Round 1
MCQ test
- Where
- Lecture Theatre
- What
- 40–50 MCQs on study design, biostatistics, bias and evidence-based medicine
- Time
- About 40 minutes
- Answers
- One OMR answer sheet per team. No minus marking
- Next
- The top 10 teams go to Round 2
AIMSCon 2026 presents
Research Olympiad
A team competition on research skills. Test your knowledge, pitch a study idea, and compete for Rs 30,000 in prizes. All rounds take place at AIMSCon on 31 October 2026.
- Who
- Any health student
- Plus house officers and graduates
- Team
- 2 members
- Can be from different colleges
- Fee
- Rs 1,000
- Per team, plus AIMSCon registration for each member
- Prizes
- Rs 30,000
- Rs 15,000 · 10,000 · 5,000
Eligibility
Who can take part
- Students of any health subject: MBBS, BDS, nursing, pharmacy, DPT or allied health.
- House officers and graduates.
- Anyone from any college in Pakistan, in any year of study.
- Each team has exactly two members. Members can be from different colleges.
- Question writers, organising committee members and anyone who has seen the papers cannot compete.
Registration
How to register
Places are limited and first come, first served. Registration closes early if all places are taken.
- 01
Both members register for AIMSCon
Each of you signs up and submits your AIMSCon 2026 registration.
- 02
One member fills in the team form
Enter your team name and your teammate's AIMSCon account email.
- 03
Pay Rs 1,000 for the team
Upload the payment proof. Your team is confirmed once both conference registrations and the team fee are verified.
Refunds: the team fee cannot be refunded unless the olympiad is cancelled. The AIMSCon fee follows the conference refund policy.
Format
The three rounds
All rounds take place on 31 October, during the conference.
All teams
Round 2
Research pitch
- Where
- Lecture Theatre
- Topic
- Each team draws a different research topic on the spot
- Prepare
- 15 minutes to prepare on paper
- Pitch
- 2 minutes to present your study idea, then 1 minute of questions from the judges. No slides, but you can use the whiteboard
- Cover
- Your research question, the study design, what you would measure, and why it matters
- Next
- The top 4–5 teams go to the final
| How the judges score your pitch | Marks |
|---|---|
| Clear research question | 5 |
| Right study design for the question | 5 |
| Can be done by students in Pakistan | 5 |
| Why the study matters | 5 |
| Delivery and answers to questions | 5 |
| Total | 25 |
Final
Live final
- Where
- Main auditorium, in front of the conference audience
- What
- A quick-answer round, a buzzer round, and a "find the mistake" round on a study shown on screen
- Time
- 30–40 minutes, just before the closing ceremony
- Scores
- Every finalist starts at zero. Minus marks for wrong answers in the buzzer round only
Syllabus
What to prepare
- Types of studies and levels of evidence
- Risk ratio, odds ratio, hazard ratio, NNT
- Sensitivity, specificity and predictive values
- Bias and confounding
- P-values and confidence intervals
- Sample size and power (basic idea only)
- Reporting guidelines: CONSORT, STROBE, PRISMA (basics)
- Reading abstracts and results tables
Practice
Sample questions
Try 10 questions that go from easy to hard, like the real Round 1 paper of 40–50 questions. Answer each one, then check the explanation.
Round 2 · Example pitch topic
Antibiotic use without a prescription among university students
In 15 minutes, a strong team would decide on a clear question (for example, how common it is and why students do it), choose a study design (such as a cross-sectional survey across a few universities), say what they would measure, and explain why it matters for antibiotic resistance in Pakistan. Then they present it in 2 minutes.
Prizes
Rs 30,000 in prizes
1st
Rs 15,000
2nd
Rs 10,000
3rd
Rs 5,000
Prizes are given at the AIMSCon closing ceremony. Everyone who sits Round 1 gets a certificate.
Rules
Rules and ties
- Not allowed: No phones, internet or AI tools in any round.
- Allowed: Simple calculators are allowed. A formula sheet will be given.
- Not allowed: No slides in the pitch round.
- Allowed: You can use the whiteboard during your pitch.
- Not allowed: Teams more than 10 minutes late will not be allowed to sit.
- Allowed: If one team member can't come, the other can still compete.
- Not allowed: Question writers, organising committee members and anyone who has seen the papers cannot compete or help a team.
If two teams tie
- Round 1: The team with more correct answers on 5 chosen hard questions goes through. If still tied, the team that handed in first goes through.
- Round 2: The team with the higher "study design" score goes through.
- Final: One extra buzzer question decides the winner.
The judges' decision is final.
Timeline
Key dates
- 14 OctoberRegistration opensOn aimscon.org
- 28 OctoberRegistration closesOr earlier, if all places are taken
- Before 31 OctoberSeat numbers sentEach team gets its seat number and reporting time
- 31 OctoberOlympiad day at AIMSConRound 1 in the morning, the final before the closing ceremony
Questions
Olympiad FAQs
Places are limited
Register your team early. The form closes as soon as all places are taken.