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SOF International Social Studies Olympiad (ISSO)
Class 3 to 10 · run by Science Olympiad Foundation (SOF) ↗
SOF's social studies olympiad, held in schools. SOF says it is a single-level exam.
The facts, from the official site
- Dates 2026-27
- 30 November 2026 and 19 January 2027 (the school picks one). Source: sofworld.org ↗
- Pattern
- 60 minutes. 35 questions for Classes 3-4, 50 for Classes 5-10, multiple choice. Classes 3-8: Social Studies and an Achievers Section; Classes 9-10: History, Geography, Political Science, Economics and an Achievers Section. Source: sofworld.org ↗
- Fee and registration
- ₹170 (GST included) per student per olympiad for schools in India; a school may add up to ₹30. Students register through their school, which acts as the exam centre. Source: sofworld.org ↗
Syllabus
SOF publishes a syllabus for each class. Official syllabus: sofworld.org ↗
Free official papers and pages
- SOF ISSO syllabus, class by class ↗SOF's own syllabus page; pick your class (sofworld.org)
- SOF ISSO free sample papers 2026-27 ↗SOF's own free PDF sample paper for each class, no login (sofworld.org)
- SOF ISSO exam dates ↗The Level 1 dates SOF has announced for 2026-27 (sofworld.org)
How to use these papers
- Read the syllabus for your class first, then try one official paper under the real time limit, without help.
- Mark it with the official answer key, and list each question you got wrong by topic. That list is what to study next.
- Try the next paper a week or two later and compare which topics are still on your list.
- Your school registers you and tells you which of SOF's dates it has chosen.
Good to know
- SOF's sample-paper pages also advertise a publisher's paid practice books. Shishya does not copy or link those books; the sample papers linked here are SOF's own free PDFs.
Read on the official sites on 23 Oct 2026. Dates can change; the conducting body's site is the final word.