AIO Entry and Qualification: What Requires an Invitation?
AIO entry does not require an invitation to an olympiad training program. Ask the school or competition coordinator about current registration and supervision. A strong AIO performance may lead to further opportunities, but a course enrolment or award does not guarantee selection.
AIO entry and later invitations are different decisions
Entering AIO is different from being selected for an invitational program. Ask the school about the current AIO registration and supervision arrangements; use AMT’s invitation for later stages.
| Stage | Evidence to use | What a parent should do |
|---|---|---|
| First AIO entry | Current AMT division and registration rules; working coding skills. | Confirm the entry through the school or registered facilitator; practise a complete small program. |
| After an AIO result | Official result plus the student’s problem/subtask record. | Use the results guide to choose a skill to repair. |
| AIIO or another selected program | The organiser’s current invitation and eligibility communication. | Do not infer a place from a medal, a training purchase or an old camp timetable. |
AIO and AIIO are programming events; AIMO is mathematics. For preparation rather than eligibility, use our AIO training sequence.
Browse the complete AIO Algorithms curriculum →
Reviewed 3 October 2026. AMT AIO · AMT AIIO. Worked examples and suggested routines are Ace Achievers guidance; they are not official entry or placement rules.
Key facts at a glance
- AIO: a three-hour programming competition with six problems; the Intermediate division includes students up to Year 10 and Senior up to Year 12.
- AIIO: a separate invitational programming contest, used within AMT’s selection pathway.
- Entry and training: a preparation-course account does not create an official competition registration or an invitation.
Step 1: Confirm the next AIO entry
The 2026 AIO was held on 27 August. For the next sitting, ask the school to confirm the current AMT arrangements. Before choosing training, check whether the student can write and test a working program; use our AIO preparation guide to choose a starting task.
Before contacting the school: prepare a clear entry request
Keep competition registration, coding readiness and later selection as three separate questions. A parent can give the coordinator the student’s year level, the language they currently use, and the competition name written in full: Australian Informatics Olympiad, not AIMO or AIIO.
- Confirm the sitting: ask whether the school plans to host the next AIO and who will arrange registration and supervision. If it does not, ask AMT about an appropriate authorised route; do not assume a private course provider can register the child.
- Confirm the arrangements: ask for the current deadline, division, fee if applicable, permitted language and required equipment. Use the school’s confirmed instructions rather than reusing last year’s date or login.
- Confirm what happens afterwards: ask how the school will share results. Check any later invitation directly with the organiser. Paying for preparation is separate from receiving an official invitation.
While those details are being confirmed, the student can practise one independently written program and explain its test cases. That preparation is useful even when the next registration window has not been announced.
Step 2: Understand later invitations
AMT identifies promising students for further training and selection. Its AIIO page describes the contest as an invitational event for Australian and New Zealand students that helps identify candidates for the Informatics Selection School. Confirm any invitation, eligibility condition and timetable directly with AMT. A medal alone is not a published guarantee of a place.
Step 3: Build skills while waiting for official advice
Keep a record of attempted problems, the method used, failed test cases and what was corrected. If programming itself is still new, begin with foundational coding. If the child enjoys logic but has not learnt to code, compare AIO and CAT before selecting a program.
Reviewed 3 October 2026: AMT AIO, AIIO and Olympiad programs. Future invitation numbers, school dates and selection criteria require current organiser confirmation.
Frequently asked questions
How do I qualify for the Australian Informatics Olympiad?
AIO entry is separate from invitation to a later training or selection program. Check current registration and supervision arrangements with the school or AMT. A course account is not official competition entry.
Is the AIO invitation-only?
AIO and AIIO are different events. The AIO has school-organised entry; the AIIO is invitational. Confirm current eligibility and entry arrangements with AMT.
What is the School of Excellence?
It is an AMT training opportunity for selected students. Check the organiser’s current invitation, eligibility and timetable rather than assuming a particular AIO award guarantees a place.
What are the AIIO and FARIO?
They are separate invitational informatics competitions within AMT’s olympiad pathway. Use the current organiser information for eligibility and selection arrangements.
How is the Australian IOI team chosen?
AMT runs an informatics training and selection pathway. Its AIIO page identifies the Informatics Selection School as a step toward representing Australia. Confirm current selection criteria with AMT; an AIO award or preparation course does not guarantee team selection.
Where to go next
The three courses below run from no Python at all through to past-paper mastery.
- Complete beginners to programming
- Want real competition Python, not toy snippets
- Can already code, stuck on Q2–Q3
- Needs the standard techniques
- Targeting the top of the AIO
- Wants every past-paper pattern drilled
Received an AIO result? Plan the next step.
AIO 2026 results and awards: Gold, Silver, Bronze, Credit and what to practise next →
Check the official result first, then choose a curriculum by the coding and problem-solving skills your child needs.
What is the difference between AIO, AIMO and AIIO?
AIO is the Australian Informatics Olympiad, a programming competition. AIMO is the Australian Intermediate Mathematics Olympiad, focused on mathematics. AIIO is the Australian Invitational Informatics Olympiad, a later invitational programming event. These names do not describe interchangeable competitions or automatic steps earned by taking our courses. Use the official event information to distinguish open entry from selection.
Official event reference: organiser information. Study routines are Ace Achievers suggestions; confirm current entry and selection rules with the organiser.
Can a Year 7 student enter the AIO, and how does the school register them?
Year 7 falls within the AIO Intermediate division, which covers students up to Year 10. Readiness still requires working coding skills. Ask the school’s competition coordinator to confirm registration and supervision under the current AMT arrangements; home-educated families should check AMT’s registration guidance. Registering with Ace Achievers gives access to training, not an official competition entry.
Official event reference: organiser information. Study routines are Ace Achievers suggestions; confirm current entry and selection rules with the organiser.