PhysicsBowl

American High School Physics Contest

★ The most well-known high school physics contest in the U.S.
★ Hosted by the AAPT - the World's leading science community
★ Over 500 schools from 11 countries compete and rank together
★ Significantly enhance top university application.

Introduction

American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) was created in 1930 with the aim of improving physics education. The association has 8,000 registered physics teachers; half of these are professors from famous universities, whilst a third are experienced high school teachers. The association provides the latest physics methodologies and rich educational resources through meetings, forums, magazines, contests and so on.

 

PhysicsBowl is the most well-known high school physics contest in the US, hosted annually by the AAPT – the World’s leading science community. Experienced registered physics teachers and professors get together to write the competition problems and judge results. Over 500 schools from 11 countries compete and rank together. Outstanding students are invited to advanced science programs.

 

In 2024, for the first time, the Physics Bowl competition is authorized to be organized in Vietnam by GENIUSSTAR company (Singapore).

 

Rules and Regulation

  • Date: March 19, 2025
  • Location: Online
  • Student Eligibility: High school students
  • Type: Individual test
  • Format: 40 multiple choice questions, 40 points in total. The test is composed of 50 questions; however, students answer only 40 questions.
  • There are 2 divisions. Participants do not need to choose the division before the exam.                                                                                        
  • Division 1 students will answer only questions 1-40, do not answer questions 41-50. (Division 1 is suitable for Grade 10 students (IB Grade10, A-Level G2 students and excellent G1 students)                                                                                                                                              
  • Division 2 students will answer only questions 11- 50, do not answer questions 1-10.  (Division 2 is more difficult (is suitable for IB Grade 11-12, A-Level

Awards

Individual awards

  • Asia top10
  • Asia Gold: Asia top 10%
  • Asia Silver: Asia top 25%
  • Asia Bronze: Asia top 35%
  • Honorable Award: Asia top 55%

 

Team awards

  • The sum of the top 5 individual scores from a school in Asia is counted for the team score.
  • Asia top 10 (Division1, Division2)
  • Division 1 and Division 2 are ranked separately

Q&A

  • What kind of questions appear on this exam?
  • The questions on the PhysicsBowl are taken from high school physics. This is a broad answer as high school students take everything from conceptual physics to AP Physics B/C and even modern physics. As this is a contest, it is NOT expected that any one person/school will cover all of the topics on the test.
  • When does the contest take place?
  • Traditionally, the PhysicsBowl takes place during the month of March. In order to have results at a time when schools are still in session, the date has been moving toward the start of the month. Also, because schools often have a Spring Break in the months of March and April, the contest has a range of dates during which it can be taken. There is a cut-off date for answer sheets to be received for scoring however… typically the last day the contest can be administered.
  • Who can take this exam?
  • Any high school student can take the contest, but anyone in K-12 could potentially take the contest.
  • What is the “team” competition?
  • The team competition is done by school. The top 5 scores from a school in a particular region/division are added together to give the team score. All schools within the region/division are compared and the top 2 team scores are recognized. A school can compete with fewer than 5 students comprising the team (although this will decrease the probability of winning) and a school can compete with a team in both Division 01 and Division 02.
  • What are the awards associated with the contest?
  • The awards change from year-to-year, but there are awards given each year to the top 2 students in each region/division and also to each of the top 2 schools in each region/division.
  • For which region do my students register? See regions listed below. PLEASE NOTE: Test Prep Centers and Educational Services will compete in their own region, and will be eligible for student awards only.
  • 00    Test Prep Centers and Educational Services
    01    Specialized Schools of Science, Mathematics, and Technology (NCSSS members, e.g.)
    02    Canadian Provinces and Territories
    03    Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
    04    New Jersey  
    05    New York, Maryland
    06    Ohio, Pennsylvania
    07    Delaware, District of Columbia, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Virginia, West Virginia
    08    Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin
    09    Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Trinidad and Tobago, Virgin Islands
    10    Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee
    11    Texas
    12    California with zip codes <= 92500
    13    California with zip codes >  92500
    14    Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and all other Countries except China, Asia, and the Middle East
    15    North China: Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Inner-Mongolia, Shanxi, Shandong, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning
    16    South China: Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Hainan, Hong Kong, Macau
    17    East China: Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu
    18    Central China: Hunan, Hubei, Anhui, Jiangxi, Henan  
    19    West China: Chongqing, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Shanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Tibet, Xinjiang, Ningxia
    20    Asia (non-China)
    21    Middle East

Registration Deadline: March, 9 2025

Register here

Contact us

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  • Telephone: +65 9695 5152
  • Email: register@geniusstar.com.sg
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