KOAI Prep Curriculum: The ended 2026 record and next-season study

KOAI 2026 and IOAI 2026 have ended. These 11 modules are CIT's independent study roadmap, not required KITPA courses. We will recheck the next official notice for schedule, eligibility, syllabus, and assessment rules. Lessons may be 1:1 or small-group (1:n), in person in Apgujeong or online across Korea and overseas.

Published: May 16, 2026 | Last updated: August 31, 2026 · Based on the ended official KOAI 2026 record

Primary CIT AI education and portfolio routes

The international-school route stays first across CIT-controlled AI, search, and submission surfaces. Both routes support in-person Apgujeong and online lessons across Korea and overseas.

Example logos from AI and informatics fields CIT teaches, including IOI, USACO, KOI, ISEF, ACSL, AP Computer Science A, and Cambridge IGCSE Computer Science. In the ended 2026 season, the KOAI High School division was Korea's IOAI selection path.
Examples of AI and informatics areas CIT teaches. In the ended 2026 season, the KOAI High School division was Korea's IOAI selection path; the next season's structure requires a new KITPA notice.

What kind of exam is KOAI?

KITPA's official page marks KOAI 2026 as ended. Its High School division used document review, an online written exam, and a coding test plus interview to select Korea's IOAI team. The Middle School division was a separate online written event; participation there did not itself select an IOAI representative.

The table below is a historical record of the ended 2026 High School division, not a promise for another season. CIT's E1-C3 sequence is an independent set of optional modules informed by that record and general AI foundations. Compare the CIT KOAI guide with the official KITPA archive.

2026 High School stage Ended season's official record CIT module
Stage 1 documentsAI activity portfolio 40% · AI competency 30% · growth potential 25% · academics 5%C1 reference
Stage 2 online written exam6 hours · 80 multiple-choice + 10 written-response questions · official syllabus subjects 1-4F1·F2·A1·A2 → C2 reference
Stage 3 coding and interviewAI coding 30% · AI knowledge 20% · English 20% · reasoning 10% · teamwork 10% · ethics 5% · representative qualities 5%C3 reference

CIT study-design principles

We do not treat one ended season's selection table as a permanent rule. Students build AI foundations, projects, and explanations they can author and defend themselves.

① Student-owned learning records

The ended 2026 High School division asked applicants to submit an AI activity portfolio as one website. CIT helps students document code, experiments, and reflection they created themselves; account age and quantity do not automatically produce selection or admissions outcomes.

② Explain accurately in Korean and English

Under the final 2026 High School Stage 3 criteria, English communication was 20% and the interview mixed Korean and English. English was not free points. Students practice explaining model choices, errors, and ethics accurately in both languages.

③ Diagnosis, retrieval, and error logs

CIT uses diagnostic results to select modules, then combines spaced retrieval, error logs, and written-response feedback. This is CIT's instructional design, not an official KITPA course or a performance guarantee.

④ Post-selection study is a separate scope

The Astana IOAI 2026 event ended on August 8. CIT may review separate finals preparation only after a student is actually selected and the new official scope is known. CIT enrollment does not guarantee representative status, advancement, or awards.

Track structure

This sequence is CIT's internal learning example. Students do not need every module, and it is not an official KITPA selection path or eligibility requirement.

Elementary Pipeline: elementary division (preparing to advance to KOAI)

E1 Elementary AI Intro (Grades 2-3) → E2 Elementary Python + Data (Grades 4-5) → E3 Elementary First ML (Grades 5-6)

Foundation: Selected after diagnosis

F1 Foundations I (Subject 1 · Python + classical ML) · F2 Foundations II (Subject 2 · Neural Networks & Deep Learning)

Middle School Track

M1 Middle School Comprehensive (compressed F1+F2 + mock exams). The ended 2026 Grand Prize and Gold rule named 2027-2028 High School Stage 1 exemptions; it did not guarantee representative status or final selection.

High School Advanced

A1 Computer Vision (Subject 3) · A2 NLP & Audio (Subject 4)

Competition Prep: Competition focus

C1 Portfolio Studio (long-term, Round 1) · C2 Mock Bootcamp (Round 2) · C3 Selection Camp (Round 3/IOAI)

Course Catalog: 11 modules

Click any course to see its goals, target students, hours, weekly outline, assessment deliverables, and portfolio contribution in detail.

Elementary Pipeline

Foundations (selected after student diagnosis)

High School Advanced

Competition Intensive

Internal planning example for the next season

Elementary: Run by grade level

The Elementary E track isn't tied directly to the KOAI exam schedule; it runs by grade level instead. Entry and exit timing is flexible depending on each student's pace: Grades 2-3 E1 → Grades 4-5 E2 → Grades 5-6 E3 → M1 Middle School Comprehensive upon entering 7th grade.

Middle and High School: Adjust after the new official notice

The 2026 schedule has ended, and this page cannot establish the next season's dates, divisions, eligibility, or syllabus. The table is CIT's internal lesson-planning example, not an official schedule. When a new notice appears, compare the CIT KOAI guide with KITPA's source text first.

