IAI²O (International AI Innovation Olympiad) runs on AIIC (individual exam), AI4SCI (research), and AI4BIZ (business) 3 tracks. CIT leverages the fact that its foundation and advanced courses (F1·F2·A1·A2), shared with KOAI and USAAIO, cover the core of the AIIC exam range as-is, and has separately designed dedicated modules that address only IAI²O's unique areas I0~I4. From single-track focus to dual and triple tracks, everything is run 1:1 to match the student's strengths. 5-minute walk from Apgujeong Station.
Published: May 20, 2026 | Last updated: May 20, 2026 · Based on official IAI²O information
IAI²O (International AI Innovation Olympiad) is an international AI olympiad for youth with no nationality restrictions. It runs on 3 tracks (AIIC exam / AI4SCI research / AI4BIZ business), and students can enter a single track or multiple tracks based on their strengths. It proceeds in two stages: the National Preliminary (3 regions — Asia, NA, RoW — online) → the Global Final (MIT campus, in-person).
CIT's strategy is shared-foundation efficiency. Since F1·F2·A1·A2, shared with KOAI and USAAIO, cover the core of the AIIC exam range, the IAI²O-specific I0-I4 address only IAI²O's unique areas — track diagnostic, English exam environment, research paper, business pitch, MIT finals, and more. For exact dates, eligibility, and track formats, see the IAI²O competition guide page.
| Steps | Assessment core | CIT module |
|---|---|---|
| Shared foundation | Core of the AIIC exam range: Python, classical ML, deep learning, CV, NLP | F1·F2·A1·A2 |
| Diagnostic & registration | Track-selection diagnostic + academic mentor matching + iai2o-official.org registration | I0 |
| AIIC exam | Qualifier 90 min × 2 + Final 3 hr × 2 · English · Python · no AI tools | I1 |
| AI4SCI research | Research Paper + Quad Chart → Updated Paper + Backboard + Logbook | I2 |
| AI4BIZ business | Innovation Narrative + Pitch Video → Technical Execution Report + Updated Pitch Deck | I3 |
| MIT finals | September 14-17, 2026, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, in-person | I4 (qualifiers only) |
IAI²O's three tracks each demand a different kind of ability. CIT combines its experience coaching for KOAI and USAAIO exams, KSEF and ISEF research, and Congressional App Challenge and Technovation Girls business projects to cover all three tracks under one roof.
Plenty of academies have run exams (KOAI, USAAIO), research (KSEF, ISEF), or business (CAC, Technovation Girls) separately, but few match all three to a single student. In the first diagnostic, CIT assesses the student's exam-oriented, research-oriented, and planning-oriented aptitudes together and recommends the optimal IAI²O track.
The AIIC exam range overlaps substantially with KOAI and USAAIO, so learning F1·F2·A1·A2 once serves all three competitions. A student already preparing for KOAI or USAAIO can enter IAI²O AIIC by adding only about 12 hours of I0 + I1, maximizing learning efficiency.
All IAI²O finals materials are in English. CIT provides unified coaching for writing English academic and business documents — the AI4SCI Research Paper, AI4BIZ Innovation Narrative, Pitch Deck, and more — and includes English review by instructors who are former international-school students as part of the package.
Students with Korean nationality attending Korean schools are not eligible for USAAIO, but IAI²O has no nationality restrictions. For students who cannot prepare for USAAIO, IAI²O is the only direct pathway that leads all the way to the finals on the MIT campus, and it serves as an equivalent international academic activity credential in US college admissions.
The structure layers IAI²O-specific tracks (I0-I4) on top of the same shared foundation (F·A) as KOAI and USAAIO. The shared foundation, completed just once, serves all three competitions.
F1 · F2 (foundation: Python, classical ML, deep learning) → A1 · A2 (advanced: CV, NLP)
I0 diagnostic, track selection, registration coaching → branch by track (I1 AIIC / I2 AI4SCI / I3 AI4BIZ) → I4 MIT finals prep (qualifiers only)
National Preliminary qualifiers undergo in-person finals assessment at the MIT campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
It consists of the shared foundation (same as the KOAI and USAAIO tracks) and 5 IAI²O-specific modules. Click any course to see its goals, target students, hours, and week-by-week overview in detail.
