National Science Olympiad (NSO) is a yearly examination conducted by Science Olympiad Foundation (SOF) for school students. The focus of this exam is to develop scientific reasoning and logical ability among the students. It is aimed at developing scientific curiosity among young minds and providing them with a foundation. The students are selected after a rigorous selection process which consists of 2 levels. To read more about the National Science Olympiad, read this article.
Registration Process, Roll Numbers and Fees:
- Students from std. 1 to 12 can participate in the National Science Olympiad. Schools registered with the Science Olympiad Foundation (SOF) will receive a prospectus. As for the schools which are not registered with the SOF, can make a request for the prospectus by sending an e-mail to info@sofworld.org/.
- To participate, the schools must return the registration forms to the SOF, duly filled in all respects before the due date.
- The school’s coordinating teacher will generate Roll Numbers for the students as per the guidelines given.
- A copy of the roll numbers along with the Students’ Registration Sheet (SRS) and School Registration Form (SRF) should be sent to the SOF’s office before the due date.
- Thereafter the SOF will register the applicant school and its students and dispatch question papers and guidelines for conducting the examination.
- The National Science Olympiad Level 1 is conducted on two dates. Each school may select a date for conducting the NSO as per its convenience. Each date of exam has a separate question paper. Change of date for conducting the NSO is not permitted.
- Students must register through their respective schools only. Individual registrations by students will be not accepted.
- A nominal fee for participation is charged for each student. Part of which is retained by the school for conducting as exam centre. Details regarding the fee/ mode of payment etc. are available in the School Registration Forms sent to schools.
Important dates for National Science Olympiad (NSO)
The important dates regarding the application
| Exam Name | Exam date 1 | Exam date 2 |
| 11th NSO Level 1 | 9th November 2017 | 23rd November 2017 |
| 11th NSO Level 2 | – | – |
Exam pattern (for level 1 and level 2):
Level 1: The first level of the test is organized in the respective schools of the participants during school hours.
- The National Science Olympiad level 1 competition is an objective-type test of 60 minutes duration comprising 35 objective-type (Multiple Choice questions) for class 1 to class 4 and 50 objective-type (Multiple Choice questions) for class 5 to class 12.
- The question paper will consist of three sections:
For Class 1 to Class 10:
- Section-1: Logical Reasoning
- Section-2: Science
- Section-3: Achievers Section
For Class 11 and Class 12:
- Section-1: Physics/Chemistry
- Section-2: Achievers Section
- Section-3 : Mathematics/Biology
- There are separate question papers for each class.
- The test is conducted in English.
- CBSE, ICSE/ISC and State Board syllabi are followed for setting the test papers.
Level 2: The level 2 is conducted for students of class 3 to class 12. The qualifiers to second round would include the following:
- Top 5% of students class-wise who appear for the 1st level of the examination.
- State-wise and zone-wise top 25 rank-holders.
- Class topper where at least 10 students from a class appear for the exam & scores 50% qualifying marks. In case of section wise registration, students with highest marks irrespective of the section will qualify for the level 2.
| CLASS | SECTION | NO. OF QUESTIONS | MARKS/QUESTION | TOTAL MARKS |
| 1st to 4th | Logical Reasoning | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| Science | 25 | 1 | 25 | |
| Achievers Section | 5 | 2 | 10 | |
| Grand Total | 35 | 40 | ||
| 5th to 10th | Logical Reasoning | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Science | 35 | 1 | 35 | |
| Achievers Section | 5 | 3 | 15 | |
| Grand Total | 50 | 60 | ||
| 11th to 12th | Physics & Chemistry | 25 | 1 | 25 |
| Achievers Section | 5 | 3 | 15 | |
| Mathematics/Biology | 20 | 1 | 20 | |
| Grand Total | 50 | 60 |
NOTE:
- Questions of level-I Olympiad exams will be 60% from the current class syllabus and 40% from the previous class syllabus, e.g. Class-7 National Science Olympiad exam will have 60% questions from class-7 syllabus and 40% questions from class 6 syllabus.
