If you conduct the test in class, allow time for registration or ask your students to do it in advance.

Your students can participate without you having to register on OlyPortal yourself, but you are welcome to register as a teacher and create a class (see instructions) if you are interested in the following features:

• Exam preview
• Checking your class's participation
• Automatic notification of results
• Viewing your students' total scores after the end of the test period
• Tracking the progress of qualified students

Help us identify talents

After the preliminary round, the Philosophy Olympiad is an essay competition. Do you have a student who you are convinced has a talent for philosophical essay writing that may not be accounted for by the test? Contact philosophy(at)olympiad.ch before October 5 to place a recommendation. Students recommended by teachers who do not qualify directly for the first essay round by passing the preliminary round test will receive an invitation by “wildcard” if possible.

You may participate in the Philosophy Olympiad if you:

• attend a secondary school in Switzerland or the Principality of Liechtenstein (e.g. grammar school, vocational school, secondary school, international high school) or
• attend a school abroad while having Swiss or Liechtenstein citizenship or residency.

and

• are not inscribed in a university yet (with the exception of Schülerstudium).

Anyone who meets the criteria but has reached the age of 20 on the reference date may participate in the national selection but is not eligible for participation in the International Philosophy Olympiad.

Participation is free of charge.

Please accept the terms and conditions of participation and the data protection policy if you wish to participate.

The online test of the preliminary round consists of three parts:

1. Essay critique: From the next round onwards, the Philosophy Olympiad is an essay competition. In this part, you will assess short excerpts regarding the Philosophy Olympiad criteria: 1. Relevance: Does the content of the excerpt relate to the given topic? 2. Philosophical understanding: Is the topic approached with philosophical depth? 3. Quality of argumentation: Is there a thesis which is well argued for? 4. Coherence: Is an understandable structure being followed? Are terms used consistently? Is the argumentation free of contradictions? 5.Originality: Does the text express the author's own thoughts and use proper examples? Learn more.
2. Reading comprehension: In this part, you read short excerpts from philosophical texts and have to answer questions about their content.
3. Logic: In this part, you have to determine which conclusions logically follow from given statements.

• The competition is currently available in German, French and English.
• In passato, la versione italiana del test non è stata quasi mai utilizzata. Le nostre risorse sono limitate e le traduzioni sono costose.  Contattate philosophy(at)olympiad.ch il prima possibile, ma non oltre il 1° settembre, se desiderate partecipare in italiano. Vedremo quante richieste ci sono e troveremo una soluzione insieme.

Please notify us of any special requirements early on by emailing philosophy(at)olympiad.ch and we will work with you to find a solution. For example, additional exam time can be granted.