Olympiads in one picture
1. The whole journey
- Sign upThrough school, or for some olympiads, on your own.
- PractiseSchool syllabus (CBSE, ICSE, state boards), plus some harder thinking questions.
- Level 1 examMultiple choice, usually 30 to 65 minutes, on paper in school or online. Each organiser sets its own dates.
Every 2026-27 date - ResultsUsually in 1 to 2 months (up to 3 for the Cyber Olympiad), sent to the school and shown on the organiser's website.
- Level 2Only in some olympiads, for the best scorers of Level 1.
- Certificates and awardsA certificate for every child; medals, gifts and cash for toppers.
2. Where does my child sit the exam?
- SOF: the school picks one of the dates.
- CREST: you book a slot between 11 AM and 7 PM.
- IOF: any time from 5 to 8 PM on exam day, at home, with a parent watching.
3. Who can sign my child up?
Only the school
- SOF. If your school doesn't take part, send SOF its name and address, and SOF will write to the school.
- Indian Talent, for the paper exam (the school needs 40 or more children taking it)
- International Cyber Olympiad (the school sends the list of children)
You, or the school
- CREST (online)
- IOF (online)
- SilverZone
- Humming Bird
- Unified Council, for the online exam
- Indian Talent, for the online exam
4. How many rounds?
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3
| SOF Maths, Science and English (Classes 3 to 12) | |
| SOF's other subjects, and Classes 1 and 2 | |
| SilverZone Maths, Science and English | |
| SilverZone's other subjects | |
| CREST Maths, Science and English (Nursery to Class 10) | |
| Indian Talent online exam | |
| International Cyber Olympiad (Classes 3 to 10) |
Who goes to the next round?
- SOF (Classes 3 to 12): the top 5% of each class worldwide, the top 25 of each class in each zone, and each school's class topper (when 10 or more children took the exam and the topper scored 50% or more). Classes 1 and 2 are ranked on Level 1 alone.
- SilverZone: Level 2 for children ranked 4th to 1003rd in Level 1 with 50% or more, and for school toppers with 75% or more where 100 or more children took the subject. Level 3 for the international first-rank holders of Classes 6 to 12 in Level 2.
- CREST: the top 55.56% of each class in Level 1, and from Nursery to Class 1, every child with 60% or more.
- International Cyber Olympiad (Classes 3 to 10): 80% or more in Round 1.
- Indian Talent online exam: the qualifiers of Round 1 (the cut-off is not published).
5. What does the paper look like?
- Younger classes get fewer questions. SOF and CREST: 35 for Classes 1 to 4, and 50 from Class 5. SilverZone: 25 questions in 40 minutes for Classes 1 and 2.
- CREST online: from Nursery to Class 1, a parent or teacher may explain the questions to the child.
6. What does it cost?
- Each subject has its own fee.
- SOF: the school may add up to ₹30. Free for children with a major physical disability and for children of soldiers killed in defence operations.
- SilverZone shows its fee when you register.
- Outside India: SOF US$11, CREST US$15.
7. What does my child get?
A certificate and a strengths-and-weaknesses report (SOF: both for every child; Unified Council: a certificate for every child, the report if chosen at registration).
School and zonal medals (SOF: gold for the top 25 per zone and class).
Cash prizes and international medals. SOF Level 2: ₹50,000 for 1st to ₹5,000 for 5th.
Quick answers
Can my child take more than one olympiad?
Yes. Each olympiad is a separate exam with its own fee, so a child can take several in a year, from one organiser or from many.
Is there negative marking?
Unified Council: none. CREST: none in its English, Reasoning, Green Warrior and Mental Maths olympiads (Mental Maths since 2025) or the Spell Bee's summer round; its Maths, Science and Cyber olympiads do not say. SOF, SilverZone, Humming Bird, Indian Talent, IOF and the Cyber Olympiad do not say either; check the paper's instructions on the day.
What syllabus is it?
The school syllabus (CBSE, ICSE, state boards). SOF Level 2 uses the syllabus of the class the child was in at Level 1, even if they have moved up by then.
My child's school does not do olympiads. What now?
Pick one you can register for yourself: CREST, IOF, SilverZone, Humming Bird, or the online exams of Unified Council and Indian Talent. For SOF, ask the school, or send SOF the school's name, address and principal's contact, and SOF will write to it.
When are the 2026-27 olympiad dates?
Each organiser sets its own dates, and a school that runs SOF picks one of SOF's dates. Every date, month by month: the 2026-27 calendar.
Every olympiad date for 2026-27
Olympiads compared
Are olympiads worth it?