- Questions of level-II Olympiad exams will be from current class syllabus only.
- Questions in ACHIEVERS SECTION will be from current class syllabus only.
Syllabus for National Science Olympiad
| Class | Section 1 | Section 2 | Section 3 |
| Class 1 | Spatial Understanding, Grouping,Measuring Units, Analogy, Geometrical Shapes, Patterns, Odd One Out, Ranking Test. | Living and Non-living things, Plants, Animals, Human Beings and Their Needs, Good Habits and Safety Rules, Air and Water, Weather and the Sky. | Higher Order Thinking Questions – Syllabus as per Section – 2. |
| Class 2 | Patterns, Measuring Units, Odd One Out, Series Completion, Geometrical Shapes, Analogy, Ranking Test, Grouping of Figures, Coding-Decoding, Embedded Figures. | Plants, Animals, Human Body, Food, Housing and Clothing, Family and Festivals, Occupations, Good Habits and Safety Rules, Transport and Communication, Air, Water and Rocks, Earth and Universe. | Higher Order Thinking Questions – Syllabus as per Section – 2. |
| Class 3 | Patterns, Analogy and Classification, Coding-Decoding, Mirror Images, Embedded Figures, Alphabet Test, Ranking Test, Grouping of Figures, Figure Matrix, Geometrical Shapes, Days and Dates & Possible Combinations. | Plants and Animals, Birds, Food, Housing and Clothing, Transport and Communication, Human Body, Earth and Universe, Matter and Materials, Light, Sound and Force, Our Environment. | Higher Order Thinking Questions – Syllabus as per Section – 2. |
| Class 4 | Patterns, Alphabet Test, Coding-Decoding, Mirror Images, Embedded Figures, Geometrical Shapes and Solids, Ranking Test, Direction Sense Test, Days and Dates & Possible Combinations, Analogy and Classification. | Plants, Animals, Food and Digestion, Clothing, Matter and Materials, Force, Work and Energy, Our Environment, Earth and Universe. | Higher Order Thinking Questions – Syllabus as per Section – 2. |
| Class 5 | Patterns, Analogy and Classification, Coding-Decoding, Geometrical Shapes, Mirror Images, Water Images, Embedded Figures, Direction Sense Test, Ranking Test, Alphabet Test and Logical Sequence of Words, Puzzle Test. | Animals, Human Body and Health, Plants, Natural Resources, Pollution and Calamities, Earth and Universe, Matter, Force, Work and Energy. | Higher Order Thinking Questions – Syllabus as per Section – 2. |
| Class 6 | Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning. | Motion and Measurement of Distances, Light, Shadows and Reflections, Electricity and Circuits, Fun with Magnets, Our Environment, Sorting and Separation of Materials, Changes Around Us, The World of Living (Characteristics of Living Beings, Parts of Plants, Body Movements in Animals and Adaptation), Food and its Components, Fibre to Fabric. | Higher Order Thinking Questions – Syllabus as per Section – 2. |
| Class 7 | Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning. | Heat, Motion and Time, Electric Current and its Effects, Winds, Storms and Cyclones, Light, Acids, Bases and Salts, Physical and Chemical Changes, Weather, Climate and Adaptations of Animals to Climate, Fibre to Fabric, Nutrition in Plants and Animals, Respiration in Organisms, Transportation in Plants and Animals, Reproduction in Plants, Natural Resources and Their Conservation. | Higher Order Thinking Questions – Syllabus as per Section – 2. |
| Class 8 | Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning. | Crop Production and Management, Microorganisms, Synthetic Fibres and Plastics, Metals and Non-metals, Coal and Petroleum, Combustion and Flame, Conservation of Plants and Animals, Cell, Reproduction and Endocrine System, Force and Pressure, Friction, Sound, Chemical Effects of Electric Current, Some Natural Phenomena, Light, Stars and the Solar System, Pollution of Air and Water. | Higher Order Thinking Questions – Syllabus as per Section – 2. |
| Class 9 | Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning. | Motion, Force and Laws of Motion, Gravitation, Work and Energy, Sound, Matter in Our Surroundings, Is Matter Around Us Pure, Atoms and Molecules, Structure of Atom, Cell-The Fundamental Unit of Life, Tissues, Diversity in Living Organisms, Why Do We Fall III, Natural Resources, Improvement in Food Resources. | Higher Order Thinking Questions – Syllabus as per Section – 2. |
| Class 10 | Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning. | Chemical Reactions and Equations, Acids, Bases and Salts, Metals and Non-metals, Carbon and Its Compounds, Periodic Classification of Elements, Life Processes, Reproduction in Organisms, Heredity and Evolution, Light-Reflection and Refraction, Human Eye and Colourful World, Electricity, Magnetic Effects of Electric Current, Sources of Energy, Our Environment and Its Management. | Higher Order Thinking Questions – Syllabus as per Section – 2. |
| Class 11 | Physics : Units and Measurements, Mechanics, Properties of Matter, Heat and Thermodynamics, Oscillations, Waves.
