CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES
INO 2026 Semifinal Round
Format
Registration Deadline (NZ Time)
Eligible Years
Remote online
1 January 2027 at 11:00:00 pm
NZ Years 10-13
Competition Date (NZ Time)
15:00-17:00, Mon 18 Jan 2027
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) Semifinal Round
The International Neuroscience Olympiad (INO) Semifinal Round is the second, qualification-only stage of the competition and is open to students who receive a Global Award in the Open Round.
The Semifinal consists of 20 questions — 10 multiple-choice questions and 10 short-answer questions — completed online in 120 minutes. Compared with the Open Round, it places substantially greater emphasis on written scientific reasoning, requiring students to explain and apply neuroscience concepts rather than simply identify the correct answer.
The Semifinal therefore represents an important transition from broad neuroscience problem solving towards the research-oriented thinking required at the Final Round. The top 20 Semifinal participants progress to the INO Final Round.
The Semifinal gives qualifying students an opportunity to:
engage with neuroscience at a more advanced level;
demonstrate scientific reasoning through written responses;
analyse research-based scenarios in greater depth;
interpret experimental evidence and neurological data;
strengthen scientific communication;
learn to justify conclusions rather than simply identify them;
test readiness for research-oriented academic work;
receive advanced INO recognition; and
compete for a place among the top 20 students progressing to the Final Round.
Compared with the Open Round, the Semifinal places substantially greater weight on how students explain their reasoning.
The Semifinal is suitable for New Zealand Years 10–13 students who have qualified through the INO Open Round and who:
demonstrate strong neuroscience understanding;
enjoy analysing scientific research;
can explain biological mechanisms clearly;
are confident interpreting experimental evidence;
enjoy complex, unfamiliar scientific questions;
can construct concise but well-supported written answers;
are interested in neuroscience research;
are considering Medicine, Neuroscience, Biomedical Science, Psychology or related fields; or
want to progress towards the research-focused INO Final Round.
The Semifinal is not an open-entry competition.
Semifinal preparation should move beyond broad revision and place much greater emphasis on scientific explanation and research interpretation.
Students should:
revisit all major Open Round neuroscience topics;
deepen understanding of neuroanatomy;
strengthen knowledge of neurons, synapses and neurotransmitters;
connect neurological mechanisms with behaviour and cognition;
practise explaining processes rather than merely naming them;
work with complex scientific graphs and figures;
interpret experiments involving several variables;
compare competing explanations;
identify limitations in experimental design;
practise deriving conclusions directly from evidence;
read neuroscience research summaries and selected scientific papers;
practise writing concise scientific responses;
support claims with information from the question;
distinguish observation, interpretation and conclusion;
complete timed sets of written neuroscience problems; and
review Open Round weaknesses before beginning advanced preparation.
Because 10 of the 20 Semifinal questions are short-answer questions, written scientific communication becomes a major competitive skill.
A strong response should not simply state what happens. Students should increasingly be able to explain:
what happens, why it happens, and what evidence supports that conclusion.
The Semifinal Round is an individual online competition.
Competition Format
20 questions
120 minutes
10 multiple-choice questions
10 short-answer questions
New Zealand Sitting
Date: TBC
Time: 19:00–21:00 New Zealand Time
Registration Deadline: Friday, 1 January 2027
Compared with the Open Round, the Semifinal contains significantly fewer questions but provides considerably more time per problem.
This reflects the increased emphasis on:
interpretation;
explanation;
written reasoning;
integration of neuroscience concepts; and
research-style thinking.
The top 20 participants progress to the INO Final Round.
The Semifinal has its own award structure, separate from the Open Round.
Global Recognition
Current competition information includes:
Achievement of Excellence
The final threshold is determined by competition performance.
Regional Recognition
For eligible participants not receiving the Global Award:
High Distinction — Top 10%
Distinction — Top 20%
Credit — Top 35%
The precise award thresholds and classifications should always be confirmed against the current competition cycle.
The Semifinal Round is the second stage of the INO competition pathway.
The top 20 participants from the Semifinal Round progress to the INO Final Round, scheduled for April 2027 (TBD).
Qualified finalists receive case studies in advance and prepare research proposals. During the Final Round, participants present their analyses to approximately eight neuroscience professors and experts together with members of the INO Academic Committee, followed by questions from the judging panel.
The Final Round therefore moves beyond conventional competition questions and assesses research thinking, scientific analysis, communication and the ability to defend a proposed approach.
Semifinal preparation should move beyond broad revision and place much greater emphasis on scientific explanation and research interpretation.
Students should:
revisit all major Open Round neuroscience topics;
deepen understanding of neuroanatomy;
strengthen knowledge of neurons, synapses and neurotransmitters;
connect neurological mechanisms with behaviour and cognition;
practise explaining processes rather than merely naming them;
work with complex scientific graphs and figures;
interpret experiments involving several variables;
compare competing explanations;
identify limitations in experimental design;
practise deriving conclusions directly from evidence;
read neuroscience research summaries and selected scientific papers;
practise writing concise scientific responses;
support claims with information from the question;
distinguish observation, interpretation and conclusion;
complete timed sets of written neuroscience problems; and
review Open Round weaknesses before beginning advanced preparation.
Because 10 of the 20 Semifinal questions are short-answer questions, written scientific communication becomes a major competitive skill.
A strong response should not simply state what happens. Students should increasingly be able to explain:
what happens, why it happens, and what evidence supports that conclusion.
Resources & Downloads
Access all available competition information, preparation materials, past papers and official documents.