About the exam
The National Social Studies Olympiad (NSSO) tests students from Class 1 to Class 10 on civics, geography, history and politics — together, social science. The subject promotes the study of humanities; the exam's purpose is to help young children take informed decisions in their growing years and grow into good citizens of society.
Strong social studies opens doors to deeper subjects later — anthropology, psychology, political science, economics, sociology, criminology and international relations. Along the way, students learn constitutional laws, rights and duties, morals and ethics, virtues and codes of conduct — an awareness of their roles and responsibilities in life.
How to participate
- Parents can register on behalf of their children through the student registration page — select National Social Studies Olympiad as the subject and pay the fee. The exam is conducted in one round.
- Teachers can register on behalf of interested students — all information is under school registration. The offline exam runs in the students' own school, which keeps monitoring easy and the exam centre close.
- NSSO is open to students from Class 1 to Class 10; registration happens online and offline.
- Olympiad exams make students confident and ready for national-level competition, and give them a platform to judge and improve their existing knowledge.
- ITO rewards deserving students topping the Social Studies exam with prizes and awards.
Syllabus
The syllabus is set by the leading boards of the country and covers culture, people, time, places, environment, development, power, authority, governance, production, distribution, science, society and technology. The exam sharpens critical thinking, builds confident orators, and gets students comfortable conveying views on different topics and joining debates. Each class has its own syllabus, matched to the capacity of children.
How to prepare
Annual-exam questions are all based on the school syllabus across CBSE, ICSE and State boards, so school textbooks read thoroughly are the core preparation. Useful habits:
- Start early and know your syllabus well
- Go through all the chapters and highlight the important points
- Visualize things to memorize them better
- Jot down dates and mark maps
- Get the basics of social studies right, then go deeper topic by topic
Exam pattern
| Exam | Questions | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Olympiad | School-syllabus based | — | Once a year, in school; individual and school participation both welcome |
| Monthly Olympiad (from home) | 30 | 25 minutes | Chapter-wise practice every month on any smartphone or tablet, any time between 10:00 am and 6:00 pm |
See the exam schedule for annual exam dates and the exam pattern page for details.
Study material
The NSSO workbook moves from simpler to complex concepts and covers family, neighbours and society; social helpers; landforms; seasons; religion, culture and traditions; transport and communication; manners; good habits; natural resources; our country; our great leaders; understanding time; rights and duties; local governing bodies; new kings and kingdoms; natural vegetation and wildlife — plus logical reasoning, included in every ITO subject. Order workbooks online.
Sample workbook (PDF)
Class 1 · Class 2 · Class 3 · Class 4 · Class 5 · Class 6 · Class 7 · Class 8 · Class 9 · Class 10
Sample question paper (PDF)
Papers are divided into three sections: school-syllabus questions, higher-order-thinking questions and logical-reasoning questions.
Class 1 · Class 2 · Class 3 · Class 4 · Class 5 · Class 6 · Class 7 · Class 8 · Class 9
Register for the Social Studies Olympiad
Take the exam through your school, or enroll individually.
Register your school Register as a student
Fees and payment details are on the fee structure page. Results are published on the results page.