Chemistry : Some Basic Concepts of Chemistry, Structure of Atom, Classification of Elements and Periodicity in Properties, Chemical Bonding and Molecular Structure, States of Matter, Thermodynamics, Equilibrium, Redox Reactions, Hydrogen, The s-Block Elements, The p-Block Elements (Groups 13 and 14), Organic Chemistry – Some Basic Principles and Techniques, Hydrocarbons, Environmental Chemistry. |
Higher Order Thinking Questions – Syllabus as per Section – 1. | Sets, Relations and Functions, Principle of Mathematical Induction, Logarithms, Complex Numbers & Quadratic Equations, Linear Inequations, Sequences and Series, Trigonometry, Straight Lines, Conic Sections, Permutations and Combinations, Binomial Theorem, Statistics, Mathematical Reasoning, Limits and Derivatives, Probability, Introduction to 3-D Geometry. OR
Diversity in the Living World, Structural Organisation in Plants and Animals, Cell : Structure and Functions, Plant Physiology, Human Physiology. |
| Class 12 | Physics : Electricity and Magnetism, Electromagnetic Induction, Alternating current, Electromagnetic waves, Optics, Modern Physics, Semiconductor Electronics, Communication Systems. Chemistry : Solid State, Solutions, Electrochemistry, Chemical Kinetics, Surface Chemistry, General Principles and Processes of Isolation of Elements, p-Block Elements (Group 15 to 18), d- & f-Block Elements, Coordination Compounds, Haloalkanes and Haloarenes, Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers, Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic Acids, Amines, Biomolecules, Polymers, Chemistry in Everyday Life. |
Higher Order Thinking Questions – Syllabus as per Section – 1. | Relations and Functions, Inverse Trigonometric Functions, Matrices and Determinants, Continuity and Differentiability, Application of Derivatives, Integrals, Application of Integrals, Differential Equations, Vector Algebra, Three Dimensional Geometry, Probability, Linear Programming. OR Section – 3 : Reproduction, Genetics and Evolution, Biology in Human Welfare, Biotechnology, Ecology. |
Preparation plan/tips for the NSO :
1. Practice Sample Papers:
Attempting sample papers will help you understand the examination better. Also, it will give you an idea about the difficulty of the examination. The previous year’s papers will also prove to be handy in this case. The sample papers can be obtained from the official website.
2. Study from relevant books:
You can refer the NCERT/ Course Books prescribed by CBSE/ICSE/State boards. The following study material could also prove to be used for your preparation:
- MTG Class wise Workbooks (For Class 1 to 12)
- ‘SOF Olympiad Trainer’ Mobile Apps
- OSDS (Olympiad Skill Development System)
- Previous Years’ Papers
- Olympiads’ Books of Reasoning (for preparation for the reasoning section of Olympiads)
- The 100 Percent Real Test Papers
- E-Quiz
3. Understand the exam pattern:
It is imperative for you to understand the National Science Olympiad exam pattern. This will help you to channelize your preparation well.