Verification stage Courses run Key point
Before a noticeE, F, and M foundationsPython, mathematics, ML foundations, and student-authored learning records
Immediately after a noticeIndividual scope diagnosisVerify eligibility, division, syllabus, and exam format against the official source
If there is a document stageOptional C1The student authors and explains the work under submission rules
If there is a written stageOptional F, A, and C2Use only that season's scope and permitted tools
If there is a coding/interview stageOptional C3Only actual qualifiers prepare against that notice
After team selectionReview the IOAI scope separatelyBuild a plan only after checking that year's official rules and tasks

Recommended pathways by student persona

Your path branches based on grade level, prior experience, and when you join CIT. We build an individualized plan for each student in the first diagnostic session.

Full elementary pipeline

3rd-grade international school student, first exposure to AI

Consider E1 → E2 → E3 → M1 as one option. Preserve code and experiment records authored by the student, while recognizing that a long account history does not guarantee eligibility, selection, or admissions outcomes.

Direct middle school entry

8th-grade international school student, AI beginner stage

M1 Middle School Comprehensive → verify the next official eligibility rules → decide whether to enter. The 2026 Grand Prize and Gold exemption for KOAI 2027-2028 did not confer representative status or guarantee final selection.

Full KOAI starting in 10th grade

10th-grade international school student, knows Python, new to ML

F1 → F2 → A1+A2 → C1 long-term + intensive → C2 → C3. About 84 hours total.

Recommended class hours by course

These hours and ranges are CIT's internal estimates for an initial 1:1 plan. They change with prior knowledge, diagnostic results, and selected modules; they do not guarantee learning speed, official advancement, or outcomes.

Course Recommended hours Range
E1 Elementary AI IntroAbout 10 hours6-14 hours
E2 Elementary Python + Data~12 hours8-18 hours
E3 Elementary First ML~12 hours8-16 hours
F1 Foundations IAbout 10 hours6-14 hours
F2 Foundations II~14 hours10-20 hours
A1 CV AdvancedAbout 10 hours6-14 hours
A2 NLP & AudioAbout 10 hours6-14 hours
M1 Middle School ComprehensiveAbout 20 hours14-28 hours
C1 Portfolio Studio~14 hours10-20 hours
C2 Mock BootcampAbout 13 hours8-18 hours
C3 Selection CampAbout 13 hours10-16 hours

Hours are adjusted after diagnosing Python readiness and lesson format. They are not official KITPA workload recommendations or performance guarantees.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I start preparing for KOAI?

In the ended 2026 KOAI High School division, the AI activity portfolio was 40% of Stage 1. That rule does not automatically carry into another season. CIT chooses a starting point by diagnosing Python, mathematics, AI foundations, and projects the student can explain. Account age or course duration does not guarantee selection or admissions outcomes.

What courses make up the KOAI curriculum?

E1·E2·E3, F1·F2, A1·A2, M1, and C1·C2·C3 are 11 optional modules in CIT's own study roadmap. They are not KITPA-required courses or eligibility conditions. CIT combines only the modules needed after checking the next official syllabus and the student's diagnostic results.

Does placing in the Middle School division help with advancing to High School?

The ended 2026 notice said Middle School Grand Prize and Gold recipients would receive a KOAI 2027 and 2028 High School Stage 1 document-review exemption. This did not confer IOAI representative status or guarantee final selection, school admission, or the same rule in a later season.

Is KOAI an advantage for international school students?

Under the final official 2026 High School Stage 3 criteria, English communication was 20% and the interview mixed Korean and English. English was not free points. The 2026 High School division required Korean nationality and current enrollment in grades 10-12, so international-school students must recheck next-season eligibility and language rules in the official notice.

Are classes taught in groups?

CIT lessons may be taught 1:1 or in a small group (1:n), in person in Apgujeong or online across Korea and overseas. The displayed hours are internal planning ranges that may change after diagnosis; they do not guarantee a particular pace, coverage level, or competition outcome.

Can I also prepare for the IOAI finals after qualifying for KOAI?

KOAI 2026 and the Astana IOAI 2026 event have both ended. The 2026 KOAI High School path selected four finalists and one alternate. CIT may provide independent study support, but it does not guarantee eligibility, advancement, awards, or national-team selection; the next official notice must be checked first.

Learning, submission, and admissions boundaries

Student authorship and explanation

Students must create and explain their own code, experiments, documents, and presentations. CIT provides instruction and feedback but does not author an official submission on a student's behalf.

No result or admissions guarantee

Enrollment does not guarantee KOAI eligibility, advancement, awards, IOAI selection, or admission to a science high school, gifted school, or university. Permitted evidence varies by school, pathway, and year.

International-school academics first

International-school students protect AP, IB, and IGCSE coursework and school deadlines first. EC reporting and submission formats follow each receiving institution's rules.

Online lessons are not official exam rules

CIT lessons can be online across Korea and overseas, but official eligibility, identity checks, exam environment, and permitted tools remain subject to that season's organizer rules.

Official sources and update rule

When the next season's notice is published, recheck eligibility, dates, divisions, syllabus, and assessment rules in the primary source. Written and reviewed by Jung Hwan Jo · Last updated August 31, 2026.

Consultation info

We diagnose the student's grade, prior experience, and goals, then plan the AI foundations and student-owned project work that make sense before the next official notice.

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