IEO Syllabus : Class-wise Topics for Classes 1 to 12
The IEO syllabus is class-wise. The Science Olympiad Foundation (SOF) publishes a separate topic list for each class from 1 to 10, covering vocabulary, grammar, reading for information, and the language used in everyday situations. This page puts those lists in one place for the 2026-27 cycle so a student can see what to study, in what order, and how it connects to the marks in the paper.
Two points are worth knowing before you start. SOF says its tests take each school year's syllabus into account but are not directly tied to it, and they focus on communication and use of English rather than rote learning. Also, for classes 11 and 12 SOF lists the syllabus only as "as per your prescribed syllabus", so no official topic list exists for those classes. The topics for those classes below are therefore study guidance, not an official list.
Table of Contents
IEO Syllabus at a Glance
How the Syllabus Maps to the Paper
IEO Syllabus for Classes 1 and 2
IEO Syllabus for Classes 3 and 4
IEO Syllabus for Classes 5 to 7
IEO Syllabus for Classes 8 to 10
IEO Syllabus for Classes 11 and 12
Level 1 and Level 2: What Changes in Study Planning
How to Cover the IEO Syllabus
IEO Syllabus at a Glance
Class | Official syllabus status | Paper (Level 1) |
|---|---|---|
Classes 1 and 2 | Topic list published, single level | 35 questions, 40 marks, 60 minutes |
Classes 3 and 4 | Topic list published, two levels | 35 questions, 40 marks, 60 minutes |
Classes 5 to 10 | Topic list published, two levels | 50 questions, 60 marks, 60 minutes |
Classes 11 and 12 | "As per your prescribed syllabus"; no topic list | 50 questions, 60 marks, 60 minutes |
The official syllabus hub is at https://sofworld.org/sof-international-english-olympiad-syllabus.
How the Syllabus Maps to the Paper
SOF describes the syllabus in four sections, but the question paper uses four differently named sections. The names do not line up one to one, so it helps to see the link.
Syllabus section | Paper section it feeds | What it tests |
|---|---|---|
Word power or language knowledge | Word and Structure Knowledge | Vocabulary, grammar, spelling, idioms |
Reading and information retrieval | Reading | Finding and understanding information in texts |
Functional language | Spoken and Written Expression | Choosing the right expression for a situation |
Higher-order thinking | Achievers Section | Harder questions drawn from the other three |
There is no separate Achievers syllabus. Those five questions come from the same topics, only at a higher level of reasoning, and they carry the most marks per question.
IEO Syllabus for Classes 1 and 2
At this stage the exam checks basic word sense and simple sentence use. Both classes take a single level.
Class 1
Word skills: jumbled letters, word meanings and opposites, naming a word from a picture, making words, feminine and masculine, one and many, word pairs, odd one out, and animals with their babies, sounds and groups.
Grammar: nouns, pronouns, verbs, conjunctions, articles, adverbs, prepositions, adjectives, basic tenses and punctuation.
Reading and expression: comprehension of prose and poetry, picture composition, and spoken and written expression.
Achievers Section: higher-order questions drawn from the topics above.
Class 2
Word and structure: collocations, spellings, synonyms and antonyms, words from pictures, animal words, phrases, idioms, nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, articles, prepositions, conjunctions, contractions, word order, punctuation and simple tenses.
Reading: finding information in stories and short dialogues, and locating details in short texts such as messages and invitations.
Functions: thanking, greeting, asking for permission and introducing oneself.
Higher-order thinking: questions based on the three sections above.
IEO Syllabus for Classes 3 and 4
From class 3, students can reach Level 2, and the topics start to include proverbs, question tags and one-word substitution.
