What it is
CREST Olympiads is a family of online olympiads run by Loyalty Square Analytic Solutions Private Limited, a company based in Gurugram. Unlike the SOF and SilverZone olympiads, which are written on paper in school, CREST’s papers are taken on a computer or tablet, and students can register either through their school or on their own.
The main subject olympiads are:
| Olympiad | Short name | Classes | Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| CREST Mathematics Olympiad | CMO | Nursery to Class 10 | Two |
| CREST Science Olympiad | CSO | Nursery to Class 10 | Two |
| CREST English Olympiad | CEO | Nursery to Class 10 | Two |
| CREST Cyber Olympiad | CCO | Classes 1–10 | One |
| CREST Reasoning Olympiad | CRO | Classes 1–10 | One |
CREST also runs a mental maths olympiad (Senior KG to Class 12), two spelling bees (Senior KG to Class 8), a drawing olympiad and the International Green Warrior Olympiad, plus olympiads for teachers. This page focuses on the five subject olympiads.
Each subject paper has two sections: a main section (such as Practical Mathematics, Practical Science, English Language, Computers and IT, or Logical Reasoning) and an Achiever’s Section of harder questions worth 2 marks each.
| Classes | Main section | Achiever’s Section | Total | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursery to Senior KG | 20 | 5 | 25 questions, 30 marks | 45 minutes |
| 1–4 | 25 | 10 | 35 questions, 45 marks | 60 minutes |
| 5–10 | 40 | 10 | 50 questions, 60 marks | 60 minutes |
The cyber and reasoning olympiads start at Class 1, so they use only the last two rows. All questions are multiple choice.
Who can take it
Students from Class 1 to Class 10 for all five subject olympiads, and from Nursery for maths, science and English. There are two ways to register:
- Through school. Schools registered with CREST receive a prospectus and send back their students’ forms.
- Individually. If the school does not take part, a parent can register the child on CREST’s website, and the child takes the exam from home.
CREST says its papers follow the syllabus of various boards, and that students can prepare from their own school board’s syllabus.
How it works
The exams are online. A student needs a laptop, desktop or tablet with a webcam and a steady internet connection; CREST says mobile phones are not allowed. Students pick a time slot within the exam window, during the day, and should book it at least two days before. For the youngest children, up to Class 1, a parent or teacher may help them through the questions.
Before each exam, CREST schedules practice tests so children can get used to the screen and timing. After each paper it publishes answer keys, and results usually follow within about a month.
Level 2 is held for the maths, science and English olympiads. Students who reach the qualifying mark in Level 1 go through; CREST’s schedule page currently describes this as the top 55.56% of Level 1 candidates in each class, so check the official site for this year’s rule. The Level 2 paper covers the same syllabus at a slightly higher difficulty. For olympiads with two levels, CREST says awards are based on the Level 2 ranking. The cyber and reasoning olympiads have one level only.
CREST describes awards for the top half of scorers, including trophies, medals and merit certificates, and a digital participation certificate for every student. The details are on the official site.
When it happens
For the five subject olympiads, Level 1 is usually held in December (maths, science and English) or January (cyber and reasoning). Level 2 for maths, science and English is usually in late January or February, with results around March. CREST advises registering well ahead, for example before November for the maths olympiad. The mental maths, summer spelling bee and drawing olympiads run on a different schedule, usually in July. All dates are on the official CREST site, and the olympiad calendar shows the usual months across organisers.
How to prepare
Practise on the screen. Answering on a computer is different from marking an OMR sheet. Use CREST’s practice tests to check the device, the webcam and how the question screen works, well before the exam day.
Set up the room. A quiet table, a charged laptop or tablet, a working webcam and nobody hovering nearby make the exam calmer. For young children, a parent sitting quietly to help with the device is fine, as CREST allows up to Class 1.
Prepare from the school syllabus. For maths and science, the school textbook is the base; revise the current year’s chapters first. For English, steady reading and grammar practice matter more than cramming.
Spend time on the Achiever’s Section. These ten questions (five for the youngest) are worth double marks. Practise a few harder problems a week, slowly, and talk through the method.
Pick one or two olympiads. CREST offers many, and each has its own date. One or two, prepared calmly over four to six weeks, is plenty for most children. The olympiad prep guide has more on planning the year.
Where daily practice fits
Ado’s free daily quiz covers the same core subjects as these olympiads, maths, science, English and reasoning, plus GK: 8 questions a day, including a 60-second sprint. It builds a daily habit of answering carefully and in good time, which helps with any timed paper. Students are ranked only against others the same age, and the Ado Rank builds from their three strongest subjects and never resets.
Good to know
CREST’s online format means it can suit families whose school does not run olympiads. For olympiads written in school on paper, see SOF’s maths and science olympiads or SilverZone’s International Olympiad of Mathematics.