Frequently asked questions

Any student in Nepal who is currently enrolled in primary or secondary level education, or who will complete it before the national selection exam and is not enrolled in university, can apply for AION.

The International AI Olympiad sets an age ceiling for competitors. Your date of birth is collected during profile completion and eligibility is confirmed automatically before your registration is approved. The exact cutoff for the current cycle is published with the registration announcement.

Yes. Registration, preparation material, and the National Round (Round 1) are all online—all you need is a device with a working camera and a stable internet connection.

If you advance, the Provincial Round is held in person, with at least one exam center in a major city of each province, so you won't need to travel to Kathmandu for that stage. Students who go further will need to travel for the in-person training session and the Final Round, which is held in Kathmandu.

No. Registration is completely free, and so is the National Round (Round 1). There is a fee to enter the Provincial Round (Round 2), the only paid stage in the entire process—with the exact amount to be announced. The final round and training session have no additional fee.

Your answers are saved automatically as you work, and the exam timer runs on the server. If you disconnect, reconnect and continue from where you left off — no progress is lost.

Students progress through a multi-stage process: a national round, a provincial round, an in-person training session, and a final round held in Kathmandu. Team Nepal is selected based on performance in the Final Round, on merit. Advancement through each earlier stage is also merit-based.

No certificate is issued for participating in the National Round (Round 1). Students who advance to the Provincial Round receive a certificate, and students who qualify for the Final Round also receive a certificate.