Advancing Student Engagement in STEM
We are a national independent not-for-profit and collective of STEM professionals and educators committed to advancing student engagement in STEM through an interactive and industry aligned competition.
We achieve this by engaging students, teachers, and industry professionals using human-centred design principles to craft an engaging, interactive and highly immersive competition that can be delivered effectively on any device and internet connection.
After a successful year-long pilot, we are now open to all Australian year 7 students in 2026.
45-minute assessment
Designed to fit within a standard lesson period.
35 questions
Interactive game-like delivery with real-world problem solving.
Year 7 students
Targeted specifically at the start of secondary school.
Curriculum aligned
Mapped to the Victorian, NSW, and Australian curriculum.
The Problem
Why we need a new approach to STEM engagement in Australia.
Declining Enrollment
The number of students enrolling in upper-secondary Science and Maths continues to decline in a long-term downward trend that has persisted since 2008.
Widening Gender Gap
The gender gap continues to widen with fewer female students than male students enrolling in upper-secondary Science and Maths.
Competition for Attention
The competition for student attention continues to increase as the online world becomes more engaging, interactive and addictive than ever while student assessment looks the same as it has for decades.
Rapid Technological Advance
Technology continues to advance in leaps with transformative gains being made in the fields of generative AI and robotics that demand an increasing domestic capability.
The Solution
A modern, interactive, and rigorous approach to STEM assessment.
Igniting Interest Early
The ASC is an engaging interactive online assessment for ALL year 7 students, that ignites an interest in STEM well before subject decisions are made in the upper-secondary years.
Unbiased & Validated
The questions are tested and validated to ensure unnecessary gender bias is removed using the same rigorous processes as PISA and other world-class assessments.
Interactive & Game-like
The questions are highly interactive and game-like, while being rigorous to compete for student attention and assure curriculum alignment at the same time.
Industry Aligned
Industry professionals review the questions to ensure they align with practice in STEM careers and teachers review the questions to ensure they align with curriculum, including the general capabilities.
A Collaborative Ecosystem
Bringing together all stakeholders to create a meaningful impact.
The ASC Ecosystem
Click or tap a segment of the diagram to explore how Students, Teachers, Schools, and Industry collaborate in the competition.
Our Pilot Success
500 students across 10 schools participated in our pilot program.
of students said it was more interesting than other tests
of students said they learned something new about STEM
of students found the 3D graphics gave them deeper insights
of teachers & industry professionals plan to return
What People Are Saying
Feedback from our pilot students, teachers, and industry professionals.
"It felt important because it made me think."
We're hiring!
Join our team. We're looking for experienced educators to help shape STEM education in Australia.
Register Your Interest
Register your interest for the 2026 Australian STEM Competition running in Term 3. Open to all Year 7 cohorts across Australia.
Register Interest
Fill out the form with your contact details and school information.
Access Free Resources
Gain access to our teacher platform and 10 free sample questions to run a practice session with your students.
Receive Sample Reports
Submit your practice session results to receive a sample raw score report and see the depth of our analytics.