4. Get acquainted to the difficulty level:
When you appear for the exams like the National Science Olympiad, you will face questions of varying difficulty levels. Thus, you should expose yourselves to different types of questions so that you can swiftly sail through the examination.
Ranking Criterion for Level 1 and Level 2
The ranking criterion for both the levels of the National Science Olympiad will remain same as that for the IMO. As we now level one is open form Std. 1 to Std. 12 and Level 2 is open from Std. 3 to Std.12. To know more about the ranking criterion you can click here.
For further details, read the following article
Frequently Asked Questions
Q - How does a student benefit from the Olympiad exam?
Answer – Participants of Olympiads are ranked on the basis of marks obtained. Hence, after taking the first level of the test, students can judge themselves academically at four different levels – within the school, at city level, at zonal level and above all at International level.
Each student is provided a Student Performance Report (SPR). The SPR analyses the strong and weak areas of the student and also gives a detailed performance comparison of the student vis-à-vis other students at school, state and International level. Analysis of the student’s past 8 years’ performance is also provided.
Q - Who are eligible to sit for the Olympiad examination?
Answer – Students of classes 1 to 12th are eligible to appear for the 1st level Olympiads. There is no other eligibility criterion like minimum marks. Students from classes 1 and 2 are not required to appear for the 2nd level exam and are ranked based on their performance in the first level exam.
Q - I am interested to take part in the Olympiads. Tell me how will I come to know about the exam?
Answer – All the relevant information is sent to the schools registered with us across countries, along with prospectus, registration forms, posters and other details before the first round of exams and then as the date and venue of the second level is decided, the information is sent to the relevant schools again. The students come to know about the necessary details from their school teachers or through the SOF official website www.sofworld.org or through the SOF facebook page facebook.com/sofworld.
Q - I and my friends are interested to take part in the Olympiad but our school hasn’t received any information regarding the Olympiad. What can we do?
Answer – Sent an e-mail to SOF with the name, e-mail ID, complete address of your school along with name and contact details of the Principal. It will send detailed information and registration forms to your School so that your Principal / Olympiad Teacher-in-charge can register your names for the exam.
Q - My school does not want to register for the Olympiad but I eagerly want to what can I do?
Answer – SOF does not encourage individual participation. Students have to register through their schools only.
Q - I have already appeared for the Olympiads in the lower classes, can I reappear for the exam?
Answer – Certainly, this will give you an opportunity to improve your previous rankings, and if you are successful in doing so, you will again be eligible for certificates and prizes.
Q - My school has already dispatched the registration forms, I am left out what can I do?
Answer – You can request your school authority to send your relevant details and fee immediately to the SOF. SOD will accept it if it reaches us before the last date of registration (usually 30 days before the exam).
Q - When are the results for the Olympiads declared?
Answer – Results of Olympiads are declared within 8 weeks of the examination. The results are sent to the schools concerned. The results are also made available on our website.
Q - Can I take part in more than one Olympiad exam?
Answer – Although conducted by the same Foundation, NCO, IMO, NSO, IEO, ICSO & IGKO are completely different competitions. Students can register for all the 6 Olympiads in a year.
Q - I have cleared the second level of the Olympiad and I am eligible for an award but I have changed my school, what can I do?
Answer – As soon as the date and venue of the presentation ceremony is released, the information is sent to the schools concerned and the dates are also shared on SOF’s website www.sofworld.org or on the facebook page www.facebook.com/sofworld.
Q - I have not received my Roll no./Admit Card/ Participation Certificate. My school is yet to receive the same. What can we do?
Answer – Please request your Principal / Mathematics Teacher to inform us about the non-receipt of the above. We will send duplicate copies to your school as soon as we hear from them.
Q - Are Olympiads conducted in English only?
Answer – Yes