Competition Structure

Selection Round — Qualifying Stage

Duration: 48 hours/72  hours
Expected dates: Selection Rounds — 15–17 May. The Final Round will begin in the last week of June.

Format:
Participants will be given a set of open-ended, reflective writing tasks (the competition no longer uses multiple-choice questions). Each response must be no longer than 500 words. Prompts will be drawn from the following thematic areas:

• Philosophy & existentialism
  
  

• Psychology & mental states
  
  

• Science & consciousness
  
  

• Literature & the human condition
  
  

Purpose & assessment:
The Selection Round is designed to evaluate original thinking, analytical depth, clarity of expression, and critical judgment rather than recall or rote memorization. Submissions will be assessed on originality, intellectual rigour, coherence, and the writer’s ability to engage thoughtfully with complex, human-centred questions.

Final Round — Essay Submission (No creative limits)

Who: Shortlisted participants from the Selection Round.( 100 will be  shortlisted )
Task: Each shortlisted writer will receive one provocative, open-ended prompt and must submit one original essay.
Word limit: Maximum 1,500 words.

Scope and style:
Essays may address topics in philosophy, existential crisis, science, literature, identity, or other deeply human themes. There are no structural or stylistic restrictions — writers are free to choose the form, tone, and approach that best serve their argument or exploration. The only substantive rule is no plagiarism: all work must be the candidate’s own.

AI Use Policy

Candidates may use AI tools only as an aid (for brainstorming, editing feedback, or grammatical checks). The final submitted essay must read as an original human composition and must not be heavily generated by or dependent on AI. Experienced judges will assess submissions for mechanical or generic AI-style language; entries that appear to rely heavily on AI will be disqualified.