Eligibility & Participation
NOAI is organised by AI Singapore and consists of the Preliminary Round and the Final Assessment. The Preliminary Round is proctored by participating MOE schools and helps schools identify talent internally. The IOAI Selection Test, training and team selection are run separately by NTU, and eligibility for these is determined by NTU.
Full-time students below the age of 20 enrolled in an MOE school (Secondary, Integrated Programme, Junior College, ITE or Polytechnic) are eligible, regardless of nationality. Home- schooled Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents are also eligible. NOAI is an individual competition, and there is no team component.
NOAI is funded by Singapore’s Ministry of Education and is primarily designed for students in the national education system. Students in private or international schools may write in to noai@aisingapore.org with their full name, school, year level and nationality. Requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and submitting an enquiry does not guarantee participation. Approved students compete for the same 150 Final Assessment seats as all other participants.
If you are not enrolled in an MOE school at the time of the Preliminary Round, please write in to noai@aisingapore.org with your full name, your most recent school and the Polytechnic you intend to join (if known). Each case will be reviewed, and we will get back to you.
Yes, in NOAI, subject to the eligibility criteria above. However, only Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents may represent Singapore at the IOAI. Students of other nationalities will not progress to represent Singapore at the IOAI. Eligibility for the NTU-led Selection Test and training is determined by NTU.
Students in MOE schools should approach their school’s appointed teacher representative. Direct enquiries to AI Singapore are accepted only from home-schooled students, students in transition between institutions, and students in private or international schools.
Approved students will sit for the Preliminary Round at AI Singapore NUS Office, at the same date and time as all other participants. Places are subject to venue capacity. Venue and reporting details will be sent by email.
The last date on which direct enquiries will be entertained is 27 November 2026 (end of Term 4). Schools may indicate their interest to participate from 1 August 2026 to 15 January 2027.
Assessment Format & Design
The format tests breadth of knowledge across five domains while maintaining integrity through time pressure. This is a competitive Olympiad, the rigor is intentional.
Yes. Students should attempt as many questions as they can. There is no penalty for incorrect answers. Overall ranking is based on the total number of correct answers, not completion.
Each correct answer is awarded 1 mark. No marks are deducted for incorrect answers. The total score is the sum of all correct answers out of 150.
It tests both. Internalised knowledge enables fast, accurate responses. This distinguishes deep understanding from surface knowledge within the various domains.
The NOAI is not intended to replicate the IOAI assessment format. It is designed to efficiently filter participants from the Preliminary Round down to the top 150 for further assessment in the NOAI Final Assessment, after which the top performers will undergo further training and selection by NTU’s training team.
This exam focuses on internalised knowledge. No calculators, notes, textbooks, AI tools, or websites are permitted. Only pen and paper for rough work is allowed.
Integrity & Fairness
The use of AI assistants is prohibited, and assessments are required to be conducted under on-site proctoring. Time constraints limit the feasibility of external assistance, and the Final Assessment serves as an additional filtering stage to validate performance.
No additional time will be provided. The NOAI is a competitive Olympiad designed to identify top performers for international representation. Students with special educational needs are welcome to participate and gain exposure to the competition and to AI, regardless of progression outcome.
The NOAI Prelims are conducted via Google Forms and do not require high internet speeds. However, schools must inform MOE IT to whitelist the Prelims Google Form URL in advance to prevent network congestion during the assessment. Schools are responsible for ensuring technical readiness ahead of the assessment.
Preparation & Accessibility
No prior AI experience is required for the Preliminary Round. However, NOAI is a competitive Olympiad, and students should be passionate and motivated to work through the available learning resources on their own. A curated list can be found on the Learning Resources page.
Students should review the IOAI syllabus and read extensively about each of the covered topics. As a starting point, a curated list of learning resources can be found on the NOAI page.
NOAI is designed to identify the highest-performing students in Singapore, regardless of school background within eligible institutions. The assessed curriculum is publicly available through free resources, and all students are expected to prepare independently by engaging with these materials.
Selection Process
There is no fixed cutoff score. Selection is based on ranking within the cohort, with the 150th-ranked score determined after marking. To prevent over-representation from any single school,school seat quotas will apply.
School seat quotas are determined by AI Singapore using multiple criteria to ensure broad representation and a national talent pipeline. The specific quotas and criteria are not publicly disclosed. Students approved through the direct-entry routes are considered within the 150-seat Final Assessment capacity.
Ties will be resolved using predefined criteria, which may include domain-specific performance and time taken. Where appropriate, all tied candidates may be advanced to the Final Assessment.
Results & Feedback
Students will receive their award tier (Gold, Silver, Bronze, or Participation for the top 150 finalists). Individual scores, mark breakdowns, or detailed performance reports are not provided.
No. All submissions (including code files, programming solutions, and MCQ responses) are retained by AI Singapore as part of our assessment records. Submitted materials are not returned to participants.
This policy maintains assessment integrity, protects grading confidentiality, and preserves question bank security for future programme cycles. It aligns with Singapore’s National Examination and Olympiad standards.
The Final Assessment employs rigorous quality control processes and multiple independent checks to ensure the accuracy of results. All submissions undergo systematic evaluation against pre-defined assessment criteria to maintain fairness and consistency.
Appeals Process
Yes. Appeals must be submitted through the school teacher-in-charge within 7 days of results announcement. Appeals are only accepted for specific technical issues verified from system records (e.g., submission not received, system malfunction, platform error). Students who are home-schooled, in transition between institutions, or in private or international schools may email their appeal directly to noai@aisingapore.org within the same 7-day window and on the same grounds.
Appeals are not accepted for:
– Score disputes or comparisons with peers
– General dissatisfaction with results
– Requests for detailed score breakdowns
– Requests for reassessment based on subjective concerns
No. Appeal outcomes will communicate only whether the result changed or remained the same. No additional diagnostic information, marks breakdown, or performance commentary is provided. The Appeal Committee’s decision is final. A change in results after an appeal is very rare.
General & Administrative
No. Participation in NOAI is free of charge for all students accepted to participate.
Selected students proceed to the NOAI Final Assessment. Following the Final Assessment, top performers advance to the NTU-led IOAI selection and training pathway, which includes:
– IOAI Pre-Selection Test
– Weekend Training Sessions
– Residential Bootcamp
Only Singapore Citizens and PRs may represent Singapore at the IOAI. Eligibility for the NTU-led Selection Test and training is determined by NTU.
Yes. The NOAI offers exposure to key AI concepts and a national competitive benchmark. Participation provides valuable learning and developmental insights regardless of cohort size.
No. Only students who advance to the Final Assessment receive certificates. The Preliminary Round assists schools with selection.
Students in MOE schools and their parents should request their school to communicate with the AI Singapore NOAI Team at noai@aisingapore.org. Schools should direct all queries through the official teacher representative. Students who are home-schooled, in transition between institutions, or in private or international schools may write to noai@aisingapore.org directly by 27 November 2026.
*Updated as of 14 Oct 2026
