Gold Award
Typical ages 16+
Typically 70 hrs to complete
£30 UK; £40 International
Awaken your students’ potential with a long-term, open-ended project ideal for enhancing their UCAS applications. Gold Awards are longer projects that immerse students in real research. At this level, we recommend students work with a mentor from their chosen STEM field of study.
How to run
Plan
Browse the free resources in our Resource Library for Gold project ideas.
Alternatively, students can create and design their own Gold projects. Familiarise your students with the CREST criteria for Gold so they know what to aim for.
Complete
Students complete their Gold projects before submission. Create a free account on our application platform to submit projects.
Upload the Gold project work alongside a profile form of each student.
Assess
Students must meet at least 11 of the 15 Gold CREST criteria to earn a Gold CREST Award.
A CREST assessor evaluates each Gold project. The application fee must be paid before assessment.
Achieve!
Celebrate the success of your students as they achieve their Gold CREST Awards.
Share your experience with us - email us, tell us in the survey, or tag us in your posts. Let's spread the joy and inspire others with your students' success!
Plan
Browse the free resources in our Resource Library for Gold project ideas.
Alternatively, students can create and design their own Gold projects. Familiarise your students with the CREST criteria for Gold so they know what to aim for.
Complete
Students complete their Gold projects before submission. Create a free account on our application platform to submit projects.
Upload the Gold project work alongside a profile form of each student.
Assess
Students must meet at least 11 of the 15 Gold CREST criteria to earn a Gold CREST Award.
A CREST assessor evaluates each Gold project. The application fee must be paid before assessment.
Achieve!
Celebrate the success of your students as they achieve their Gold CREST Awards.
Share your experience with us - email us, tell us in the survey, or tag us in your posts. Let's spread the joy and inspire others with your students' success!
Free Gold resources
- This collection of Gold level projects gives students the option of exploring a number of themes linked to hydrology. They can choose to investigate climate change, drought or flooding, designing and carrying our an e...#Water#Drought#Flooding#Climate
- This accompanying guide is designed to support students to complete a Gold CREST Award. It covers how to prepare for carrying out a project, the relevant CREST criteria and guidance on how to write and submit a projec...#CRESTGold#Student#Guide
- This profile form should be completed by students as part of their Gold CREST Award and submitted alongside their project report. It supports young people to reflect on their work and demonstrate how they have met the...#CRESTGold#Profile#Criteria
Fees and funding
The Gold CREST Award costs £30 per student in the UK. While we want all young people to participate, we recognise that costs can be a barrier for some schools. UK schools in challenging circumstances, especially those with many underrepresented students in STEM, can apply for funding to help run CREST.
Hear from our community
"I wanted to say a heartfelt thank you, because I cannot underestimate how much this has been a life saver for [my daughter]. It has given her a real sense of purpose in a time of great uncertainty. I thought possibly her perception may initially be, “I am only 16 I’m not sure I can do this.... But reading the website gave her confidence that she could do this independently from home."
"I think completing a CREST Award demonstrates to universities that you're committed to your subject because whenever you say something, you want to try and back it up with evidence. “I enjoy engineering” is OK. But why do you enjoy it? Why do you want to study it? “So I've gone and spent four weeks of my summer in a lab working on an engineering-related project.” It just adds a lot more impact to what you're saying and I think being able to talk about it [the CREST experience] in your personal statement was really useful."
"I have never thought of a career in health technology, I always thought since I didn’t study any STEM subject that it would be improbable to do so. However, the [CREST] project gave me so much confidence in entering different fields of study and industries. This project has inspired me to look into a variety of careers and potential industries."
Need inspiration?
Case studyPosted:4 April 2023How CREST Awards can boost UCAS applications and university admission interviews
Case studyPosted:4 December 2024A Gold CREST Awards case study: bringing AI into dementia healthcare
Case studyPosted:10 October 2023Bringing youth voice on mental health innovation to the table with CREST
Apply for a Gold Award
Are your students ready to take on a real STEM challenge?
Encourage them to apply for the CREST Gold Award, where they’ll design and lead their own in-depth STEM project. Whether they’re preparing for university, a STEM career, or simply want to challenge themselves, the Gold Award is a powerful way to showcase their abilities and commitment.
Other CREST Awards for secondary levels
Typical ages 11+
Typically 10 hrs
£6 UK; £12.50 International
Bronze Award
An introduction to STEM project work for students working individually or in teams. Bronze Awards introduce students to project work empowering them to work like real scientists. Students choose their own topic and methodologies, giving them complete freedom over their work.
Explore Bronze Award
Typical ages 14+
Typically 30 hrs to complete
£15 UK; £25 International
Silver Award
Challenge your students to take ownership of a STEM project in teams or individually. Silver Awards are designed to stretch students and enrich their STEM studies. Whether investigating their own project idea or using one of our free resource prompts, students plan and direct their own project, gaining in-depth experience of the scientific method or engineering design process.
Explore Silver Award
We are here to help
Find answers to your questions quickly and easily with our Help Centre Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Whether you're just getting started with CREST Awards or looking for specific details on projects, resources, or submission guidelines, our comprehensive FAQs has you covered.
