is suitable for New Zealand Years 10–13 students who:
are interested in the brain or nervous system;
enjoy Biology, Psychology or Science;
are considering Medicine, Neuroscience, Biomedical Science, Psychology or related fields;
enjoy interpreting experiments and scientific data;
are comfortable encountering unfamiliar scientific concepts;
like understanding how biological mechanisms produce behaviour;
enjoy analytical rather than purely memory-based questions; or
would like to explore neuroscience before undertaking more specialised study.
Previous neuroscience competition experience is not required.
Preparation for the Open Round should focus on developing both broad neuroscience knowledge and the ability to interpret scientific information quickly and accurately.
Students should:
review major brain structures and their functions;
understand basic neuron structure and neural communication;
review synapses and neurotransmitters;
develop familiarity with sensory and motor systems;
study introductory concepts relating to learning, memory and cognition;
review neuroscience relating to emotion, sleep and behaviour;
practise interpreting neurological and biological diagrams;
analyse graphs and scientific figures;
practise extracting conclusions from experimental data;
read accessible neuroscience research summaries;
identify hypotheses, methods, results and conclusions;
practise concise short-answer responses; and
complete official practice or mock questions where available.
Because the Open Round contains 35 multiple-choice questions and only 5 short-answer questions, students should develop good pace while still reading research-based material carefully.
The Open Round is an individual online competition.
Competition Format
40 questions
60 minutes
35 multiple-choice questions
5 short-answer questions
New Zealand Sitting
Date: Monday, 26 October 2026
Time: 15:00–16:00 New Zealand Time
Registration Deadline: Friday, 9 October 2026
The Open Round assesses a combination of neuroscience knowledge, research interpretation and scientific reasoning.
Students who meet the required qualification standard may progress to the Semifinal Round.
The Open Round provides both global and regional recognition.
Global Awards
Current competition information includes:
Merit
Honorable Mention
Global award thresholds are determined by competition performance and are not necessarily fixed percentages.
Regional Awards
For eligible participants not receiving a Global Award:
High Distinction — Top 10%
Distinction — Top 25%
Credit — Top 40%
Global and regional awards are treated separately.
Award criteria may be updated between competition cycles, so the current-year results criteria should be treated as final.
The Open Round is the first stage of the INO competition pathway.
Open Round → Global Award → Semifinal Round → Top 20 → Final Round
Students who receive a Global Award — Honorable Mention or Merit — in the Open Round are eligible to progress to the Semifinal Round.
From the Semifinal Round, the top 20 participants progress to the Final Round. The Final Round is scheduled for April 2027 (TBD) and moves beyond a conventional examination format: qualified students receive case studies in advance, prepare research proposals, present their analyses to neuroscience professors and experts together with INO Academic Committee members, and respond to questions from the judging panel.
Preparation for the Open Round should focus on developing both broad neuroscience knowledge and the ability to interpret scientific information quickly and accurately.
Students should:
review major brain structures and their functions;
understand basic neuron structure and neural communication;
review synapses and neurotransmitters;
develop familiarity with sensory and motor systems;
study introductory concepts relating to learning, memory and cognition;
review neuroscience relating to emotion, sleep and behaviour;
practise interpreting neurological and biological diagrams;
analyse graphs and scientific figures;
practise extracting conclusions from experimental data;
read accessible neuroscience research summaries;
identify hypotheses, methods, results and conclusions;
practise concise short-answer responses; and
complete official practice or mock questions where available.
Because the Open Round contains 35 multiple-choice questions and only 5 short-answer questions, students should develop good pace while still reading research-based material carefully.
Resources & Downloads
Access all available competition information, preparation materials, past papers and official documents.