SciAstra Foundation, in collaboration with the IISc Bangalore Biology Club (Naturalist), will conduct the IISc Young Scientist Challenge on August 23 and 30, 2026, in proctored mode. It is a competitive exam for recognising students with exceptional knowledge in science.
The top performers in the IISc Young Scientist Challenge 2026 will receive Gold/Silver/Bronze medals, a certificate of excellence, and SciAstra mentorship for preparation for science entrance exams. Students in Classes 9 to 12 can register for it. Class 11 and Class 12 students participating in the challenge must be from the science stream.
Thousands of students have registered for the challenge. The last date for registration is August 21, 2026. Students who have registered for the IISc Young Scientist Challenge 2026, or who register by the deadline, must prepare for it using the prescribed syllabus. The details about the IISc Young Scientist Challenge 2026 syllabus are available here. Refer to the category-wise syllabus.
IISc Young Scientist Challenge 2026 Syllabus
Students will be participating in six categories for the IISc Young Scientist Challenge 2026. The syllabus for each category is based on the NCERT science syllabus for their respective class. Check out the IISc Young Scientist Challenge 2026 syllabus for each category below.
IISc Young Scientist Challenge 2026 Syllabus | |
|---|---|
Category | Syllabus |
Class 9 | Complete Class 8 NCERT |
Class 10 | Complete Class 9 NCERT |
Class 11 (PCM) | Complete Class 10 NCERT (Physics, Chemistry & Mathematics) |
Class 11 (PCB) | Complete Class 10 NCERT (Physics, Chemistry & Biology) |
Class 12 (PCM) | Complete Class 11 NCERT (Physics, Chemistry & Mathematics) |
Class 12 (PCB) | Complete Class 11 NCERT (Physics, Chemistry & Biology) |
IISc Young Scientist Challenge 2026: Key Details
Students who want to know more about the IISc Young Scientist Challenge must check the key details related to it mentioned below:
Registration Deadline: August 21, 2026
IISc Young Scientist Challenge 2026 exam dates: August 23, 2026 and August 30, 2027
Exam Mode: Home-based proctored exam
Types of Questions: Single Correct (SCQ) + Multiple Correct (MCQ) + Numerical Type
Marking scheme: No negative
Registration Fee: INR 150
IISc Young Scientist Challenge 2026 (Direct Registration Link): Click Here
IISc Young Scientist Challenge 2026 Prizes
The top performers in each category will recieve the following prizes:
Rank Band | Prize | Details |
Top 3 per category | Gold / Silver / Bronze Medal | Medal + Certificate of Excellence + Mentorship Level 1 |
Rank 4–100 per category | Mentorship — Level 1 | Certificate of Excellence + Priority access to SciAstra's mentor network (IISc, IIT, IISER researchers & faculty) |
Rank 101–300 per category | Mentorship — Level 2 | Certificate of Excellence + Curated science career guidance resources |
Top 10% per category | Merit Certificate | Issued jointly by SciAstra Foundation × IISc Biology Club |
All Participants | Certificate of Participation | Issued jointly by SciAstra Foundation × IISc Biology Club |
Note: All 18 medal winners will be felicitated at the IISc Campus, Bengaluru (tentatively the second week of September 2026), including a guided tour of the campus.
