U.S. Physics Olympiad Exam

The U.S. Physics Olympiad Exam is the proof-oriented second exam in the American Association of Physics Teachers' U.S. Physics Team pathway. Students first take the mechanics-focused F=ma Exam; top scorers are invited to the longer USAPhO, whose free-response problems require complete physics reasoning rather than selected answers. In 2026, F=ma ran February 12 for three hours and USAPhO ran April 10 for four hours. Later selection included a May USAPhO Plus exam and May 30–June 9 training camp at the University of Maryland.