Eligibility
Students must be in either Year 9 or 10 to enter.

Previous winners are ineligible to apply, however previous runners-up are welcome to apply again.

2027 Simpson Prize Question 

‘How useful are artefacts and artwork as historical sources when researching the experience of Australians who served in either the First World War or Second World War?’

Discuss with reference to either WW1 or WW2.

A link to the 2027 Simpson Prize Sources is:
https://www.awm.gov.au/learn/schools/simpson2027

Instructions

To enter the Simpson Prize you must respond to the question using the Simpson Prize Australian War Memorial Source Selection and your own research.

You are encouraged to discuss and respond to the question from a variety of perspectives, individual and national, using a variety of sources.

You are expected to make effective use of a minimum of 4 of the provided sources.

Up to half your response should also make use of information drawn from your own knowledge and research.

Word and Time Limits for Entries

Essay word limit: 1200–1500 words.

If the question is on the top of the first page as a heading it does not contribute to the word count.

Quotes contained in the body of an essay contribute to the word count.

Supplementary information such as a contents page, footnotes, references, a bibliography and appendices do not contribute to the word count.

Audiovisual Presentation word and time limit: No more than 10 minutes, accompanied by a written explanation of up to 400 words.

Closing date
5.00 pm AEST Wednesday 4 November 2026.

Submitting entries
Please go to How to submit entries.

Note: Students who submit winning entries for this year’s Simpson Prize question will participate in Simpson Prize activities in 2027.

Submit a Student Entry now