How do CREST Awards work?

How do CREST Awards work?

CREST is easy to run, and you can adapt the framework for many different settings: the classroom, a club, a youth group, or at home.

  • Start by choosing an Award level: Star, SuperStar, Discovery, Bronze, Silver or Gold. The amount and complexity of the work needed to gain an award increase at each level.

Find out more about choosing an award level.


  • Students pick a single project or series of challenges that will allow them to meet the criteria for their selected Award level. These projects can be around any STEM topic or theme. We have lots of fun, engaging and rewarding project ideas that you can use if you want inspiration.

Find out more about choosing a project idea.


  • Guide your students through the project - we have lots of resources available to help you with this step.
  • For Star, SuperStar, Discovery and Bronze awards, you assess your students' work and confirm that it meets the CREST criteria. For Silver and Gold Awards, you will need to send in your students' work for assessment.
  • To receive your award certificates, you need to enter your students for their Awards and pay their entry fees. For Silver and Gold Awards, you need to pay the entry fees before we can assess a project.

Find out how to enter students for CREST Awards.

    • Related Articles

    • The CREST guiding principles

      The below principles are the overall ideas that govern how the CREST Awards work. They are different to the CREST criteria, although the criteria are based around these. Real-world context CREST projects and activities have a clear real-world ...
    • Submitting for CREST Awards and the Big Bang Competition

      Did you know you could receive extra recognition on your Big Bang project by submitting for a CREST Award? Or vice-versa? The British Science Association and Engineering UK are working together to enable you to submit your project for both! Click ...
    • At Home: How do CREST Awards work?

      CREST is easy to run for parents, and you can adapt our simple, easy to understand  framework to use at home. Start by choosing an Award level: Star, SuperStar, Discovery, Bronze, Silver or Gold. The amount and complexity of the work needed to gain ...
    • Uploading your students’ work

      Star, SuperStar and Discovery You do not need to upload any work for Star, SuperStar or Discovery Awards. Bronze For Bronze, we ask for a sample of work from 10% of your students. E.g. if you have 10 students or less, upload 1 student's work, if you ...
    • Enter an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) for a CREST Award

      Many students who complete an EPQ as part of their A-Level studies could be getting extra recognition for their work by applying for a Gold CREST Award. CREST awards are globally recognized awards which celebrate independent student led research ...