NSO Olympiad Exam 2020-21: The Science Olympiad Foundation (SOF) conducts the National Science Olympiad (NSO) every year. NSO Exam will be conducted in 3 sets in the month of December and January. It is a Science competition that helps students judge themselves in terms of their knowledge of Science. Along with several other Olympiad exams like IGKO, IEO, IMO, and NCO, SOF NSO exam is one of the most popular exams for school students in India.
If you are looking for comprehensive information on NSO Exam Dates, then you have landed on the right page. In this article, we will talk in detail about its eligibility, key dates, application procedure, results, awards, and syllabus.
Check SOF Revised Exam Calendar 2020-21
NSO Olympiad Exam For Class 1 To 12
NSO is a scholarship exam that helps students studying in class 1 to 12 cultivate scientific reasoning and logical ability through a national-level test. Before we get into more details, let’s have an overview of NSO exam dates which is tabulated below:
| Exam conducting body | Science Olympiad Foundation (SOF) |
| Eligibility | Students from class 1 to 12 |
| Objective | To help students test their Science knowledge by competing with other students |
| Application process | Through respective schools |
| Mode of Application/ Mode of Exam | Offline |
| Exam Difficulty Level | Intermediate |
| Application Fee | ₹125 |
| Exam Duration | 1 Hour |
| Awards | Up to INR 50,000 + Gold medal + Performance certificate |
NSO Exam Dates 2020-21
SOF NSO exam date has been released. Students interested to take part in NSO must be aware of the important dates so as to avoid missing the deadlines:
| Events | Important Dates |
| NSO Registration date | Current going on (Active) |
| Last date to register | At least 30 days before the exam date |
| NSO Level 1 exam date | (Set A) – 19 & 20 December 2020 (Set B) – 9 & 10 January 2020 (Set C) – 30 & 31 January 2020 |
| Release of NSO answer keys for sets A, B, and C | February 2021 (Tentative) |
| Declaration of Level 1 Result | To be announced |
| NSO Level 2 Exam Date | April 2021 (Tentative) |
| Declaration of Level 2 Result | To be Announced |
Key Points Regarding NSO Exam 2020-21
Owing to the recent coronavirus outbreak, SOF will conduct exams with some changes to comply with the rules and regulations set by the Government of India. Some of the important changes are:
- During 2020-21, the SOF NSO exam will be conducted online only. Roll numbers, guidelines, links for exams will be sent to the students directly at their mobile numbers shared.
- The test will be organized online at the residence of students since schools are not allowed to open as per the order of the Government of India.
- Each school may select a date for conducting the SOF NSO as per its convenience from the dates mentioned above.
- The medium of the test will be English only.
- Any clarifications regarding exam date, rules & regulations, and exam pattern can be cleared from SOF through phone-call – 0124-4951200 or email at info@sofworld.org.
NSO Olympiad Exam Eligibility Criteria
Since the NSO exam is a 2-level exam, eligibility criteria is different for each level. Let’s see who can appear for the NSO Level 1 and Level 2 exam.
Eligibility For Level 1 NSO Exam
There is no specific eligibility criteria for the NSO level 1 exam. All the students from the country enrolled in Class 1 to 12 are eligible.
Eligibility For Level 2 NSO Exam
Students who qualify for the level 2 exam include:
- Top 5% of students class-wise, who appear for the 1st level exam,
- Top 25 rank holders zone-wise and class-wise, and
- Class toppers from each participating school where at least 10 students from a class appear in the exam & scores 50% qualifying marks. In case registration is received section-wise, students with the highest marks, irrespective of the section will qualify for the 2nd level. For the section-wise registrations, winner(s) of the gold medal may not necessarily qualify for the second level.
Note: Students from classes 1 and 2 are not required to appear for the 2nd level NSO exam and are ranked based on their performance in the first level.
NSO Exam Registration Process
Students of class 1 to 12 can apply for NSO through their respective schools. If however, their school is unable to participate in SOF Olympiad exams during 2020-21 because of the coronavirus pandemic, students can follow the below-mentioned process to apply online for NSO exam:
- Visit the official NSO exam registration page: https://ors.sofworld.org/studentregistration
- Fill the basic details such as School Name, School Address, Student Name, Class, Gender, Section, etc. Please ensure correct details are filled in as roll number/test links/guidelines etc will be sent as SMS/E-mail.
- Select the olympiad exam you wish to participate in as NSO.
- Please select the mode of delivery of books (Online/Offline).
- Enter the captcha and click on “Submit” to proceed for the payment.
- After you successfully pay the fees and book charges (if any), your registration will be complete.
