SOF vs CREST: which olympiad suits your child?
Both run school olympiads on the school syllabus, with a certificate for every child. They differ in who can register, where your child sits the paper, the fee and the rounds.
- your child's school already runs SOF olympiads: registration is only through the school
- you want the lower fee: from ₹170 against ₹275
- you want to register your child yourself
- you want the option of sitting it from home
- your child is in pre-primary: CREST has olympiads for those years; SOF starts at Class 1
- you want to see the answer key and challenge a mistake
Side by side
| SOF | CREST | |
|---|---|---|
| Olympiads | 8, Classes 1 to 12 | 9, Nursery to Class 10 (Mental Maths up to 12) |
| Who registers | Through the school only; if your school doesn't run it, it can sign up free | You or the school |
| Where | On paper, in your child's school | Online, at home: you book a slot between 11 AM and 7 PM |
| Fee (India) | ₹170 per olympiad; the school may add up to ₹30 | ₹275 per subject, with 2 online practice tests |
| Paper | 35 questions (Classes 1 to 4) or 50 (Class 5 up), 60 minutes | 25 questions (Nursery to Sr KG, 45 minutes), 35 (Classes 1 to 4) or 50 (Class 5 up) in 60 minutes |
| Rounds | Level 2 for maths, science and English (Classes 3 to 12) | Level 2 for 5 of its 9 olympiads (top 55.56% of each class) |
| Maths dates 2026-27 | IMO: 23 Oct (held), 26 Nov, 10 Dec 2026 | CMO: 10 Dec, 19 Dec 2026 |
| Last date to register | Through the school, usually 30 days before the exam date | Book an exam slot at least 2 days ahead |
| Results | Within 8 weeks, to the school and on SOF's results page | Final results within a month of the last answer-key date |
| Negative marking | Not published | None in English, Reasoning, Green, Mental Maths and the summer Spell Bee; maths, science and cyber don't say |
Full details: every SOF olympiad · every CREST olympiad · IMO · CMO
Which is better, SOF or CREST?
Neither is better for every child. Start with which one your child can take (one is through the school and the other you can register for yourself), then pick the subjects your child enjoys.
Is CREST easier than SOF?
Neither organiser publishes a difficulty comparison. What can be compared is the paper. SOF: 35 questions (Classes 1 to 4) or 50 (Class 5 up), 60 minutes. CREST: 25 questions (Nursery to Sr KG, 45 minutes), 35 (Classes 1 to 4) or 50 (Class 5 up) in 60 minutes.
Can my child take both?
Yes. They are separate organisers with separate papers. On 3 days in 2026-27 both hold an exam, so check the two dates before you register; where the school picks one of several dates, or you pick an online slot, a clash can usually be avoided.
Is SOF or CREST online or offline?
SOF: on paper, in your child's school. CREST: online, at home: you book a slot between 11 AM and 7 PM.
Which olympiads can be taken from home?
Every olympiad date for 2026-27