An emerging international student competition in the fields of finance and economics, designed to nurture and develop the next generation of financial talent.
Schools/institutions and students interested in participating can now submit their registration.
For first-time schools: After you submit the school registration form, we will manually verify your registration and come back to you within 3-5 business days with dedicated school/advisor accounts and exclusive student registration links for your school to enter students.
For returning schools: We will automatically create the registration for you. You just need to log into the system and fetch the registration link.
Students must be enrolled in high school/secondary/pre-collegiate education at the time of competition and must be graduating in the next year or after. Fresh graduates, gap year students or college students are not eligible to participate.
The International Finance Olympiad (IFO) is an emerging student competition in the fields of finance and economics, targeting secondary school students worldwide.
Our mission is to nurture and develop the next generation of financial talent by providing a comprehensive platform that emphasizes:
A reference guide to help you understand the differences between these related fields
In summary: Finance is a specialized, technical field within the broader domain of business. It's deep and vertical. Business Administration is a generalist, integrative field that includes finance as one of its core pillars. It's broad and horizontal.
In a nutshell: Economics provides the "why"—the foundational theory and systemic understanding. Finance provides the "how"—the practical tools for decision-making within that system.
Currently enrolled in high school or secondary education
Must be graduating next year or after
Requires school advisor registration and approval
Schools/institutions and students interested in participating can now submit their registration.
For first-time schools: After you submit the school registration form, we will manually verify your registration and come back to you within 3-5 business days with dedicated school/advisor accounts and exclusive student registration links for your school to enter students.
For returning schools: We will automatically create the registration for you. You just need to log into the system and fetch the registration link.
Students must be enrolled in high school/secondary/pre-collegiate education at the time of competition and must be graduating in the next year or after. Fresh graduates, gap year students or college students are not eligible to participate.
The exam dates and timing refer to the local time of each continent.
Important: The continents referenced here refer to where your school is located, not your physical location. For instance, if your school is in the U.S., you'll take the exam according to North American time zones.
Stay informed about the latest IFO 2025 announcements and updates
Explore summaries and highlights from previous International Finance Olympiad competitions
Summary and highlights from the 2025 International Finance Olympiad competition.
View SummaryLearn how to effectively showcase your International Finance Olympiad participation and achievements
Participating in the International Finance Olympiad demonstrates your commitment to academic excellence and your passion for finance and economics. Here's how to effectively highlight this experience in your college applications:
Add your IFO participation and achievement under "Awards & Honors" or a dedicated "Competitions" section. Be specific about your level of achievement (e.g., Finalist, Award Winner, Top Performer).
Emphasize any initiative, project management, or team role that demonstrates leadership. If you helped organize school participation, mentored other students, or took on responsibilities during the competition, make sure to mention it.
Explicitly link the knowledge and methods used in the competition to college subjects such as Finance, Economics, Business Administration, Accounting, Financial Analysis, Investment Management, and Quantitative Methods.
In your essays or descriptions, detail how this experience sparked your intellectual curiosity, shaped your academic interests, and motivated you to pursue further study in finance, economics, or related fields.
Articulate the transferable skills gained, such as research, data analysis, problem-solving within real-world financial constraints, quantitative reasoning, case analysis, and professional communication.
When describing your IFO experience, focus on specific examples and outcomes. Instead of just saying "I participated," explain what you learned, how you applied financial concepts, and how the experience influenced your academic and career goals.
Know more about IFO
The Grand Test will be primarily based on the IFO Official Syllabus and Guide, which will be made available after the 2025 registration opens.
The competition will be held entirely online. The exam will be conducted through a dedicated online examination system, and the presentation will be submitted in the form of a video. All you need is a computer device with access to the internet.
NO, advisor is required. An advisor doesn't need to be heavily involved in the registration process; they just need to verify your academic level and identity if we contact them. You can reach out to a former teacher or an external mentor who is familiar with your academic background.
No, only students who are currently enrolled in high school (and have not yet graduated) are eligible to participate.
The exam time is automatically assigned based on the country/region you select during registration. If you'll be in Singapore during the exam, it's advisable to register with Singapore to avoid taking the exam in the middle of the night. However, advancement is also determined by country/region. If you register as a Singaporean student, you'll be competing with other Singaporean students for advancement opportunities.
In the final round, each student must use their own individual account to participate. Team scores are calculated based on the average of all members' results—you cannot use a single shared account for the competition.
We've accounted for situations like this and offer some flexibility. You can log into the EAE system to request a customized exam time.
The continents referenced here refer to where your school is located, not your physical location. For instance, if your school is in the U.S., you'll take the exam according to North American time zones.
If you want to register for the International Finance Olympiad, please go to the Registration section above and click the registration button to use the official registration form directly. Do not use the contact form below for registration purposes.
info@finance-olympiad.com
www.finance-olympiad.com
Monday - Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (SGT)