The national Olympiad programme in science subjects culminating in the international Olympiads of 2022 has been disrupted by the COVID19 pandemic in the country. In view of the prevailing situation, the following decisions are announced.
- In a departure from the usual three-stage procedure for the selection of the teams to represent India at the international Olympiads that has been followed in previous years, the selection procedure for the 2021-2022 cycle has been condensed to a two-stage process, similar to last year. The two stages in each subject will be:
- A three-and-half hour two-part examination called the Indian Olympiad Qualifier (IOQ)
- An Orientation-cum-Selection Camp (OCSC)
- The IOQ in each subject will be a combination of two examinations, held in a single sitting for the examinee.
- Part I: National Standard Examination (NSE): This will replace the standalone NSE of other years. The duration of this part will be 75 minutes and will consist of objective-type questions, similar in standard to the usual NSE. This part will be a screening examination for selective evaluation of the second part (INO) only and performance in this part will not play any role (except for possible tie-breaking scenarios) for the next level of selection (OCSC). This part of IOQ in different subjects will be called National Standard Examinations (NSEs) in Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Junior Science and Physics: NSEA, NSEB, NSEC, NSEJS and NSEP, respectively.
- Part II: Indian National Olympiad (INO): This will replace the standalone INO of other years. The duration of this part will be 120 minutes and will consist of detailed questions, similar in standard to the usual INO. This part will be evaluated only for students screened through the first part (NSE), and the selection for the next level (OCSC) will be determined solely by the performance in this part. This part of IOQ in different subjects will be called Indian National Olympiads (INOs) in Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Junior Science and Physics: INAO, INBO, INChO, INJSO and INPhO, respectively.
- The IOQ will be jointly organised by the Indian Association of Physics Teachers (IAPT), the Association of Chemistry Teachers (ACT), the Association of Teachers in Biological Sciences (ATBS) and the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research) – HBCSE (TIFR). The academic responsibility of Part I: NSE will be borne by IAPT, ACT, and ATBS while that of Part II: INO will be borne by HBCSE. The remaining stages of the Olympiad programme will be carried out by HBCSE.
- The tentative schedule of IOQ examinations is as under:
- Indian Olympiad Qualifier in Junior Science (IOQJS): 9 January 2022 (Sunday), 14:30 – 18:00 hrs
- Indian Olympiad Qualifier in Physics (IOQP): 16 January 2022 (Sunday), 9:00 – 12:30 hrs
- Indian Olympiad Qualifier in Biology (IOQB): 16 January 2022 (Sunday), 14:30 – 18:00 hrs
- Indian Olympiad Qualifier in Astronomy (IOQA): 23 January 2022 (Sunday), 9:00 – 12:30 hrs
- Indian Olympiad Qualifier in Chemistry (IOQC): 23 January 2022 (Sunday), 14:30 – 18:00 hrs
Note:
1. The actual examination time will be 75 minutes for Part I and 120 minutes for Part II in every
examination. There will be an interval of 15 minutes between the two parts of the examination.
2. Students will be allowed to leave the examination at the end of Part I of IOQ, if they so wish.
However, they will not be admitted to appear only in Part II.
3. This schedule is tentative, and is subject to change at short notice, depending on the prevailing situation in the country.
- The programme for stages beyond IOQ will be announced at an appropriate later time.
Enrollment for IOQ 2021-2022:
Students are invited to directly register and enroll themselves online for the first stage (IOQ).
Click here to enroll for IOQ 2021-22.
Please note that this is a two-step procedure: registration and enrollment. The enrollment includes that of Indian Olympiad Qualifier in Mathematics (IOQM), apart from all science subjects.
Dates for registration and enrollment: September 25 to October 15 October 31 Novermber 15, 2021.
Enrollment fee per subject: Rs. 200.
Syllabus for IOQ 2021-2022:
The detailed syllabus for IOQ in all subjects is provided here.
Eligibility criteria for enrollment in IOQ 2021-2022:
The eligibility criteria for IOQ 2021-2022 are provided here.
Criteria for evaluation of IOQ Part II:
Only the answer scripts of IOQ Part II (INO) of students who qualify through the IOQ Part I (NSE) will be evaluated. The criteria for this qualification are given here.
Selection procedure for Orientation-cum-Selection Camps (OCSCs):
The procedure to be followed for selection of students in OCSCs is explained here.