Questions and answers.

Students aged 14 to 18 on the closing date of the round they enter, at school anywhere in the world or homeschooled. There is no restriction by country, curriculum or type of school.

Nothing. Entry is free and there are no fees at any stage.

No. You can enter without one. If you'd like to save a draft and come back to it on another device, or follow your entry and results in one place, you can create a free Succeed account. It is optional.

No. Each student may submit one entry, in one track.

No. Entries are individual.

Yes. Tick “I'm homeschooled / I don't currently attend a school” in the entry form. You won't need to give a school contact.

If you are under 18, a parent or legal guardian needs to confirm that you can take part. We email them a link once you submit. Your entry is judged after they confirm. What we tell parents.

To confirm that you are a current student, and so your school can be told if you receive recognition (a Distinction or above). If you aren't recognised, your school isn't told. They aren't asked to check or approve your entry.

There are two rounds. Round 1 closes on 28 February 2027 and Round 2 on 15 June 2027, both at 23:59 UTC. We can't accept late entries. Check what that is in your own time zone.

Yes. Round 2 opens as soon as Round 1 closes, and both rounds are judged in the same way. You can enter once in each round, so up to twice in the 2027 competition. A Round 2 entry must be a new piece of work, not a revised version of your Round 1 entry. Entries submitted after 28 February 2027 go into Round 2.

Up to 1,000 words, not counting references. There is no minimum, but most strong entries use most of the limit.

In the entry form on this site. You can write there directly or paste from a document. Your draft is kept on your device as you type.

No. Entries are text only, with links where you need them. If a chart matters to your argument, describe what it shows and link to the source.

English.

Any consistent style that lets a reader find your sources.

No. The first round is anonymous, so don't put your name or school in the title or the text.

For limited tasks, yes, and you must declare it. You may not use AI to write, rewrite or structure your entry. Read the AI-use policy.

They can talk ideas through with you and give general feedback, as for any independent project. They should not edit or rewrite your entry. The argument and the words must be yours.

No. Once you submit, your entry is final. Check it carefully on the review step.

You may build on work you did for school, provided the entry answers one of the competition questions and the final text is your own. It must not have been published or have won another competition.

Trained first-round assessors, then specialist judges in each track, then a final panel led by the Chair of Judges. Judges will be named on this site before entries close. How judging works.

Round 1 results are announced on 5 May 2027 and Round 2 results on 20 August 2027. The Grand Prize and Students' Choice are announced on 20 August 2027. Every entrant is emailed their result.

No. We don't give written feedback on entries. Every entrant is told their result, and the judging page sets out exactly what judges look for.

After expert judging, the 20 finalist entries are published and verified students can vote for one. Voting needs a free Succeed student account. It is a separate award and has no effect on the expert awards.

We don't make claims about admissions. What we can tell you is exactly what each award means: how many eligible entries it was chosen from, by whom, and against which criteria. You can describe it accurately.

No. Students enter individually. You can register interest to receive dates and reminders, and download the school pack.

Yes. Many schools use it as an extension or enrichment project. See ideas for using it with a class. Each student must still enter individually.

Only if you receive recognition (a Distinction or above). Then the school contact you named is emailed. If you aren't recognised, your school isn't told.

We use it to run the competition: to check eligibility, judge your entry, tell you your result and, if you receive recognition, tell your school. The privacy notice has the detail.

Only if you become a finalist and you (and, if you're under 18, a parent or guardian) agree.

Only if you choose to. Hearing about other opportunities from Succeed is a separate, optional choice, and you can unsubscribe at any time.