An individual science item in which a student carries out and reports an original investigation, judged out of 100 on concept, innovation, initiative, usefulness, presentation and report.
An Investigatory Project is a small piece of original research done by one student. The student picks a question, designs a way to test it, collects data, analyses it and presents the findings with a written report. Examples might be comparing how different natural materials purify water, or measuring how plant growth responds to varying light.
In the Kerala School Sasthrolsavam Science Fair the item is offered at High School (classes 8-10) and Higher Secondary/VHSE (classes 11-12) as an individual entry open to girls and boys. Younger students take the team-based Research Type Project at Upper Primary and above.
What sets it apart from a working model is the method. Judges want a clear question, a fair test, real data and honest conclusions, supported by a project report. The student also has to speak about it at the exhibit and answer questions on every step.
Because the marking gives 20 for the report and 20 for presentation and interaction, a good result needs writing and speaking skill as well as the science itself.
Where Investigatory Project is run
Investigatory Project is part of the official Kerala School Sasthrolsavam Science Fair, which runs from school to state level, and is installed on eTalenter through the Science Fair template. Investigatory projects as a school science activity exist in many education systems, but this page describes the Kerala format only.
- Kerala, India
Key facts
- Individual item, open to girls and boys.
- Offered at High School and Higher Secondary/VHSE only.
- Scored out of 100: scientific concept 25, innovative idea 15, initiative 10, utility for society 10, presentation and interaction 20, project report 20.
- A written project report is part of the marks.
- The student presents and answers questions at the exhibit.
- Younger students take Research Type Project instead.
On eTalenter, Investigatory Project is filed under Special and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Investigatory Project is most often entered as an Individual competition, typically scored out of 100.
What judges look at in Investigatory Project
What a Investigatory Project panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Scientific concept (25): a sound question and correct science behind it.
- Innovative idea (15): a fresh angle, not a repeat of a standard textbook experiment.
- Initiative of the student (10): evidence that the student did the work personally.
- Utility for society (10): a real problem or community benefit.
- Presentation and interaction (20): clear, confident explanation and good answers to questions.
- Project report (20): a well-organised written record of aim, method, data and conclusion.
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Investigatory Project under Scoring Setup, or start from the judging and scoring software guide.
How to prepare for Investigatory Project
How entrants and their teachers usually get Investigatory Project right on the day:
- Choose a question you can test in weeks, not months, with materials you can get.
- Write the aim and hypothesis in one sentence before you start.
- Record every measurement in a notebook as you go; the report is built from that record.
- Repeat each test at least three times and note the average.
- Draft the report in the standard order: aim, materials, method, observations, result, conclusion, references.
- Rehearse a three-minute talk, then have a teacher fire questions at you about your method and its limits.
- Be honest about what the data shows and what it does not; judges reward careful conclusions.
- Idea to try: comparing how well banana peel, charcoal and sand purify muddy water
- Idea to try: measuring how light colour affects the growth of green gram seedlings
- Idea to try: testing which natural preservative keeps cut fruit fresh longest
Ready-made event templates that include Investigatory Project
Open any template to preview it in eTalenter and install it as a live, editable event.
| Template | Category | Score label | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kerala School Sasthrolsavam – Science Fair | Special | Marks | 2 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Investigatory Project judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter’s templates it’s most often run as an Individual entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
How is it different from Research Type Project?
The scoring table is the same, but Investigatory Project is for one student at High School and Higher Secondary level, while Research Type Project is a team entry open from Upper Primary.
Is a written report required?
Yes. The project report carries 20 of the 100 marks.
Can a teacher choose the topic?
Teachers guide, but the initiative of the student is scored separately, so the student should own the question and the work.
Does the project have to be new?
The innovative-idea line rewards originality, so a repeat of a common experiment will score lower on that line.
Want the full judging picture? Read the judging and scoring software guide, or browse every special competition item.
Try Investigatory Project in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Investigatory Project, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
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