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Guidelines and Rules

The Psychology Olympiad has two rounds: Regional and International. Finalists from each region will advance to the international round.

Regional Round:

Regions include:

  1. East Asia, Southeast Asia, Oceania

  2. Europe, Russia, Central Asia

  3. Africa and the Middle East

  4. North America

  5. Central and South America

  • Participants select 1 of 3 essay prompts
     

  • Essays cannot exceed 1000 words
     

  • PDF format only
     

  • Include an APA-style bibliography of all sources

Essays will be judged on:

​

Depth of Psychological Understanding

Identify the core of the psychological issue and go beyond the obvious. Extract from your sources and back all the claims you make with evidence.
 

Clarity of Expression

Present your ideas with academic rigor and emotional precision. Be concise in your language and make sure to answer the question

 

Structure and Purpose

Every paragraph should build your argument with intention and focus. Choose your position and defend it, smooth transitions and coherence is crucial for a good essay.
 

Originality and Critical Thinking

While you are expected to base claims on sources, a strong essay will be original in its voice and written with creative underpinnings.

International Round:

Top finalists will be invited to the International Psychology Olympiad with a new prompt. You will have 7 days to submit your new response.

  • Word Limit: 1500 words
     

  • Same criteria as above
     

  • Evaluated by our most senior judges

DO NOT CHEAT

At the Psychology Olympiad we have a ZERO tolerance policy towards plagiarism. No submission with any amount of plagiarism or cheating will be accepted. 

 

Each participant is responsible for creating their own individual work for the competition. Each submission will be submitted through plagiarism software and any works deemed plagiarized will automatically be disqualified. 

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