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About IKSC
The International Kangaroo Science Contest (IKSC) is a multiple-choice science competition for students from Grade 1 to Grade 10. It is a single test with no rounds, and its questions use familiar situations from nature and everyday life to check whether students can apply scientific ideas, not just recall facts from a textbook.
IKSC is a good first science competition for primary and lower secondary students. Each level covers two school grades, and IKSC past papers give a clear picture of the kind of thinking the contest rewards.
Overview
According to its national partners, IKSC grew out of a 2006 meeting in Saint Petersburg, Russia, where scientists and science teachers looked for a better way to encourage young students with a research mindset. The first international contest took place in 2008, with participants from Brazil, the Czech Republic, Germany, France, Romania and Russia. Today national partners run IKSC in many countries, including Indonesia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.
IKSC uses the Kangaroo name and the same level names as the Kangaroo mathematics contest (IKMC), but it is a separate competition with its own organizers. IKMC is set by the Association Kangourou sans Frontières, and the Kangaroo language contest (IKLC) is also separate. In Vietnam, IKMC and IKSC are run by different organizations.
Levels and grades
IKSC has five levels, each for two grades. Unlike the Kangaroo math and language contests, there is no level for Grades 11 and 12.
| Level | Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Ecolier | Grade 1-2 | Called Level 1 in Indonesia |
| Ecolier | Grade 3-4 | Level 2 |
| Benjamin | Grade 5-6 | Level 3 |
| Cadet | Grade 7-8 | Level 4 |
| Junior | Grade 9-10 | Level 5; the highest IKSC level |
Rounds
IKSC has no rounds. Partners describe it as one test, with no selection, no preliminary and no final. Awards such as gold, silver and bronze medals and honourable mentions are given at national level.
Exam format and scoring
The test is multiple choice with five options per question. Partners describe questions drawn from everyday life, natural phenomena and basic scientific principles, with the focus on scientific reasoning, observation and applying ideas to real situations. Many questions come with a picture, a simple experiment or a short scenario, and careful reasoning often matters more than remembering an exact textbook term.
The length of the test and the scoring rules are set by each national partner. Two published examples:
| UAE partner | Vietnam partner | |
|---|---|---|
| Questions, Grades 1-4 | 24 | 24 |
| Questions, Grades 5-10 | 30 | 30 |
| Time | 120 minutes | 90 minutes |
| Correct answer | 3, 4 or 5 points, rising by section | +4 points |
| Wrong answer | Deduction | -1 point |
| Blank answer | 0 | 0 |
In Vietnam students also receive starting points so that totals cannot go below zero, and the paper is bilingual, English and Vietnamese; in Indonesia it is offered in English and Bahasa Indonesia. Always check the rules printed on the paper you are practising.
When is it held
IKSC is held once a year, but the date is set by each national partner, so it is not the same everywhere. The Qatar and UAE partners, for example, list a date in November. Registration goes through the IKSC partner in your country, usually via schools. Results normally come out about one month after the test.
How to prepare with past papers
- Think before you guess. With a deduction for wrong answers, a random guess among five options usually loses points. Guess only when you can rule out some options.
- Read pictures carefully. Many questions show a diagram, a set-up or a graph. Look at labels, units and arrows before reading the options.
- Connect science to daily life. Questions often ask why something happens at home, in the kitchen, in the garden or in the sky. Encourage children to ask "why" about what they see.
- Revise core ideas, not long lists. Basic ideas such as floating and sinking, light and shadow, simple circuits, states of matter and food chains are worth understanding well, because questions ask you to apply them to new situations.
- Manage time. With 90 to 120 minutes for 24 or 30 questions, time is usually not the main problem, so use spare minutes to re-read the trickiest questions.
- Review mistakes by topic. Grouping wrong answers by topic shows which area of science needs more work.
On Edupiad you can take IKSC past papers online with a timer, get automatic marking and review each question afterwards. Available years and levels grow over time, and not every question has a written explanation yet.
Frequently asked questions
What grade is IKSC for?
IKSC is for Grades 1 to 10, in five levels: Pre-Ecolier (1-2), Ecolier (3-4), Benjamin (5-6), Cadet (7-8) and Junior (9-10).
Is there an IKSC level for Grades 11 and 12?
No. Junior, for Grades 9 and 10, is the highest IKSC level.
Does IKSC deduct points for wrong answers?
In the rules published by partners, yes. In Vietnam a correct answer earns 4 points and a wrong answer loses 1 point; the UAE partner uses 3, 4 and 5-point sections with a deduction for wrong answers.
Does IKSC have a final round?
No. IKSC is a single test with no preliminary or final round. Awards are given in each country.
Is IKSC the same as the Kangaroo math contest?
No. IKSC shares the Kangaroo name and level names with IKMC, but it is a separate science contest with its own history and organizers.