NSO Eligibility 2026-27: Who Can Appear and How to Qualify for Level 2

NSO eligibility depends on only two things: the class a student studies in and whether the student's school is registered with the Science Olympiad Foundation (SOF). There is no age limit to calculate, no minimum percentage in school exams and no entrance form for the student to fill. This page explains who can appear in the National Science Olympiad in 2026-27, how the school registration rule works and who can move on to Level 2.

The rules below are taken from SOF's participation, fee, FAQ and ranking pages, which list the exam under the International Science Olympiad (ISO) name. They were checked on 27 October 2026.

Table of Contents

• NSO eligibility at a glance

• Class-wise eligibility

• School registration rule

• Other conditions for students

• Level 2 eligibility

• Fee and fee waiver

• Who is not eligible

• A quick eligibility check for parents

NSO eligibility at a glance

Class-wise eligibility

A student cannot take the paper of a higher or lower class. A Class 8 student writes the Class 8 paper, even if the child is strong enough for Class 10 questions. Students can appear again in each later year, in whichever class they then study.

School registration rule

This is the rule that surprises most families. A student cannot apply for the NSO on their own, and parents cannot pay the fee to SOF directly. The school registers its students, and SOF sends the question papers, roll numbers and results to the school.

• School must be registered: SOF registers each school and generates roll numbers from the student list the school sends. A school that has not taken part before can ask SOF for the prospectus and forms.

• Coordinating teacher: One teacher or olympiad in-charge fills the School Registration Form and the Students' Registration Sheet and sends them to SOF before the due date.

• Exam date: The school chooses one of the three Level 1 dates. Students cannot choose individually.

• Exam centre: Any school can register as an examination centre, and SOF charges no fee to become one.

• Deadline: Registrations should reach SOF at least 30 days before the chosen exam date.

Minimum number of students from a school

SOF's participation page says a minimum of 10 students must be registered from each school. SOF's FAQ page, however, says a school with fewer than 10 interested students can still enrol. The two statements do not fully agree, so a school with a small group should ask SOF before deciding. This is the single most common eligibility doubt, and the school coordinator is the right person to resolve it.

Other conditions for students

• Age: SOF does not set any age limit. Class is the only criterion, so a student who is younger or older than usual for the class is not affected.

• School marks: No minimum percentage in school exams is required.

• Board and medium: The syllabus follows CBSE, ICSE and state boards, but the paper is in English. A student from a regional-medium school can take it if they can read English science terms.

• Schools abroad: Schools in other countries can take part, with a separate fee, and are placed in SOF's international zone.

• Repeat attempts: The exam is held once a year, and a student can sit it every year.

• Other olympiads: A student can register for SOF's other subject olympiads in the same year if the class is eligible. They are separate competitions.

SOF's pages do not say anything about home-schooled students or students without a school. If that applies to you, write to SOF through the contact details on its website before planning.

Level 2 eligibility

Level 2 is not open to everyone. A student of Classes 3 to 12 qualifies through Level 1 by meeting any one of these three conditions.

SOF divides India and the rest of the world into 5 regions and 26 zones. Some states have more than one zone, for example Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. You can check your zone on SOF's zone and state categorisation page on the official website.

If two students have the same marks at the cut line, SOF breaks the tie using section marks, starting with the Achievers Section.

Notes on Level 2

• Students cannot apply for Level 2. Schools receive the list of qualifiers from SOF.

• If SOF cannot hold Level 2 in a year, the Level 1 results are treated as final.

• SOF's FAQs say that if a student has moved up to a higher class by the time Level 2 is held, the paper follows the previous class syllabus.

• Level 2 dates for 2026-27 are not yet announced. SOF's plan is the 2nd or 3rd Sunday of February 2027, with the date to be announced by December 2026.

Fee and fee waiver

No registration fee applies to a student with a major physical disability or to an Indian student whose parent was martyred in defence operations. SOF's page does not say whether the school add-on is also waived, so ask the school. Official fee page: https://sofworld.org/registration-fee.

Who is not eligible

• Students applying individually: SOF does not accept registrations from individual students or parents.

• Students of Classes 1 and 2 for Level 2: There is no Level 2 for these classes.

• Students who do not qualify in Level 1: They cannot sit Level 2, whatever their school marks.

• Students in a school that missed the deadline: Registrations must reach SOF at least 30 days before the exam date.

• Students writing the wrong class paper: Each student takes the paper of the class in which they are studying.

A quick eligibility check for parents

1. Confirm the class: Note the class your child is studying in this session, because that decides the paper.

2. Ask the school: Check whether the school is registered with SOF for 2026-27 and which date it has chosen.

3. Check the deadline: Registrations close 30 days before the chosen date, so ask the coordinator as early as possible.

4. Pay through the school: The fee is collected by the school and sent to SOF. Keep the receipt.

5. Note the roll number: SOF generates it after registration. Ask the school to share it.