A school-run individual Challenge

How BMSAQ works

A clear path from school entry to individual results.

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An engraved brass astrolabe with circular scales and a pierced star map.
Planispheric astrolabe. The Metropolitan Museum of Art · CC0.

The four-stage journey

The school prepares and supervises the sitting. There is normally no central venue to visit.

  1. 01

    Register the school

    An authorised member of staff registers the school for free.

  2. 02

    Choose and order

    Choose the level, available format and number of pupil entries.

  3. 03

    Prepare and run

    Prepare the room, materials, access arrangements and supervision.

  4. 04

    Receive and recognise

    Receive each pupil's result through the school account.

Challenge formats at a glance

Challenge Questions Time Limit
Primary 50 30 Minutes
Junior 100 30 Minutes
Intermediate 100 30 Minutes
Senior 100 30 Minutes

Online participation

Pupils use a suitable device and school-issued credentials. A teacher supervises the online sitting. Results are released through protected accounts.

Paper participation

Schools print the supplied materials, supervise the sitting and return responses as instructed in the Challenge workspace.

Operational detail

Use the current rules and Challenge workspace for materials, access arrangements, incidents and returns.

Challenge process Teacher guide Rules

The individual sitting

A national Challenge, taken at school.

Pupils use school-issued access details online, or the school-printed materials for a supported paper sitting. A teacher supervises independent answers throughout.

BMSAQChallenge samplePast questions · untimed Take your time

Try 12 questions from past Challenges, starting with simpler examples. They come from different levels, so this is a sample rather than a full paper.

Question 1 of 120 of 12
AOur World & LifestyleBScience & NatureCHistory & PoliticsDCultureEGeneral Knowledge

Previously used: Junior Challenge · 2025/26

Accessible

Section B · Science & Nature

Which planet is the largest in the Solar System?

Choose an answer for this past Challenge question

Choose an answer

12 authentic past BMSAQ questions. Answer feedback is for this public sample; it is not part of a live sitting. This is not a full past paper or an official result.

For your school

Plan participation

For the organiser

Prepare the sitting

From start to finish

Follow the full process

Next step

Ready to explore BMSAQ?

Compare the Challenges, register a school or ask us a question.

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