Class 3
Section / Topic Category | Detailed Topics & Components |
Word Power | Homophones, collocations, spellings, words related to animals, household things, clothes, emotions and food, synonyms and antonyms, gender, number, proverbs, idioms, one-word substitution |
Grammar | Nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, articles, prepositions, simple tenses, conjunctions, punctuation, basic questions, question tags, jumbled words |
Reading & Information | Stories and anecdotes, pictures, timetable formats, short texts (messages, invitations) |
Functions | Apology, greeting, introduction, request (with situational variations) |
Class 4
Section / Topic Category | Detailed Topics & Components |
Language Knowledge | Collocations, spellings, gender, singular and plural, one-word substitution, synonyms and antonyms, parts of speech, contractions, articles, prepositions, conjunctions, tenses, punctuation, jumbled words, basic questions, question tags, proverbs and idioms |
Reading & Information Retrieval | Stories and anecdotes, pictures, timetables, short texts (messages, invitations) |
Functional Language | Apology, greeting, introduction, request |
Higher-Order Thinking | Advanced questions based on the other three sections |
Class 5
Section / Topic Category | Detailed Topics & Components |
Word & Structure | Spellings, collocations, idioms, homonyms and homophones, synonyms and antonyms, nouns, pronouns, verbs and phrasal verbs, adverbs, adjectives, articles, prepositions, conjunctions, punctuation, tenses, active and passive voice, reported speech |
Reading | News headlines, messages, letters, news reports, timetables, short texts (menu cards, dialogues) |
Functions | Requests, refusals, apologies in different situations |
Class 6
Section / Topic Category | Detailed Topics & Components |
Language Knowledge | Parts of speech, punctuation, jumbled words, tenses, voices, narration, spelling, collocations, phrasal verbs, idioms, synonyms and antonyms |
Reading & Information Retrieval | News headlines, brochures, formal and informal letters, itineraries, short narratives, timetables, news stories, diary entries, messages, poster-making tasks |
Functional Language | Agreement, disagreement, requests, refusals, apologies |
Class 7
Section / Topic Category | Detailed Topics & Components |
Language & Structure | Spellings, collocations, vocabulary on travel/location/activities, homonyms and homophones, synonyms, antonyms, analogies, one-word substitutes, phrasal verbs, idioms, modals, word order, parts of speech, punctuation, tenses, voice, narration |
Reading | News stories, brochures, letters, advertisements, itineraries, short narratives, biographies, notices, messages |
Situational Functions | Requests, refusals, apologies, preferences, expressions of intent |
Class 8
Section / Topic Category | Detailed Topics & Components |
Vocabulary & Grammar | Synonyms, antonyms, analogies, spelling, collocations, phrasal verbs, idioms, proverbs, homonyms and homophones, one-word substitutes, parts of speech, prepositional and participle phrases, determiners, jumbled words, punctuation, tenses, voice, narration, question tags |
Themed Vocabulary | Leisure, household items and issues, social causes, outdoor locations and activities |
Reading | News reports, blurbs, dictionaries, instruction manuals, messages, longer texts (editorials, essays) |
Functional Language | Requesting, giving information, expressing surprise, pronunciation |
Class 9
Section / Topic Category | Detailed Topics & Components |
Language Knowledge | Synonyms, antonyms, analogies, spelling, one-word substitutes, word order, parts of speech, punctuation, jumbled words, voice, concord, question forms, tenses, conditionals, modals, reported speech, collocations, phrasal verbs, idioms, homonyms |
Themed Vocabulary | Social causes, travel, workplace |
Reading | Flyers, classifieds, dictionaries, instruction manuals, message formats, editorials, essays |
Functional Language | Giving advice, stating preferences, discussing probability, making offers |
Class 10
Section / Topic Category | Detailed Topics & Components |
Language Knowledge | Synonyms, antonyms, analogies, spellings, one-word substitutes, word order, parts of speech, punctuation, voices, narration, concord, question forms, tenses, conditionals, modals, collocations, phrasal verbs, idioms, homonyms and homophones |
Themed Vocabulary | Weather, countries, languages and peoples, global problems |
Reading | Encyclopedias, dictionaries, instruction manuals, messages, longer texts (editorials, essays), making inferences from advanced texts |
Functional Language | Giving and accepting compliments, agreeing, disagreeing, requesting, seeking information, pronunciation |
IEO Syllabus for Classes 11 and 12
Section / Focus Area | Key Concepts & Guidance |
Core Foundations | Revision of Class 10 topics (Grammar, Vocabulary, Phrasal Verbs, Idioms, Concord, Conditionals, Voice, Narration) combined with the standard school English curriculum |
International English Usage | Standard natural phrasing vs. literal translations (e.g., "I'm having lunch" instead of "I'm taking my lunch") |
Advanced Grammar | Stative verbs (rules on non-continuous usage), subtle shifts in modal verbs across promises/possibilities/conditions |
Reading & Critical Thinking | Inference extraction from complex, long-form texts, editorials, and argumentative essays |
Spoken & Contextual Language | Everyday spoken expressions, nuanced situational responses, formal vs. informal registers |
Level 1 and Level 2: What Changes in Study Planning
Area | Level 1 | Level 2 (classes 3 to 12) | How to plan |
|---|---|---|---|
Word and Structure | Core section, 15 to 30 questions | Larger share, 20 to 35 questions | Grammar and vocabulary drills pay off most in both levels |
Reading | 10 questions | 10 questions | Daily reading practice carries forward unchanged |
Spoken and Written Expression | 5 questions | Not in the paper | Needed for Level 1 only |
Achievers Section | 5 questions | 5 questions | Revise every topic at depth, not just the easy ones |
The SOF FAQ page says students who move up a class before Level 2 still use the syllabus of the class in which they took Level 1. A student who plans for Level 1 well is therefore already most of the way to Level 2.
How to Cover the IEO Syllabus
Weeks 1 to 3, build the base: Cover parts of speech, tenses and punctuation for your class, and keep a notebook of new words and idioms.
Weeks 4 to 6, add the harder areas: Move to voice, narration, conditionals, modals and collocations, and start timed reading of letters, notices and short articles.
Weeks 7 to 8, practise situations: Work through functional language, such as requests, apologies and compliments, and pronunciation for classes 8 to 10.
Final weeks, test and revise: Attempt full papers in 60 minutes, then review each wrong answer by topic.
Frequently Asked Questions
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