SOF Level 1 vs Level 2: Exam Difference, Eligibility, Syllabus & Criteria
The Science Olympiad Foundation conducts various SOF Olympiad exams for Classes 1 to 12. These exams help students identify and nurture talent in several subjects like English, Science, Mathematics, Social Studies, etc. The foundation conducts the SOF Olympiad examinations at two levels: the 1st and 2nd levels. Level 1 of the SOF Olympiad examination is held for Classes 1 to 12, and Level 2 is held for students in Classes 3 to 12. However, some olympiad exams are held only at level 1. Read the article to learn more about the SOF Level 1 vs Level 2.
This Story also Contains
- List of Single-Level SOF Olympiads
- SOF Level 1 vs Level 2: Comparison Overview
- Qualification/Ranking Criteria - 2nd Level Olympiad Exams
List of Single-Level SOF Olympiads
The SOF Level 1 examination is held for 8 Olympiads:
- International General Knowledge Olympiad (SOF IGKO)
- International English Olympiad (SOF IEO)
- International Science Olympiad (SOF ISO)
- International Mathematics Olympiad (SOF IMO)
- International Computer Science Olympiad (SOF ICSO)
- International Social Studies Olympiad (SOF ISSO)
- International Hindi Olympiad (SOF IHO)
- International Commerce Olympiad (SOF ICO)
List of SOF 2nd Level Olympiads
The SOF 2nd level exams will be for English, Science, and Mathematics Olympiads.
- International English Olympiad
- International Science Olympiad
- International Mathematics Olympiad
SOF Level 1 vs Level 2: Comparison Overview
| SOF Level 1 | SOF Level 2 |
|---|---|
| The level 1 SOF Olympiad is held for classes 1 to 12. | The 2nd-level SOF Olympiad is conducted for 3 to 12 classes. |
| Level 1 is for all 8 Olympiads like SOF IGKO, IEO, ISO, IMO, ICSO, ISSO, IHO, ICO. | SOF Level 2 is for only 3 Olympiads, i.e., SOF IEO, SOF ISO, and SOF IMO. |
| Students must go through the SOF Olympiad syllabus for all examinations. | The SOF syllabus is the same as the level 1 exam for all 3 SOF level 2 olympiads. |
| The level of the question is as per the student's understanding and based on the exam pattern and model papers. | The difficulty level of questions is higher in level 2 as compared to level 1. |
| All students who fill out the SOF Level 1 application form can appear for the exam based on their eligibility. | Whereas the SOF 2nd level is open only to students selected in the level 1 examination. |
| In the SOF Level 1 examination, students are tested with direct questions. | In the Level 2 SOF Olympiad exam, students are tested with more complex questions based on their aptitude and logical reasoning. |
| The level 1 students can prepare for the SOF Olympiads by following the question paper pattern section-wise and by attempting mock tests. | The 2nd-level Olympiad exam needs more advanced preparation than the SOF Level 1 exam. |
| Level 1 is conducted from September to December and January. | After level 1 results are announced, level 2 is conducted in February. |
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Qualification/Ranking Criteria - 2nd Level Olympiad Exams
Students will have to fulfil the following three criteria to qualify for the SOF 2nd level olympiad exams.
- The top 25 rank holders from each class and each zone.
- The top 5% of students who appear for the 1st level exam, class-wise.
- At least the top students from each class and participating school appearing in the exam scoring 50% qualifying marks.
- Give priority to marks scored in different sections to determine ranks in case of a tie in marks.
- A student scoring higher total marks will be accorded a higher rank.
- However, in case two or more students score the same total marks, the higher rank will be awarded to the student scoring higher marks in the sections of higher priority.
Important Note on Second-Level Exams
The SOF 2nd-level Olympiad exams may be conducted under the prevailing conditions due to other factors at that time, leading to the feasibility of conducting 2nd-level exams. In case the 2nd-level exams are not conducted, the results of the SOF level 1 exams will be treated as final SOF results.
Questions related to IMO
On Question asked by student community
Hello student!
Please stay updated on the page below for the SOF IMO Class 10 Question Paper 2026–27, Set A. You can check the page regularly for the latest updates and question paper availability.
https://school.careers360.com/articles/imo-question-paper-2026-27
Hope it helps!
Hi Student
The SOF Foundation will declare the IMO result 2025-26 for level 2 in March 2026. You can click on the link below to get the direct link to access and download the SOF result for the IMO exam .
Dear Student,
Level 1 SOF admit card can be collected from their respective school authority. Online, it can be found on sofworld.org, once link is activated.
HELLO,
The SOF IMO Level 1 results for the 2025 2026 session are expected to be released in January 2026 , typically around second week of January. You can check the results directly on the official SOF website that is results.sofworld.org (//results.sofworld.org) .
Here you can visit the link to
Hello,
I have attached the link for IMO Exam results 2025 - 2026 in which you can get your Math Olympiad results, including section - by - section scores and qualifying IMO class. Kindly check the below link and find your results.
https://school.careers360.com/articles/imo-result
I hope this helps you.