SOF National Science Olympiad Syllabus for Class 1 to 12

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Author at PW

March 20, 2025

NSO's syllabus depends on CBSE, ICSE, and several state boards. If you take the second level and go on to the following class, its syllabus will stay the same (that of the previous class). The NSO examination consists of 50 questions distributed across classes 10, 11, and 12. The Olympiad has a maximum duration of one hour.

Students who are preparing for the National Science Olympiad 2024-25 must review the SOF Olympiad syllabus 2024-25. After analyzing the NSO Syllabus 2024-25, students should study the NSO examination pattern to learn about the marking system and the kind of questions answered, which will help in their preparation for the NSO examination 2024-25. The National Science Olympiad (NSO) is a Science competition for children in classes 1–12. The Science Olympiad Foundation (SOF) conducts the Olympiad examination.

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SOF National Science Olympiad Exam Pattern

The SOF Olympiad syllabus is based on the academic syllabus of CBSE, ICSE, and several state boards. The syllabus for NSO is divided into three components.

Section 1 includes the Logical Reasoning part, which consists mostly of Verbal and Nonverbal Reasoning problems.

Section 2 includes the Science part, which covers all ideas and subjects important to the student's grades. Section 3 contains the Achievers section. This part addresses higher-order thinking questions. When the previous two sections have been completed, students must complete this section of the examination.

SOF National Science Olympiad Exam Pattern
Class	SECTION	NO. OF QUESTIONS	MARKS/QUESTION	TOTAL MARKS
1st to 4th	Section – 1: Logical Reasoning	5	1	5
	Section – 2: Science	25	1	25
	Section – 3: Achievers Section	5	2	10
	Grand Total	35		40
5th to 10th	Section – 1: Logical Reasoning	10	1	10
	Section – 2: Science	35	1	35
	Section – 3: Achievers Section	5	3	15
	Grand Total	50		60
11th & 12th	Section – 1: Physics & Chemistry	25	1	25
	Section – 2: Achievers Section	5	3	15
	Section – 3: Mathematics/Biology	20	1	20
	Grand Total	50		60

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SOF National Science Olympiad Syllabus for Class 1 to 4

The SOF NSO syllabus correlates with the academic syllabus of CBSE, ICSE, and several state boards. Students from any of these boards may take the examination. The NSO syllabus is constructed in such a manner that all the ideas and theories are covered by the specified syllabus. The questions may be presented in a twisted form to test the student's abilities and encourage them to answer questions of various difficulty levels. The NSO syllabus for Class 1 is provided below.

SOF National Science Olympiad Syllabus for Class 1 to 4
Section of the exam	Name of the section	Topics included in the section
Section 1	Logical reasoning	Verbal and Non-verbal reasoning Spatial Understanding Grouping Measuring Units Analogy Geometrical Shapes Patterns Odd One Out Ranking Test Patterns Series Completion Coding-Decoding Analogy and Classification Mirror Images Embedded Figures Alphabet Test Figure Matrix Days and Dates Possible Combinations Direction Sense Test
Section 2	Science Section	The concepts and topics related to Science Subject Living and Non-living things Plants, Animals Human Beings and Their Needs Food and Digestion Good Habits Safety Rules Air Water Weather The Sky Food, Housing and Clothing Family and Festivals Transport and Communication Rocks Earth and Universe Matter and Materials Light and Sound Force Our Environment Work and Energy
Section 3	Achievers Section	This section deals with Higher-Order Thinking Questions. The topics for this section are the same as section 2 but the difficulty level would be a little more.

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SOF National Science Olympiad Syllabus for Class 5 to 8

The syllabus for NSO is based on the regular syllabus that students study in Class 5 to 8. Students from any academic board, including CBSE, ICSE, and numerous state boards, may study the syllabus from the directed academic syllabus. The NSO syllabus from 5 to 8 is provided below.

