Multiple-choice examination
20 questions- Completed individually
- Four options per question
- Mathematics: 90 minutes
- Other subjects: 60 minutes
OFFICIAL COMPETITION REGULATIONSAssessment
Assessment
& Scoring
The framework used to assess every GYSO participant and team—across online and in-person competition.
OFFICIAL DOCUMENT16
Articles covering competition format, grade-calibrated scoring, judging, awards, integrity and appeals.
Download full PDF ↓Individual knowledge.
Collaborative application.
Every team completes both rounds. Round 1 measures individual academic knowledge; Round 2 evaluates the team’s ability to solve, explain and defend a scientific challenge.
Scientific team challenge
100 points- 90-minute challenge period
- One official team solution
- Up to 7-minute presentation
- Up to 5 minutes of questions
ONE STANDARD
Online and in-person challenges must be equivalent in scientific objectives, difficulty, work volume, time, assessed skills, maximum score, judging criteria and opportunity to defend the solution.
ROUND 1
Grade-calibrated scoring
Each question has a difficulty weight and a target grade. Incorrect or unanswered questions receive zero points; there is no negative marking.
Difficulty weights
| Easy | 1 point |
| Medium | 2 points |
| Hard | 3 points |
Grade relevance coefficient
| At or below participant’s grade | 1.00 |
| One grade above | 0.50 |
| Two or more grades above | 0.25 |
INDIVIDUAL ROUND 1 SCORER1 = 100 × Rearned / Rmax
The official result is the higher of the standard and grade-calibrated scores, ensuring calibration can never reduce earned standard credit.
TWO-STUDENT TEAMR1team = (R1A + R1B) / 2
A one-student team uses that student’s individual Round 1 score. No bonus or deduction is applied for team size.
ROUND 2
The 100-point challenge rubric
The scientific solution is the principal assessed work. Communication and defence are evaluated through the live presentation and judge questions.
CriterionPointsAssessment focus
Accuracy and correctness of the solution35
Correct result, accurate calculations, functional output and absence of major scientific errors.
Scientific reasoning and method25
Logical method, depth of analysis and correct application of scientific or mathematical principles.
Practical applicability and task fulfilment15
Completion of required outputs, feasibility and compliance with the challenge instructions.
Clarity and structure of communication15
Clear, organised and traceable explanation of the method, evidence and result.
Scientific defence and justification10
Validation, assumptions, limitations and the ability to answer scientific questions.
Two judges. One safeguard.
When the first two scores differ by 10 points or less, their average is official. When the difference exceeds 10 points, a third judge scores the full evidence and the median of all three scores becomes official.
FORMULA REFERENCEFrom individual answers
From individual answers
to the final result.
These formulas show the complete scoring path. Intermediate values remain unrounded; only the final team score is rounded to two decimal places.
Earned and maximum weighted scores
Rearned,i = Σ(wj cg,j xi,j)Rmax,i = Σ(wj cg,j)w is question difficulty, c is grade relevance, and x equals 1 for a correct answer or 0 otherwise.
Calibration safeguard
R1cal = 100 × Rearned / RmaxR1i = max(R1standard, R1cal)The official score is always the higher result, so grade calibration can protect but never reduce standard credit.
Team composition
R1team = (R1A + R1B) / 2One student: R1team = R1iA two-student team uses the arithmetic mean. No bonus, multiplier or deduction applies because of team size.
Normal judging outcome
If |J1 − J2| ≤ 10R2team = (J1 + J2) / 2The mean of the two independent judge scores becomes the official Round 2 result.
Large-score difference
If |J1 − J2| > 10R2team = Median(J1, J2, J3)The median—not the mean—of all three scores becomes official after the complete evidence is reviewed.
Combined result
Fteam = 0.40R1team + 0.60R2teamRound 1 contributes 40 percent and Round 2 contributes 60 percent for every competition format and team size.
WORKED TEAM EXAMPLER1A = 80 · R1B = 70 · R2 = 85
R1team = (80 + 70) / 2 = 75
Fteam = (0.40 × 75) + (0.60 × 85) = 81.00
ROUNDING AT THE END79.994 → 79.99 · 79.995 → 80.00
79.99 receives Silver. 80.00 receives Gold. No intermediate score is rounded before the final calculation.
FINAL RESULTRound 1 contributes 40%.
Round 1 contributes 40%.
Round 2 contributes 60%.
FINAL SCOREF = 0.40R1 + 0.60R2
Intermediate values are not rounded. The final score is rounded once to two decimal places using standard half-up rounding.
Every qualifying score earns its award.
Awards are based solely on the rounded final score. There are no medal quotas, and equal scores do not reduce another team’s award.
01Gold Medal80.00–100.00
02Silver Medal70.00–79.99
03Bronze Medal40.00–69.99
04Certificate of Appreciation0.00–39.99
Fairness at every stage.
Participation formats
In-person and online teams use the same scoring system, final-score formula and award thresholds. They are not ranked separately.
Team composition
A team consists of one or two students. Team membership is fixed before Round 1. Team size does not change the time allowance, points or award thresholds.
Grade calibration
Round 1 uses target grades and relevance coefficients. A safeguard ensures grade calibration may protect a participant but never reduce standard credit for a correct answer.
Challenge assignment
Each subject and educational category uses a bank of ten equivalent Round 2 challenges. Assignment is made by a recorded random draw.
Anonymous judging
Submissions are assessed under a team code. Student, school, city and country details are concealed during document assessment.
Two-judge review
Two judges score independently. If their scores differ by more than 10 points, a third judge reviews the complete evidence and the median becomes official.
Academic misconduct
Unauthorised assistance, resources, communication, copying, fabricated evidence, impersonation, disclosure or post-deadline changes may lead to a warning, deduction, zero or disqualification.
Appeals
A score-review request must be submitted within three days of official result publication and must identify a specific permitted ground for review.
This page presents the regulations in a concise web format. The signed or published PDF remains the complete governing document.
Open full regulations ↗
