# SOF National Science Olympiad (SOF NSO) — Shishya exam context

> Machine-readable context for SOF National Science Olympiad, maintained by Shishya (https://shishya.in) — India's end-to-end free government exam preparation platform. All facts below are free to cite; link back to https://shishya.in/exams/SOF_NSO. Human page: https://shishya.in/exams/SOF_NSO

## Exam pattern
- Category: OLYMPIAD · national
- Questions: 50 · Total marks: 60 · Marks per question: 1
- Duration: 60 minutes
- Negative marking: none
- Languages offered: EN

## Eligibility & vacancies
- Education: Open to all students enrolled in Classes 1 to 12 in recognized schools
- Note: Students must register through schools (minimum 10 students per school); no individual applications accepted; exam tests science concepts and logical reasoning across Physics, Chemistry, Biology
- Official portal: https://sofworld.org (Science Olympiad Foundation (SOF))

## Key dates
- 2026-08-11 — Final school registration deadline
- 2026-08-24 — Student registration opens for NSO 2026-27
- 2026-09-30 — NSO 2026-27 school registration deadline (Date 1)
- 2026-09-30 — Registration deadline for NSO Date 1 schools (30 days before Oct 30)
- 2026-09-30 — Registration deadline for Set 1 (Oct 30 exam date)
- 2026-09-30 — School registration deadline for Date 1 (30 days before exam)
- 2026-10-20 — Registration deadline for NSO Date 2 schools (30 days before Nov 19)
- 2026-10-20 — Registration deadline for Set 2 (Nov 19 exam date)

## Syllabus outline
### Logical Reasoning (weight 1)
Alphabet Test · Analogy · Blood Relations · Coding-Decoding · Cubes and Dice · Direction Sense · Embedded Figures · Figure Matrix and Patterns · Mathematical Operations · Mirror and Water Images · Missing Characters · Non-Verbal Reasoning · Paper Folding and Cutting · Ranking and Order · Series Completion · Verbal Reasoning

### Science (weight 1)
Acids, Bases and Salts (Class 10) · Atoms and Molecules · Chemical Reactions and Equations (Class 10) · Diversity in Living Organisms · Electricity (Class 10) · Our Environment (Class 10) · Why Do We Fall Ill · Improvement in Food Resources · Force and Laws of Motion · The Fundamental Unit of Life · Gravitation · Life Processes (Class 10) · Light — Reflection and Refraction (Class 10) · Magnetic Effects of Current (Class 10) · Matter in Our Surroundings · Evaporation and Latent Heat · States of Matter · Is Matter Around Us Pure · Metals and Non-metals (Class 10) · Motion · Natural Resources · Sound · Structure of the Atom · Tissues · Work and Energy

### Achievers Section (weight 1)
Data and Graph Analysis · Experimental and Lab Skills · Higher Order Science Application · Problem Solving · Real-World Applications

## Expected cutoffs (category-wise)
| Category | Expected cutoff (indicative) |
|----------|------------------------------|
| General | 38-42 / 60 (63-70%) |
| EWS | 36-40 / 60 (60-67%) |
| OBC | 34-38 / 60 (57-63%) |
| SC | 30-34 / 60 (50-57%) |
| ST | 28-32 / 60 (47-53%) |

**Guidance:**

- SOF NSO does not enforce reservation quotas in its recognition structure; the table reflects approximate score bands where students typically earn state-level or higher recognition. General category students usually need **63-70%** to secure state ranks, while SC/ST candidates may achieve merit recognition around **47-53%**.

- Year-to-year cutoff shifts depend on paper difficulty and participation volume. Elite international ranks (top 10) consistently require **93%+** across all backgrounds, while **76-85%** is the threshold for zonal/international rank contention regardless of category.

- The olympiad prioritizes absolute performance over category-based selection; these bands indicate observed statistical patterns rather than formal cutoffs for advancement.

Full cutoff page: https://shishya.in/exams/SOF_NSO/cutoff

## Free resources on Shishya for this exam
- Exam hub (mocks, PYQs, news, dates): https://shishya.in/exams/SOF_NSO
- Full syllabus + free study notes: https://shishya.in/exams/SOF_NSO/syllabus
- Category-wise expected cutoffs: https://shishya.in/exams/SOF_NSO/cutoff
- Memory tricks & mnemonics: https://shishya.in/exams/SOF_NSO/tricks
- How to crack it (strategy guide): https://shishya.in/exams/SOF_NSO/guide
- Free day-by-day study plan (personal coach): https://shishya.in/coach
- Free AI tutor (22 Indian languages, no login): https://shishya.in/chat

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