Recommended shared foundation (F·A) by track: Because AI4BIZ centers on business and pitching assessment, you don't have to take all of F·A. We recommend the following by track.
| Track | F1 (Python+ML) | F2 (PyTorch) | A1 (CV) | A2 (NLP) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIIC (individual exam) | Required | Required | Required | Required |
| AI4SCI (research) | Required | Mostly required | Required if the project is CV | Required if the project is NLP |
| AI4BIZ (business) | Recommended (Python & ML literacy) | Mostly unnecessary (uses APIs) | Optional if the project is a CV product | Optional if the project is an NLP product |
※ AI4BIZ assessment runs as Innovation Narrative + Pitch Video → Technical Execution Report + Pitch Deck, and most teams build their MVP using pretrained models and the OpenAI, Anthropic, and HuggingFace APIs. From-scratch PyTorch implementation is generally unnecessary, and the I3 course separately covers how to integrate APIs and MVPs.
※ AI4SCI's 13 subcategories are divided into NAS (Natural & Applied Science: math, physics, chemistry, climate, bioinformatics, biomedical engineering, robotics/engineering) and HSS (Humanities & Social Science: NLP, social governance, emotion recognition, heritage preservation, education, digital art). CV-based projects (biomedical engineering, robotics, heritage preservation, digital art) require A1, while text- and audio-based projects (NLP, social governance, emotion recognition, education, bioinformatics) require A2. Beyond F·A, AI4SCI requires IAI²O-specific formats such as an English academic paper (5+ pages, 8 sections) + a 4-quadrant Quad Chart + a chronological Logbook (no after-the-fact edits) + an ISEF tri-fold Backboard, which are covered in the I2 course.
Regression, classification, and clustering pipelines with NumPy/Pandas/scikit-learn. About 10 hours.
F2 · SharedHands-on implementation from MLPs to mini transformer models in PyTorch. About 14 hours.
A1 · SharedFrom CNNs to diffusion models. Classification, detection, segmentation, and generation tasks. About 10 hours.
A2 · SharedThrough BERT, LLM APIs, and Whisper. End-to-end text and audio. About 10 hours.
※ The 4 shared-foundation courses are the same modules as in the KOAI and USAAIO tracks. If you have already completed them in the KOAI or USAAIO track, there is no need to retake them. KOAI Prep Curriculum·USAAIO Prep Curriculum for reference.
Student-level diagnostic + track recommendation + iai2o-official.org registration + academic mentor matching. About 3 hours of 1:1 consulting.
I1 · AIICOn top of the F·A foundation, IAI²O's unique format (90-min/3-hr sections, English interface, no AI tools). About 12 hours.
I2 · AI4SCIEnglish Research Paper, Quad Chart, Research Logbook, and finals Backboard Display design. About 16 hours.
I3 · AI4BIZAI Innovation Narrative, Pitch Video production, and finals Technical Execution Report + Pitch Deck. About 16 hours.
I4 · MIT Finals (qualifiers only)9/14-17 MIT campus acclimation + English coaching for international presentation and Q&A + completion of track-specific finals deliverables. About 10 hours.
IAI²O repeats annually in the flow of spring registration → June preliminary → September MIT finals. Below is a standard template based on the 2026 Asia region schedule; for the exact schedule of a given year, see the IAI²O competition guide.
| Timing (based on 2026) | Courses run | Key point |
|---|---|---|
| ~ May (before registration) | I0 Diagnostic | Track selection + registration + academic mentor matching |
| Throughout the season | F1·F2·A1·A2 (shared) | Run shared with the KOAI and USAAIO tracks |
| Preliminary D-8 weeks ~ | I1·I2·I3 (by track) | Focus on chosen track (AIIC·AI4SCI·AI4BIZ) |
| June 7 | Registration deadline | Common to all tracks and all regions |
| June 20 | AIIC Asia exam + AI4SCI·AI4BIZ submission | Korean students' exam day |
| June 30 | Results announced | Combined announcement across all 3 tracks |
| July ~ early September | I4 MIT finals prep | Qualifiers only · responsive scheduling |
| September 14-17 | MIT Global Final | Cambridge, USA, in-person |
Pathways branch by grade, strengths, and English level. We build an individual plan for each student in the first diagnostic (I0) session.
Currently in the KOAI track, comfortable in English, wants to add international experience
F·A → I0 → I1 (single AIIC). Dual entry: KOAI Round 2 (6/13) + IAI²O AIIC Asia (6/20).
