The rounds and format
WTO is a season, not a single test. Students progress through rounds of rising challenge, with practice available throughout the year.
From qualifier to world final
Three rounds, each with a clear purpose and a fair path to the next.
Round 1
Qualifier
40 multiple-choice questions · 30 minutes
Open to every registered student, all year
An online, automatically evaluated round open throughout the year - sit it any time, with a 30-day cooling window between re-attempts, and it feeds each student's skill rating.
Round 2
National
25 questions + 2 scenarios · 45 minutes
The top-rated students in each country
Held twice a year on a fixed date per country, online. Harder items and applied scenarios - higher stakes mean tougher questions and a larger move in the rating.
Round 3
World Final
Project and case-based · live and supervised
The top-ranked students globally
The annual World Championship: a supervised, judged final where consistency over the season meets peak performance on the day.
The cadence
The season's rhythm
The Qualifier is open all year and every attempt updates the skill rating; the National Round runs twice a year per country, and the Annual World Championship is the once-a-year flagship that crowns it.
Because the Qualifier is always open - with a short cooling window between re-attempts - there is always a next opportunity, never a single make-or-break day.
Built to be fair and reliable
A paid, ranked competition for children lives or dies on reliable, fair operations.
A round for every stage
The Qualifier is open all year; the National Round runs on a fixed date per country twice a year - so families everywhere have a fair, convenient path.
A fresh paper every time
Every attempt draws a randomized paper per student from a calibrated bank - papers stay fresh and integrity is protected.
Autosave and resume
Progress is saved automatically, with a clear re-sit policy if a failure is ever on our side.
Accessible by design
Accommodations for younger and differently-abled learners are built into the exam flow.
Integrity controls scale with the stakes of each round, and every result is contestable through a transparent appeals process. Read about trust and integrity
- 1M+
- learners worldwide
- 145+
- countries reached
- 2016
- trusted since
Frequently asked questions
What parents ask most about exam day and the season.
When do the rounds take place?
The Qualifier is open all year - sit it any time, with a 30-day cooling window before a re-attempt. The National Round runs twice a year on a fixed date and time per country, online. The World Final is the annual global event. So there is always a next opportunity rather than a single make-or-break day.
Does every student start with the Qualifier?
Yes. The Qualifier round is open to every registered student. The top-rated students in each country are invited to the National Round, and the highest-rated globally reach the World Final.
What happens if my child's connection drops mid-exam?
Progress is saved automatically and the exam can be resumed. If a technical failure on our side prevents completion, there is a clear re-sit policy and a credit or free transfer to the next attempt.
How do you keep the rounds fair and free of cheating?
Each student receives a randomized paper from a calibrated bank, and integrity controls scale with the stakes of each round - light-touch and friendly at the qualifier base, full live supervision at the championship. Every result is contestable through a transparent appeals process.
Can my child take part more than once?
Yes, and they should. WTO is a season, not a single test: the Qualifier can be re-sat after each cooling window and every attempt updates the persistent skill rating, so repeated participation is how a student builds a meaningful, comparable rank over time.