Which olympiad should my child take? A class-by-class guide

Every school year the circulars arrive: a maths olympiad, a science olympiad, an English one, a GK one, sometimes a reasoning or computer paper too. Each has its own form and its own preparation books. It is easy to sign up for all of them and just as easy to feel guilty about signing up for none.

The short answer is that most children do well with one or two olympiads a year, chosen by interest and stage, not by how many their classmates are taking. This guide explains what is on offer at each stage, from Class 1 to Class 12, and how to choose.

First, know the two kinds of olympiad

The word “olympiad” covers two quite different things in India.

School olympiads run by independent organisers. The best known are run by the Science Olympiad Foundation (SOF), Silverzone and Unified Council, among others. These papers are written in your child’s own school, are mostly multiple choice, follow the school syllabus with a reasoning section on top, and are open from Class 1. They give certificates, medals and ranks, and some have a second level for top scorers. For a side-by-side look at these three organisers, read SOF vs Silverzone vs Unified Council.

The national olympiad programme. This is the pathway that selects the students who represent India at international olympiads such as the International Mathematical Olympiad and the International Junior Science Olympiad. Several bodies share it. The Mathematics Teachers’ Association (India) runs IOQM, the first maths stage; the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE) runs the later maths stages and the later stages in physics, chemistry, biology and astronomy; the Indian Association of Physics Teachers (IAPT) runs the first science stage and the whole junior science olympiad; and the Indian Association for Research in Computing Science (IARCS) runs the informatics olympiad. It starts later, the questions are far harder, and the later stages ask for written proofs and explanations.

Neither kind is “the real one”. They do different jobs. One point is worth knowing, though: IAPT describes its National Standard Examinations as the only screening tests in India leading to the international science olympiads. A school olympiad medal, however well earned, is not a step on that ladder.

Watch out for a name clash too. SOF’s International Mathematics Olympiad (SOF IMO) is a school olympiad. The International Mathematical Olympiad, which India selects for through IOQM, RMO and INMO, is a different competition altogether.

Class by class

Classes 1 and 2

What is open: SOF’s maths, science, English, GK and computer olympiads all start at Class 1. Unified Council’s NSTSE, maths, English and GK papers start at Class 1, and its cyber olympiad at Class 2. Silverzone’s maths, science and English olympiads start at Class 1 as well.

What to expect: SOF’s paper at this level is 35 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes, written in school. There is no second level for Classes 1 and 2 at SOF or Silverzone.

What we suggest: treat it as optional. If your child enjoys puzzles or stories, one paper can be a nice first experience of an exam that isn’t a test of the textbook. Sitting calmly for an hour is a fair goal in itself. None at all is also a perfectly good choice.

Classes 3 to 5

What is open: everything above, plus SOF’s social studies and Hindi olympiads, which start at Class 3. Second levels begin here: SOF holds a second level for its maths, science and English olympiads from Class 3, and Silverzone does the same for its maths, science and English papers.

What to expect: from Class 5, SOF’s papers grow to 50 questions in the same 60 minutes. Nearly every paper has a logical reasoning section, so pattern and puzzle questions show up whatever the subject.

What we suggest: one or two olympiads, chosen by interest. Maths plus one more is a common pairing. Six papers in one term usually means six rushed preparations and a tired child.

Classes 6 and 7

What is open: the full range of school olympiads. This is also a good age to look beyond the textbook. The computing olympiad run by IARCS has no lower age limit, and its first round includes a written paper (ZIO) that is about logic and counting rather than coding.

What we suggest: two school olympiads at most, plus some regular problem solving at home. A child who loves maths can start looking at old IOQM papers on the HBCSE site for fun, with no pressure to “do well”.

Classes 8 to 10

What is open: school olympiads continue (Unified Council’s papers run up to Class 10, SOF’s up to Class 12). The national programme opens up:

• IOQM, the first stage of the maths olympiad pathway, is open to students in Classes 8 to 12 who fall within a birth-date window. It is usually held in September.
• NSEJS, the first stage of the junior science pathway, has an age window and is set at the Class 10 level. It is usually held in late November.
• Informatics, through IARCS’s zonal rounds, continues.

What we suggest: if your child genuinely enjoys maths or science beyond school, try one first stage of the national programme, even as a first attempt in Class 8 or 9. The papers are hard and only a small share of students move on to the next stage, so not clearing it on a first attempt is normal. If not, school olympiads remain a sound choice. For the maths route in detail, read the road to the IMO; for science, read the junior science olympiad pathway.

Classes 11 and 12

What is open: IOQM (Class 12 students compete in a separate, smaller pool when places for the next round are decided), the National Standard Examinations in physics, chemistry, biology and astronomy (set at the Class 12 level, with their own birth-date window), informatics, and SOF’s papers including its commerce olympiad for Classes 11 and 12.

What we suggest: be realistic about time. Board exams and entrance exams are close, and one serious olympiad is better than three half-hearted ones.

The options at a glance

Eligibility, dates and formats change, so always check the organiser’s own site before registering. Our olympiad calendar shows the months each one usually falls in, and the class pages, such as olympiads for Class 5 or Class 8, list what is open for each class.

Five questions to help you choose

1. Does my child already enjoy this subject? An olympiad grows an interest that exists. It rarely creates one.
2. What is the goal? Practice in reasoning, a certificate for the file, or the national pathway? Each points to a different paper.
3. How many papers fall in the same term? Count them before you sign the forms.
4. Can we prepare without squeezing out sleep, sport and free time? If not, drop one.
5. What will we do with the result? The useful part is often the question-by-question report, not the rank. Read it together and pick one thing to work on.

A sensible default

If you want a starting point rather than a rule:

• Classes 1–2: none or one.
• Classes 3–5: one or two, in subjects your child likes.
• Classes 6–7: up to two, plus regular puzzles at home.
• Classes 8–12: if your child is strong and keen in maths or science, one first stage of the national programme; otherwise one or two school olympiads.

Then adjust. A child who comes home buzzing about a question is telling you something; so is a child who dreads olympiad week.

Where Ado fits

Ado is not an olympiad and is not affiliated with any olympiad organiser. It is a free daily quiz of 8 questions across maths, science, English, GK and reasoning, ranked only against students the same age. Some families use it to keep a short, steady habit going between olympiad seasons. Preparing for a specific olympiad still means working with that olympiad’s own syllabus and past papers; our prep guides cover how.