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SOF IGKOSOF International General Knowledge Olympiad

Conducting body
Science Olympiad Foundation (SOF), New Delhi
Level
national
Frequency
Once a year (offered on multiple school-chosen dates)
Mode
Offline, conducted through registered schools
Duration
1 hr
Negative marking
None

About SOF IGKO

IGKO is SOF’s general-knowledge olympiad for Classes 1 to 10, a one-hour school-based paper covering general awareness, current affairs and life skills alongside the trademark Achievers Section. Unlike SOF’s subject olympiads, it runs as a single level, with ranks and awards decided directly from the annual exam.

The contest is designed to push students beyond textbooks into newspapers and the world around them — a habit that pays off later in interviews and aptitude tests. Toppers earn international and zonal ranks, medals and scholarships, and every participant receives a performance report benchmarking their awareness against peers nationwide.

Accepted by: SOF ranks, medals, certificates and scholarship awards; purely a general-awareness benchmarking contest with no admission or selection role

Official website

SOF IGKO eligibility

Classes 1–10

SOF IGKO exam pattern

Questions
Classes 1–4: 35; Classes 5–10: 50
Total marks
Classes 1–4: 40; Classes 5–10: 60
Duration
1 hr

Sections

  • General Awareness
  • Current Affairs
  • Life Skills
  • Achievers Section (higher-weightage questions)

Marking scheme: None

SOF IGKO syllabus outline

  • General awareness spanning India and the world: geography, history, science and technology, sports, art and culture
  • Current affairs of the preceding year, pitched to the student’s class
  • Life-skills questions on everyday reasoning, civic sense and safety; IGKO is conducted as a single-level exam

Preparing for SOF IGKO?

Olympiads reward deep fundamentals — the same preparation that pays off later in JEE, NEET and other entrance exams. Explore every national and international olympiad, or check the official site for this year's dates and registration.

More olympiads: SOF Olympiads

Sources & official references