Olympiads

Olympiads in India are primarily categorized into Government-supported national competitions (leading to international representation) and Private foundation exams (for skill assessment and school-level ranking).

As of April 14, 2026, the 2025–26 cycle is concluding, and the registration phase for the 2026–27 academic year is just beginning.

1. HBCSE (Government-backed) Olympiads

These are the most prestigious and lead to the official Indian teams for International Olympiads (IMO, IPhO, IChO, etc.).

2. Private Foundation Olympiads (SOF, SilverZone)

These are popular for school students (Class 1–12) to test competitive skills against peers globally.

SOF (Science Olympiad Foundation)

• Status: The 2025–26 level 2 results were released in March 2026.

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• Upcoming (2026-27): Registration for the new session opens in April/May 2026. Schools must register by July/August.

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• Key Exams: NSO (Science), IMO (Math), IEO (English), IGKO (GK), ICSO (Cyber).

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SilverZone Foundation

• Status: Level 3 (International) exams for the current cycle are scheduled for May–June 2026.

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• Upcoming (2026-27): Application deadlines typically fall in August 2026.

3. Preparation Strategy (2026-27 Session)

If you are planning to participate in the upcoming session, follow this timeline:

1. April - June: Focus on building a strong foundation in NCERT/Standard textbooks. Most Olympiad syllabi are 1-2 levels higher than your current school grade.

2. July - August: Finalize your registrations. Most schools handle this, but for exams like IOQM, you might need to register individually.

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3. September - December: This is the peak "Exam Season." Most first-level exams (SOF, SilverZone, NSEs) happen during these months.

Important Links

• HBCSE (National Level): olympiads.hbcse.tifr.res.in

• SOF: sofworld.org

• SilverZone: silverzone.org