Overview
The National Science Olympiad starts with an examination held at numerous schools across the country and culminates with the international Olympiads at different corners of the world. The national level examinations are designed to assess conceptual understanding, logical reasoning, laboratory skills, and above all, the ability to apply problem-solving skills to novel situations, both theoretical and experimental. Training is included from the third stage of the programme and the first two stages do not necessarily require any specialised coaching outside the regular school system.
Official website: https://olympiads.hbcse.tifr.res.in/
- Stage 1: National Standard Examination (NSE)
- Stage 2: Indian National Olympiads (INOs)
- Stage 3: Orientation-cum-Selection Camps (OCSCs)
- Stage 4: Pre-Departure Camp
- Stage 5: International Olympiads
Important Dates 2026
Syllabus
Syllabus for NSEJS:
syllabus-for-nse-ino-2022-2023.pdf
Syllabus for INO:
Junior science syllabus
Official Updates Feed
ELIGIBILITY FOR NSEJS
A student needs to satisfy all the criteria listed below in order to appear for
the NSE in Junior Science (NSEJS).
- Must be eligible to hold an Indian passport.
- Date of birth between 1 Jan 2012 and 31 Dec 2013, both days inclusive.
- Must be residing and studying in India since 30 November 2024 or earlier.
OR
Must be studying in an Indian school system since 30 November 2024 or earlier - Must not have completed (or scheduled to complete) class 10 board examination earlier than 30 November 2026.
- Must not be appearing in any of NSEA, NSEB, NSEC or NSEP 2026.
ENROLMENT FOR NSEJS
Enrolment at student’s own school/college: A student can enrol for NSEJS
at his/her own institution if it is a registered NSEJS centre (see below for
registration of NSEJS centres). The principal would be the contact person for
this purpose.
Direct Enrolment: If a student’s own institution is not a registered NSEJS
centre, it is still possible to participate in NSEJS by enrolling directly on the
IAPT website: www.iapt.org.in.
Enrolment fees: Rs. 300/- per student per subject.
Enrolment dates: 21 August – 14 September, 2025 (check IAPT website)
ELIGIBILITY FOR INO
To be announced
SELECTION PROCEDURE FOR OCSCs
To be announced
SCHEDULE OF OCSC
To be announced
Duration of Examination
Mode of Examination
Choice of Medium of Question Papers
Marking Scheme
A) 48 multiple choice questions with one alternative correct. +3 marks credit for correct choice. –1 mark penalty for incorrect choice.
B) 12 multiple choice questions each of six marks with one or more than one correct alternatives. To get credit, all the correct option(s) and no incorrect option(s) should be marked.