How to Run a Virtual Stock Trading Competition at Your University
A virtual stock trading competition gives students a reason to follow the market for a whole semester, with nothing at risk. It is free to run on Pak Stock Exchange: every student gets the same practice money and trades real PSX companies at real end-of-day prices. This checklist takes a finance society, career centre or business school from idea to winner.
What Pak Stock Exchange handles, and what you do
- A private competition with its own password and dates
- The same practice money for everyone
- Real PSX end-of-day prices on 400+ companies
- A rankings page
- The goal, dates and rules
- Telling students and getting them to join
- A kick-off session and weekly updates
- Announcing winners and any prizes
The checklist
1. Decide the goal and the audience
- Who is it for: your society only, a whole faculty, or several universities?
- What do you want out of it: learning, a leaderboard people talk about, or a recruitment drive for the society?
2. Choose the dates
- Long enough for prices to move and for students to make several decisions, short enough to stay exciting. A few weeks to a semester works for most societies.
- Avoid exams and holidays at the start. Note the last day: orders can no longer be placed in a competition once it is too close to the end to be processed.
3. Set the rules
- Who can join: students aged 18 or over, one account each.
- How the winner is decided: the best portfolio performance at the end date, as shown on the rankings page.
- Optional rules of your own, for example a minimum number of stocks or a limit on one company. The site ranks portfolios by performance and does not enforce extra rules, so agree them by honour.
- Prizes: optional. If a company would like to fund them, see for sponsors.
4. Request the competition
Fill in the short form on the For Universities page with who you are, roughly how many students, and the dates you want. We create the private competition, send you its password, and agree the dates and starting amount with you.
5. Announce it
- Share one clear message: what it is, the dates, the password and how to join (create a free account, enter the password, trade).
- Use the places students already look: society and class WhatsApp groups, Instagram, notice boards and lecture announcements.
- Say plainly that no real money is involved.
6. Run a short kick-off session
Twenty minutes is enough. Show students how to sign up, find a company, place a first order, and see their portfolio. Explain that orders are filled at the closing price when each day’s data is processed, so there is no need to watch the market all day. Point beginners to a 4-week plan for practising with a virtual portfolio and the common trading mistakes.
7. Keep it alive during the competition
- Post the rankings every week and name a “mover of the week”.
- Share one short tip a week from the knowledge base or the free tools.
- Run one mid-way session: how to read a company page, risk and diversification.
8. Close the competition
- Remind students of the last day a few days before it.
- After the end date, check the final rankings page and confirm the winners.
9. Announce winners and learn from it
- Announce the winners and share the final rankings.
- Ask students what they learnt, and ask the winners how they chose their stocks.
- Decide on the next round: a new competition starts everyone with a fresh balance.
Sample timeline
| When | What |
|---|---|
| 3 to 4 weeks before | Agree the goal, dates and rules. Send the request. |
| 2 weeks before | Receive the password. Start announcing. |
| Week 1 | Kick-off session. Students join and place first orders. |
| Every week | Post the rankings and one tip. |
| Half-way | Mid-way session on reading companies and managing risk. |
| Last week | Reminder about the last day. |
| After the end date | Confirm winners, announce, collect feedback, plan the next round. |
Questions from societies
How can a university finance society organise a virtual stock trading competition in Pakistan?
Send a short request on the For Universities page with your numbers and dates. Pak Stock Exchange sets up a private competition with its own password, dates and rankings page. Students sign up free, enter the password and trade with practice money at real PSX end-of-day prices. The society then announces the competition, runs it and announces the winner.
Does it cost anything?
No. There are no fees for the university, the society or the students. Every student starts with practice money and cannot add or withdraw funds.
How is the winner decided?
Rankings depend on how each portfolio has performed by the end date, so the society can announce a winner. Any extra rules, such as a minimum number of stocks, are the society's own and are agreed by honour.
Can several societies or universities compete together?
Yes. Several societies or universities can compete in one competition with one password. Tell us when you ask.
Can students under 18 take part?
No. Pak Stock Exchange is for people aged 18 and over.
Can we offer prizes?
That is up to you. If a company would like to fund prizes, see the For Sponsors page.
Ready to run one? Send the short request. It is free.
Start a challenge at your universityLast checked October 2026. Pak Stock Exchange is an educational simulator and does not provide investment advice. See our disclaimer.
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