PUPC Physics Competition: What It Is and How to Prepare

As of September 21, 2026, the Princeton University Physics Competition (PUPC), formally the Physics Unlimited Premier Competition, has announced no edition since 2023, and it should not be part of a current competition plan. This article is for families whose child has completed or is taking AP Physics C and wants a physics competition record. It explains what the contest was, what can be verified today, how to evaluate third-party registration offers, and which competitions now serve the same purpose.

PUPC: What the Competition Was

PUPC was organized by Physics Unlimited, a non-profit founded by Princeton University alumni; the contest itself was created by Princeton physics students. It was an individual written exam with a 1.5-hour limit and approximately four problems requiring full written solutions. The stated level was roughly that of the combined AP Physics 1, 2, and C curricula, with problems reaching beyond classical mechanics. It was held on a weekend in November each year, with a default online option from 2020 onward and partner sites in countries including China, Germany, and Slovakia.

Physics Unlimited also ran a separate team event, the Explorer Competition (PUEC), in which teams submitted a research report on an open-ended topic. It is a different format from the Premier exam, and the two are easy to confuse when searching online.

PUPC: What Can Be Verified Today

The physicsu.org site still loads, but the Premier page’s most recent announcement remains the contest held on Saturday, November 4, 2023. The archive links in its navigation stop at PUPC 2022 and PUEC 2023, and the footer copyright reads 2023. The domain used for the onsite Princeton event, pupc.princeton.edu, did not resolve when checked on September 21, 2026. In short, no official announcement exists for 2024, 2025, or 2026, and there is no working registration path in the United States.

A discontinued contest does not invalidate results already earned. Awards from 2019 through 2023 can still be listed in the Honors section of a college application with the year noted. EDUBUS suggests saving certificates, finalist list pages, and past papers as local files now, while the site is still reachable.

PUPC: How to Check a Third-Party Offer

Some partner organizations and consultancies in Asia have continued to advertise PUPC sittings after 2023. Before paying, ask in writing who writes and grades the problems, which organization issues the certificate, and where the results of the previous edition are published. If the answer does not include a link to a page for that year on the organizer’s own site, EDUBUS recommends declining.

PUPC: Alternatives Worth Considering

• F=ma and the U.S. Physics Olympiad (USAPhO), run by the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT). The F=ma exam is 25 multiple-choice questions in 75 minutes, concentrated on mechanics, held each February; high scorers are invited to USAPhO, a written-solution exam. This is the most selective route and requires a school or qualified proctor.
• PhysicsBowl, also from AAPT: 40 multiple-choice questions in 45 minutes, proctored at the student’s own school in March or April. This has the lowest barrier to entry.
• The British Physics Olympiad (BPhO). Round 1 is a two-hour paper of long problems requiring full derivations, which is the closest substitute for the written reasoning PUPC rewarded. A teacher registers the school.

EDUBUS Recommendations on PUPC

EDUBUS students have competed in PUPC and won awards, so EDUBUS keeps watching for the competition to resume. Until an official new edition is announced, If PUPC was intended as the step between AP Physics C and USAPhO, EDUBUS suggests replacing it with a pair: BPhO Round 1 in November for written derivation practice, and F=ma in February for a nationally recognized result. The two do not conflict on the calendar. For coursework, see AP Physics C; for contest rules, see F=ma / USAPhO. Archived PUPC information and the EDUBUS note on its status remain on the PUPC page.