SOF National Science Olympiad Syllabus for Class 5 to 8
Section of the exam	Name of the section	Topics included in the section
Section 1	Logical Reasoning	Verbal and Non-verbal reasoning Patterns Analogy and Classification Coding-Decoding Geometrical Shapes Mirror Images Water Images Embedded Figures Direction Sense Test Ranking Test Alphabet Test Logical Sequence of Words Puzzle Test
Section 2	Science Section	The concepts and topics related to Science Subject Plants Animals Human Body and Health Plants Natural Resources and Indian Heritage Pollution and Climate Earth and Universe Matter and Materials Force and Energy Motion and Measurement of Distances Light, Shadows and Reflections Electricity and Circuits Fun with Magnets Our Environment ( The topics here are Water, Air Around us, Garbage in, and Garbage out) Sorting and Separation of Materials Changes Around Us The World of Living (The topics here are Characteristics of Living Beings, Parts of Plants, Body Movements in Animals and Adaptation) Food and its Components Fibre to Fabric Heat, Motion and Time Winds, Storms and Cyclones Acids, Bases and Salts Physical and Chemical Changes Weather Climate and Adaptations of Animals to Climate Nutrition in Plants and Animals Respiration in Organisms Transportation in Plants and Animals Reproduction in Plants 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
Section 3	Achievers Section	This section deals with Higher-Order Thinking Questions. The topics for this section are the same as section 2 but the difficulty level would be a little more.

SOF National Science Olympiad Syllabus for Class 9 to 10

The NSO syllabus closely follows the academic syllabus of CBSE, ICSE, and several state boards. The NSO syllabus is based on the ideas and theories that the candidate would be learning throughout that academic year. The questions in the NSO Olympiad exam come from the syllabus, however they are challenging. Here is a list of the NSO syllabus from classes 9 to 10.

SOF National Science Olympiad Syllabus for Class 9 to 10
Section of the exam	Name of the section	Topics included in the section
Section 1	Logical Reasoning	Verbal and Non-verbal reasoning
Section 2	Science Section	The concepts and topics related to Science Subject 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 Chemical Reactions and Equations Acids, Bases and Salts Metals and Non-metals Carbon and Its Compounds Periodic Classification of Elements Life Processes Control and Coordination 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
Section 3	Achievers Section	This section deals with Higher-Order Thinking Questions. The topics for this section are the same as section 2 but the difficulty level would be a little more.

SOF National Science Olympiad Syllabus for Class 11 to 12

The NSO syllabus focusses on the courses that grade 11 and 12 students would study. Students from any academic board, including CBSE, ICSE, and other state boards, are eligible to sit the examination. The program includes ideas and concepts from the Class 11 and Class 12 science textbook syllabuses. The NSO syllabus for class 11, and 12 is provided here.

SOF National Science Olympiad Syllabus for Class 11 to 12
Section of the exam	Name of the section	Topics included in the section
Section 1	Physics and Chemistry	The topics in Physics are Units and Measurements Mechanics Properties of Matter Heat and Thermodynamics Oscillations Wave Electricity and Magnetism Electromagnetic Induction Alternating current Electromagnetic waves Optics Modern Physics Semiconductor Electronics Communication Syste The topics in Chemistry are 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. 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.
Section 2	Achievers Section	This section deals with Higher-Order Thinking Questions. The topics for this section are the same as section 1 but the difficulty level would be a little more.
Section 3	Mathematics / Biology	The topics in the Mathematics section are 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. 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. The topics in the Biology section are Diversity in the Living World Structural Organisation in Plants and Animals Cell: Structure and Functions Plant Physiology Human Physiology. Reproduction Genetics and Evolution Biology in Human Welfare Biotechnology Ecology

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q1 - How many levels of examination are there?

Ans - There are two stages to the exam: level 1 and level 2. Students in grades 1 and 2 will only take level 1 examinations.

Q2 - What is the benefit of the NSO examination?

Ans - NSO focusses primarily on learning and how to apply that information in everyday life. You will be able to answer questions in different methods and formats.

Q3 - What is the NSO Olympiad syllabus?

Ans - The NSO syllabus revolves around the CBSE, ICSE, and many state board syllabuses.

Q4 - What are the eligibility criteria for the level 2 exam?

Ans - To take the second level of the NSO examination, a student must be in the top 5% of their class.

Q5 - Where can the students find NSO previous year papers?

Ans - Students may get NSO's previous examinations on the official website.

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