SOF NSO 2025-26 - The Science Olympiad Foundation (SOF) is responsible for conducting the SOF NSO exam. The foundation conducts the exam in two levels, Level 1 and Level 2. Students studying in Classes 1 to 12 can apply for the SOF NSO 2025-26 level 1 exam. Whereas the NSO level 2 exam is held for students from classes 3 to 12. SOF NSO 2025-26 registration is typically concluded 30 days before the exam date. Students can register through their respective schools.

| Full Exam Name | National Science Olympiad |
| Short Exam Name | NSO |
| Conducting Body | Science Olympiad Foundation |
| Frequency Of Conduct | Once a year |
| Exam Level | Intermediate |
| Languages | English |
| Mode Of Application | offline |
| Application Fee | Offline : 125 |
| Mode Of Exam | offline |
| Exam Duration | 1 Hour |
NSO National Science Olympiad (session 2025)
SOF NSO Exam Pattern 2025-26 - Level 1
| Particulars | NSO 2025 Level 1 |
| Type of questions | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) |
| Time duration | 60 minutes |
Number of questions and marks | Class 1 – 4: 35 questions (40 marks) Class 5 – 12: 50 questions (60 marks) |
| Sections | Class 1 – 10: Section-1: Logical Reasoning Class 11 – 12: Section-1: Physics/Chemistry |
| Medium of paper | English |
Syllabus | CBSE, ICSE/ISC and State Board syllabi |
Class 6-Science: Unit 09
Class 7-Science: Unit 17
The foundation will release the Level 1 exam admit cards one or two weeks before the exams. Students can collect their NSO admit cards from the respective school authorities. Whereas, the candidates will be able to download the NSO admit card for the level 2 exam from the official website.
NSO Level 1 cutoff is released a few days before the result announcement. Till then, students can check previous years' cutoff below.
NSO Cutoff 2023-24 (Level 1) for Class 3 to 10
NSO (2023-24) - 1ST LEVEL CUT-OFF TOP-5%
CLASS | TOTAL MARKS | ACHIEVERS SECTION | SCIENCE | LOGICAL REASONING |
03 | 31 | 6 | 22 | 3 |
04 | 30 | 6 | 20 | 4 |
05 | 40 | 9 | 24 | 7 |
06 | 40 | 9 | 21 | 10 |
07 | 39 | 12 | 20 | 7 |
08 | 37 | 6 | 26 | 5 |
09 | 38 | 12 | 23 | 3 |
10 | 40 | 12 | 22 | 6 |
CLASS | TOTAL MARKS | ACHIEVERS SECTION | PHYSICS & CHEMISTRY | SCIENCE |
11 | 32 | 12 | 9 | 11 |
12 | 35 | 9 | 12 | 14 |
Contact Number:
01244951200 + 2 more
Relevant Links:
Official Website Link Click HereFrequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
NSO exam is held at the respective schools within school hours only.
No, SOF does not accept less than 10 applications from a school.
Students have to follow their course books and solve the NSO sample papers to prepare for the NSO exam.
No, there is no negative marking in the NSO exam 2025-26.
The SOF NSO answer keys for Set A, Set B, and Set C will be released a few days after the exam.
On Question asked by student community
Hello,
Here is your SOF NSO Answer Key 2025-26 for Class 1 to 12, (Set A, B, C). I am providing you the link kindly open and check it out.
https://school.careers360.com/articles/nso-answer-key
I hope it will help you
Thank you
The SOF NSO (National Science Olympiad) Class 9 Answer Key for the 2025-2026 Level 1 exam is expected to be released by the Science Olympiad Foundation (SOF) during December 2025.
The NSO exam is conducted in three sets (Set A, Set B, and Set C), and the answer keys are released separately for each set. Since the final NSO exam date (Set C) was held today, December 11, 2025, the official answer keys for all sets (A, B, and C) will be made available shortly this month on the official website, and the links will be updated on the provided page. You can use the answer key corresponding to your exam set to calculate your provisional score for the 60-mark paper and assess your chances of qualifying for Level 2, which is scheduled for February 2026. You can monitor and download the relevant NSO Answer Key for Class 9 directly here: https://school.careers360.com/articles/nso-answer-key
The SOF NSO (National Science Olympiad) Class 9 Sample Question Paper for the 2025-2026 session is available for download on the provided page.
While the actual NSO question paper for the 2025 Level 1 exam has been administered (Sets A and B in November, Set C today, December 11, 2025), this sample paper is crucial because it:
Mirrors the Exam Pattern: It exactly reflects the structure of the Olympiad: 50 questions across Logical Reasoning, Science, and the Achievers Section, carrying a total of 60 marks.
Includes Key Topics: It covers the most important concepts from the Class 9 Science syllabus (Physics, Chemistry, and Biology), ensuring focused revision for the Level 2 exam (scheduled for February 2026).
You can download the SOF NSO Class 9 Sample Paper PDF and other related resources for practice here: https://school.careers360.com/download/sample-papers/sof-nso-class-9-sample-paper-2025-26
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