The British Physics Olympiad (BPhO) has run for 25 years and is entered annually by over 1,600 talented young physicists. The examination-based competition has a dual purpose: to challenge and reward the best physicists in British schools and to select the UK Physics Team for competition at international level.

Students had to complete the A2 challenge paper and get a merit to qualify. They then had to sit a gruelling two and a half hour exam style problem solving paper. Exeter College had two second year A level physicists (Matt Fry and Tom Knapton) in the top 130 candidates of the first round of the British Physics Olympiad this year, they achieved gold medals.These students are in the top 130 out of 820 entrants.

Matt said: “It was interesting to do something out of the curriculum” and Tom commented that he really enjoyed it: “I liked using what we had learned in class and applying this to complicated problems.”

Lecturer, Ashley Dyer said: “The students have worked really hard over the last two years, taking part in Physics Club and extra-curricular events. They have challenged themselves on a weekly basis and this has paid off with them going on to achieve gold.”