Closing date passed: this guide was written while applications were open, and the closing date in the notice was 30 September 2026. Check the official notice for any extension or the next call before you act (last reviewed 18 October 2026).
Registration is open for the National Essay Competition on Life Insurance 2026, a free competition for eligible students from government, private and international schools across Sri Lanka.
Students can participate in Sinhala, Tamil or English. A parent or legal guardian must complete the registration by 30 September 2026.
Who is organising the competition?
The competition is a joint initiative of:
- Insurance Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (IRCSL)
- Foundation for the Advancement of Life & Insurance Around the World (FALIA), Japan
- Insurance Association of Sri Lanka (IASL)
Its purpose is to help school students understand life insurance, family financial protection, responsible planning and risk management while developing their writing and analytical skills.
Age categories and eligibility
| Category | Official age range | Eligible date of birth |
|---|---|---|
| Junior | 13–16 years as of 31 December 2026 | Born from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2013 |
| Senior | 17–19 years as of 31 December 2026 | Born from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2009 |
Students attending government, private or international schools in Sri Lanka may register if they meet the applicable birth-date requirement.
How will the essay competition be conducted?
- The competition will be held as an in-person examination during October 2026.
- Designated examination centres will be arranged across all 25 districts.
- Students will receive three essay topics on the competition day and must select one.
- The maximum writing time is one hour and 30 minutes.
- Only one submission is accepted from each registered student.
The exact competition date, time and venue are not yet stated. Registered applicants are expected to receive these details by SMS and/or email during the first two weeks of October 2026.
What languages are available?
Students may write their essay in one of the following languages:
- Sinhala
- Tamil
- English
What should students prepare?
The exact essay question will be given on the examination day. The official guidance recommends preparing around the role of life insurance in:
- Family financial protection
- Financial security and income replacement
- Long-term savings and future planning
- Risk management
- Protection against unexpected events
- Household well-being and economic stability
- Achieving future life goals
Students should understand these ideas and practise explaining them clearly. Memorising a prepared essay may be less useful because participants must select from three topics given on the day.
Prizes and certificates
| Award | Junior category | Senior category |
|---|---|---|
| First place | LKR 100,000 and a tablet | LKR 100,000 and a tablet |
| Second place | LKR 75,000 | LKR 75,000 |
| Third place | LKR 50,000 | LKR 50,000 |
The organisers also plan to select 144 District Merit Award winners across the two categories. Each district merit winner will receive LKR 10,000.
National and district winners will receive printed certificates. The official guidance states that every participant will receive an electronic certificate of participation.
Information needed before registration
The parent or legal guardian should have the following information ready:
- Student’s personal and school information
- Parent or guardian contact details
- An active mobile number
- An active email address
- The student’s preferred examination district
The official guidance does not list documents that must be uploaded during initial registration. Supporting documents may be requested later to verify a winner’s identity, eligibility and registration information.
How to register
- Open the official IRCSL competition page.
- Read the competition guidance and registration instructions.
- Confirm the student’s age category using the official birth-date range.
- Ask the student’s parent or legal guardian to open the registration form.
- Enter the school, guardian, contact and preferred-district details carefully.
- Review the information before submitting the registration.
- Keep the mobile number and email account active for the examination notice.
Official registration and guidance
Use the IRCSL page below to access the current registration form and official instructions.
Register through the official page Read the official competition guideHow will essays be evaluated?
An independent judging panel will assess essays using the following areas:
- Relevance to the selected topic
- Quality and accuracy of the content
- Structure and organisation
- Critical thinking and originality
- Language use and clarity
What happens after registration?
- Applicants wait for the examination date, time and venue.
- These details should arrive by SMS and/or email during the first two weeks of October.
- The student attends the assigned district centre and writes the essay in person.
- Evaluation will take place during October and November 2026.
- The national award ceremony is planned for November or December 2026 in Colombo.
Students looking for another school creative opportunity can also review BrightNook’s Asidisi Vidumaga School Creative Competition guide.
සිංහල සහ தமிழ் சுருக்கம்
සිංහල: රජයේ, පෞද්ගලික සහ ජාත්යන්තර පාසල්වල සුදුසුකම් ලබන වයස අවුරුදු 13–19 අතර සිසුන්ට මෙම තරගයට සහභාගී විය හැක. දෙමාපියෙකු හෝ නීත්යානුකූල භාරකරුවෙකු 2026 සැප්තැම්බර් 30 දිනට පෙර ලියාපදිංචිය සම්පූර්ණ කළ යුතුය.
தமிழ்: அரச, தனியார் மற்றும் சர்வதேசப் பாடசாலைகளில் கல்வி கற்கும் தகுதியான 13–19 வயது மாணவர்கள் பங்கேற்கலாம். பெற்றோர் அல்லது சட்டபூர்வ பாதுகாவலர் 30 செப்டம்பர் 2026க்குள் பதிவை நிறைவு செய்ய வேண்டும்.
Frequently asked questions
Is participation free?
Yes. The official competition guidance states that participation is free.
Can the student register without a parent?
No. Registration must be completed by the student’s parent or legal guardian.
Can students write the essay online?
No. The competition will be conducted in person at designated examination centres.
Can students write in Tamil?
Yes. Sinhala, Tamil and English are available.
Has the exact competition date been announced?
No exact date is stated in the current guidance. Applicants should receive their date, time and venue during the first two weeks of October 2026.
Must students submit an essay during registration?
No. The official format states that students will select one of three topics provided on the competition day.
Official sources
BrightNook.lk is an independent education-information website and is not affiliated with IRCSL, FALIA or IASL. The organisers’ latest instructions determine eligibility, registration, examination arrangements and awards.