Key Points Regarding NSO Olympiad Registration-
- -Please ensure all information filled in is accurate and complete. Information will be shared with schools and any inaccurate information filled in may lead to cancellation of registration/exam.
- -Confirmation of receipt of registrations and payment will be sent after receipt of payment.
- -Students may register till 31st October 20.
- -Students need to pay a registration fee for NSO registration. Registration fee is ₹125 for Indian students and $9 for foreign students.
NSO Exam Pattern And Marking Scheme
NSO has two levels of examination: Level 1 and Level 2. Let’s see the exam pattern and marking scheme in detail:
NSO Exam Pattern: Level-1
|
Subject
|
No. of Questions
|
Total Marks
|
|---|---|---|
| Classes 1 to 4 | ||
| Logical Reasoning | 5 (1 mark per question) |
5 |
| Science | 25 (1 mark per question) | 25 |
| Achievers Section | 5 (2 marks per question) | 10 |
| Grand Total | 35 | 40 |
| Classes 5 to 10 | ||
| Logical Reasoning | 10 (1 mark per question) |
10 |
| Science | 35 (1 mark per question) |
35 |
| Achievers section | 5 (3 marks per question) |
15 |
| Grand Total | 50 | 60 |
| Classes 11 to 12 | ||
| Physics and Chemistry | 25 (1 mark per question) |
25 |
| Achievers section | 5 (3 marks per question) |
15 |
| Mathematics or Biology | 20 (1 mark per question) |
20 |
| Grand Total | 50 | 60 |
NSO Exam Pattern: Level-2
|
Subject
|
No. of Questions
|
Total Marks
|
|---|---|---|
| Classes 3 to 4 | ||
| Science | 30 (1 mark per question) | 30 |
| Achievers section | 5 (2 marks per question) | 10 |
| Grand Total | 35 | 40 |
| Classes 5 to 10 | ||
| Science | 45 (1 mark per question) | 45 |
| Achievers section | 5 (3 marks per question) | 15 |
| Grand Total | 50 | 60 |
| Classes 11 to 12 | ||
| Physics and Chemistry | 25 (1 mark per question) | 25 |
| Achievers section | 5 (3 marks per question) |
15 |
| Mathematics or Biology | 20 (1 mark per question) |
20 |
| Grand Total | 50 | 60 |
Best Books For NSO Preparation
NSO Syllabus 2020-21
NSO syllabus can be downloaded from the official website of SOF. It consists of all the aspects of school education requirements. You can also download SOF NSO Syllabus PDF from the website of Science Olympiad Foundation, i.e, sofworld.org.
NSO Answer Key
SOF releases the NSO Answer Keys for all three sets on the official website. The NSO answer keys are generally released 3-4 weeks after the SOF NSO exam is conducted. Students can check NSO Answer Keys 2020 and arrive at a probable score. This score can then be compared with the cutoff to check whether the student will qualify for the Level 2 exam or not.
SOF NSO Result
NSO Results are declared within 7 to 8 weeks after exams are over. The results are sent to the schools concerned. They are also made available on the official website of SOF. Students can check their score using their roll number.
NSO Olympiad Awards And Scholarships
The top-performing students and schools will be felicitated with awards at the international and zonal levels. For more information regarding awards and scholarships, visit the official website of SOF.
FAQs On NSO Olympiad Exam
Below are the frequently asked questions on SOF NSO Exam:
A: Results of NSO are declared within 8 weeks of the examination and are sent to the schools concerned. The NSO Results are also made available online.
A: NSO Exam paper pattern is designed on the basis of the syllabus prescribed by the CBSE, ICSE and various state boards. One can find the exact details of the syllabus on the website of SOF.
A: NCERT books/course books prescribed by the CBSE/ICSE/state boards can be referred for preparation. Some of the best books for NSO preparation are:
1. MTG NSO class wise Workbooks (For Class 1 to 10)
2. SOF Olympiad Trainer – Mobile Apps
3. OSDS (Olympiad Skill Development System)
4. Olympiad’s Book of Reasoning (for preparation for the reasoning section of NSO)
A: Yes, SOF releases sample papers for every Olympiad exam on its official website. You can download NSO sample papers on Embibe for free.
A: Yes. This will give the students an opportunity to improve their previous rankings, and if they are successful in doing so, they will again be eligible for certificates and prizes.
Check List Of Olympiad Awards & Scholarships
We hope this detailed article on NSO Olympiad exam helped you. If you have any doubts regarding NSO exam or any other SOF exams, feel free to comment down below. We will be more than happy to assist you.
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