Currently in KSEF/ISEF, has experience writing English papers
F·A → I0 → I2 (single AI4SCI). Turn an existing KSEF project into an English paper + design a Backboard.
CAC / Technovation Girls experience or business interest
F·A → I0 → I3 (AI4BIZ single project or up to 3 projects). English Pitch Video + Technical Execution Report.
All times are recommended 1:1 hours. Depending on the student's prior knowledge, comprehension speed, and learning absorption, they vary by ±30–50%, and an individualized plan is set for each student in the first diagnostic (I0) session.
| Course | Recommended (1:1) | Range |
|---|---|---|
| I0 Diagnostic + Track Selection + Registration Coaching | About 3 hours | 2–5 hours |
| I1 AIIC Track: English Exam Environment Prep | ~12 hours | 8–16 hours |
| I2 AI4SCI Track: Research Paper + Backboard | About 16 hours | 10–24 hours |
| I3 AI4BIZ Track: Business Model + Pitch | About 16 hours | 10–24 hours |
| I4 MIT Global Final prep (qualifiers only) | About 10 hours | 6–14 hours |
| F1 Foundations I (shared) | About 10 hours | 6–14 hours |
| F2 Foundations II (shared) | ~14 hours | 10–20 hours |
| A1 CV Advanced (shared) | About 10 hours | 6–14 hours |
| A2 NLP & Audio (shared) | About 10 hours | 6–14 hours |
※ The shared-foundation (F·A) subtotal of about 44 hours is the full set on the AIIC track basisIt is. Students entering only AI4BIZ only need F1 (about 10 hours) + I0 (3 hours) + I3 (16 hours) ≒ about 29 hours, and F2·A1·A2 are optional depending on the project domain (most AI4BIZ teams build an MVP using pretrained models and external APIs, so from-scratch implementation is generally unnecessary). Students entering only AI4SCI typically take F1+F2 (about 24 hours) as standard, adding A1·A2 if the project involves CV·NLP. If they have already completed F·A on the KOAI·USAAIO track, they can enter just by adding the IAI²O-only I0 plus an elective track.
IAI²O has no nationality restriction. AIIC is open to full-time students in grades 7–12, while AI4SCI·AI4BIZ are open to students aged 13–18 (teams of 1–3, with a required academic mentor aged 18 or older). Korean-nationality and Korea-resident students register under the Asia region, and all finals materials and presentations are conducted in English. In the I0 diagnostic coaching, CIT reviews the student's English level and track aptitude together and makes a recommendation.
On top of the foundations and advanced courses shared with KOAI·USAAIO — F1 (Python + classical ML), F2 (deep learning), A1 (CV), A2 (NLP) — it is built from the IAI²O-only courses I0 (diagnosis, track selection, registration coaching), I1 (AIIC English exam environment), I2 (AI4SCI research paper, Backboard), I3 (AI4BIZ business model, pitch), and I4 (MIT finals prep). Depending on the student's track choice, some or all of I1·I2·I3 are taken.
Yes. Since F1·F2·A1·A2 serve as the foundations and advanced study for all three competitions, a student already preparing for KOAI·USAAIO can also enter IAI²O simply by adding the IAI²O-only I0 plus an elective track (among I1·I2·I3). The KOAI Round 2 written exam (6/13) and IAI²O AIIC Asia (6/20) are a week apart, so entering both is feasible in terms of timing, and AI4SCI overlaps with KSEF·ISEF while AI4BIZ overlaps with the Congressional App Challenge·Technovation Girls — making the prep highly reusable.
Because each track covers a different area of study, we choose between a single-track focus, a dual track, or a triple track according to the student's strengths and available time. The standard recommendation is a single AIIC track for exam-oriented students and a single AI4SCI track for research-oriented students, while an AIIC + AI4SCI dual track is also recommended for students who have enough time and strong English. Since AI4BIZ allows up to 3 projects per student, a triple is technically possible too, but in practice we focus on one or two projects in consideration of the student's workload.
Every course is run by default as a small-group 1:1 or 1:2 format. Compared with group lectures, students reach the same point in less than half the time, automatically accelerating or slowing down to fit each student's strengths and weaknesses. The listed class hours are recommendations on a 1:1 basis and vary by ±30–50% depending on the student's prior knowledge and comprehension speed.
We'll help you find the right track for your student among AIIC·AI4SCI·AI4BIZ. Request a free diagnostic consultation.