The National Cyber Olympiad (NCO) is a competitive exam for students in grades 1 to 10. The contest is run by the Science Olympiad Foundation (SOF). Similar to other olympiad exams, it is one of the most well-known olympiad assessments that emphasises upon computing and thinking skills. The purpose of the exam is to help students develop their mental ability, logical thinking, and analytical reasoning skills. The National Cyber Olympiad is a single-level examination. The SOF organisation usually holds the NCO Exam in December and January.
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Highlights of the Exam
As the name implies, the National Cyber Olympiad is a competition on cyber security for pupils of all classes. The exam’s main purpose is to improve young people’s understanding of internet security and computer skills, as well as to provide a platform for students to acquire confidence and upgrade their skills by teaching them more about computers and information technology. A few of the examination’s objectives are listed below.
- To enhance the attention of pupils in cyber security
- Beginning in primary school, help improve their computer skills and knowledge.
- To prepare students for the technical skills needed in today’s digital world.
Exam Pattern
The NCO test is divided into three parts.
- Section I comprises questions regarding patterns, series, and classifications for students in grades 1 to 5. Section I includes both verbal and nonverbal thinking challenges for students in grades 6 to 10.
- Section II contains questions about computers, information technology, and technological breakthroughs.
- Section III consists of questions on high-order thinking skills. The topic is the same in every grade, but the level of difficulty varies and continues to rise.
The question paper consists of a 60 minute test with 35 multiple-choice questions for Classes 1 to 4 and 50 objective-type (multiple-choice) questions for Classes 5 to 10.
The exam pattern for Class 2 is given in the table below.
|
Class / Grade |
Section |
Number of questions |
Marks per question |
Total marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Grade 2 |
Section 1 |
5 |
1 |
5 |
|
Section 2 |
25 |
1 |
25 |
|
|
Section 3 |
5 |
2 |
10 |
|
|
Grand Total |
35 |
40 |
||
Syllabus for Class 2
The syllabus for the SOF NCO is based on major educational boards including CBSE, ICSE, State Board, and others. The curriculum is designed according to these boards, and considers the average thinking capacity of students in that age group. The exam’s primary subject involves logical thinking and mathematical skills, both of which are necessary for computer technology.
The following are the themes, topics, and concepts that students must master in order to pass the exam.
The second-grade curriculum is listed below.
|
Section I (Logical Reasoning) |
Section II (Computer & IT) |
HOTS |
|---|---|---|
|
|
High-order thinking skills questions based on Section II |
Any prescribed curriculum textbook for Class 2 that includes the concepts mentioned above is suitable for proper study. . For better knowledge and preparation for the exam, students can use the NCO level 2 books available on the official website. This would give them more information on exam patterns and difficulty levels. This gives pupils a clear idea of how the exam will be conducted, and helps them to improve their writing and time management abilities.
Frequently Asked Questions on NCO 2021
Which subject is mainly focused on in the NCO exam? ?
What is the purpose of NCO?
Listed below are the few purposes of the examination
- To encourage the students to show inclination towards internet security
- To develop computer skills and knowledge from the basic school level
- To better prepare the students on the technical skills in the modern computer world
