The 20th KAO
1. The 1st Round (document based)
Registration Dates : Apr. 9(Thu)~ June 1(Mon), 2020 (by postmark date)
Host : Korean Astronomical Society
Sponsors : Ministry of Science and ICT,
Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science & Creativity,
Korea Lottery Commission,
Korean Astronomy and Space Science Institute
Categories & Participant Eligibility
[1] School Category
- Middle School : students enrolled in the 2nd and 3rd grade of middle schools in Korea,
and who were born before Dec. 31, 2006
- High School : students enrolled in the 1st or 2nd grade of senior high schools in Korea
- General High school : including the autonomous private high schools
- Science High school : including the high schools for the science-gifted
[2] Personal Background Category
Regular Application : students who are not eligible for the Special Application.
Special Application : students whose personal background belong to the groups that need
improvement in social integration such as
low-income or welfare families, rural area residents engaged in agriculture and
fishery, persons with disabilities, North Korean refugees and multi-ethnic families,
etc. who have an interest in and aptitude for astronomy.
(* supporting documents needed)
Gender bias improvement application :
The majority gender at the 1st round application can not take up more than 75% in the
1st selection list. However, the exception is allowed if the total number of the minority
gender does not exceed 25% of the 1st round selection list.
Documents to be submitted :
- Application (by online as well as postal submission. The latter should include the name
of the applicant`s school teacher)
- Official school record including the transcript of the previous year (by mail only)
- Permission to collect and use the personal information of the applicant
(by mail only with the signature of a legal guardian for those under the age of 14, whereas
by online for those aged 14 or over)
Procedure : Complete the online application form and then send school records as well as other required and supporting documents by mail
Results (announced online on June 18, 2020): 146 students (70 from middle schools, 36 from general high schools and 40 from science high schools) are selected in aggregate with no individual awards.
2. The 2nd Round (based on homework assignments and an online exam)
Date/Time (online exam)
: Oct. 24(Sat), 2020 / 13:30~16:00
Format : online (virtual) event
Applicant Eligibility for the second round :
The applicant
- was selected in the 1st round.
- has participated in the online video lectures given on the website of the Korea Astronomy Olympiad
- has completed at least one of homework assignments given over the period of Jul. 29 through Aug. 20, 2020.
Format of the online exam:
- Contestants should solve four multi-step questions for 90 minutes, scan their solution papers using a mobile phone camera and submit them by email. The exam questions file protected with a password was sent to contestants by email prior to the exam and the password was announced when the exam started.
- Contestants were proctored via a zoom session through a webcam of their computer as well as a second zoom session running on their mobile phone.
Results (announced on Nov. 6, 2020): 82 students (45 from middle schools, 12 from general high schools and 25 from science high schools) are selected without any awards given individually.
※ The students selected at the 2nd round will be trained via a Saturday observational class to be held in the Songam Space Center in Nov. 28 and Dec. 5, 2020 and homework assignments in November through December, 2020. Also online (zoom) classes will be given with dates to be announced later, as well as a winter training camp in January, 2021 where they have lectures, labs and night sky observing sessions, while staying together in a dorm for about 8 days.
