The Unicus Critical Thinking Olympiad (UCTO) is an international competitive exam for students in grades 2 to 11 that is held both online and offline (pen/paper) in the year 2022-23. Unicus Olympiads host six olympiads, including UCTO. The olympiad’s primary focus is on computer science, information technology and practical applications of computers. The UCTO syllabus is divided into different categories and lays the groundwork for all boards. Students from all boards, including state, CBSE, ICSE, and international, are eligible to take the Critical Thinking Olympiad test. Based on their grades and academic curricula, this exam ensures that students are assessed on a variety of vital topics such as grouping of figures, measuring units, mirror images and water images series completion and inserting the missing character and many more.
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Unicus Olympiads (Summer Olympiad Exams)
The Unicus Olympiads are unique in that a student’s understanding from the previous year is tested. Mathematical, scientific, English, computer, critical thinking, and general knowledge olympiads are held. The offline exam is only available to students who register through their schools. The exam is only given at one level, and there is no negative marking.
The various olympiads conducted by Unicus are as follows:
- Unicus Mathematics Olympiad (UMO)
- Unicus English Olympiad (UEO)
- Unicus Science Olympiad (USO)
- Unicus Critical Thinking Olympiad (UCTO)
- Unicus Cyber Olympiad (UCO)
- Unicus General Knowledge Olympiad (UGKO)
Exam Date for UCTO
Unicus Olympiad is India’s first summer Olympiad exam, designed to encourage students to study in a concept-driven manner. This method stimulates students’ inquisitiveness, allowing them to solve all why, what, how, when, and where questions. Unicus Olympiads motivates students by awarding certificates.
Dates for Academic Year 2022 -2023
Students in grades 2 to 11 can now enrol for the UCTO exam 2022–23, either independently or through their schools. Exam dates for the Unicus Critical Thinking Olympiad (UCTO) have been published on the Unicus Olympiads’ official website. Exam dates are available for candidates to view and schedule their studies accordingly.
The exam is conducted on two dates
- 5 July 2022, which falls on Tuesday
- 22 July 2022, which falls on Friday
Answer Key Release Date
After every exam, the Unicus releases the answer key for the respective exams. The candidate can check the answer key and evaluate the marks that can be obtained in the olympiad exam. The UCTO exam will release the answer key for the exams on:
- 26 July 2022, which falls on Tuesday
- 27 July 2022, which falls on Wednesday
Unicus Registration for UCTO
The Unicus Critical Thinking Olympiad registration process is very simple, and the guidelines can be found on the official website. The details and procedures regarding the registration process are described below.
Some important points to remember while registering are listed below.
- Students can enrol for the olympiad either individually or through their school.
- To appear for exams, students must complete the UCTO Registration Form 2022.
- Unicus olympiads require students to complete the application form within the time frame specified.
- Registration must be completed online at the Unicus Olympiad’s official website.
- Students must register with the help of school officials or their parents.
Registration of Students through School
Unicus Olympiads is open to students in grades 2 to 11 (school years 2022-23). All schools registered with Unicus Olympiads receive a prospectus containing registration forms. If any of the schools have not yet registered with the organisation, they can contact the organisation by sending an e-mail, and the respective arrangements will be made. Schools must return the application forms to Unicus Olympiads, duly completed in all respects, at least one month before the final exam.
Registration for Individual Participants
If any of the schools do not hold Olympiads, one can participate as an individual. Individual participant online registration is available on the official website. The exam is conducted online with a laptop or desktop computer, a good internet connection, and a webcam. It is not possible to take it with a mobile device. Because the online exam will be proctored, access to a webcam will be required for the final exam. The student will be required to take the exam from home.
Examination Pattern
The examination pattern for UCTO is different for the higher and lower classes. Unicus Olympiads test students’ conceptual understanding of what they’ve obtained. The previous class will be weighted 70-75 per cent in the exam, and the one before will be weighted 25-30 per cent. This applies to students in grades 3 to 11. The exam for Class 2 will have the same weightage as Class 1. Pre-primary classes will be weighted 100 per cent in the exam for Class 1. The exam consists of two sections:
- Classic Section: This section will consist of questions related to logical reasoning.
- Scholar Section: This section will have questions on High Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) in reasoning.
Detailed information about the pattern for each class is tabulated below.
| Classes | Sections | Total Questions | Marks Per Question | Total Marks | Total Time (in minutes) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Classic Section – Class 1 | 30 | 1 | 30 | |
| Scholar Section – Class 1 | 5 | 2 | 10 | ||
| 35 | 35 | 40 | 60 | ||
| 3 to 5 | Classic Section – Previous Class | 23 | 1 | 23 | |
| Classic Section – Previous to Previous Class | 7 | 1 | 7 | ||
| Scholar Section – Previous Class | 7 | 2 | 14 | ||
| Scholar Section – Previous to Previous Class | 3 | 2 | 6 | ||
| Grand Total | 40 | 50 | 60 | ||
| 6 to 11 | Classic Section – Previous Class | 28 | 1 | 28 | |
| Classic Section – Previous to Previous Class | 12 | 1 | 12 | ||
| Scholar Section – Previous Class | 7 | 2 | 14 | ||
| Scholar Section – Previous to Previous Class | 3 | 2 | 6 | ||
| Grand Total | 50 | 60 | 60 |
Syllabus for Unicus Critical Thinking Olympiad
The syllabus for UCTO is as per the academic curriculum of CBSE, ICSE and other state boards. The syllabus for various classes is tabulated below.
| Class | Syllabus of Classic Section | Syllabus of Scholar Section |
|---|---|---|
| 2 |
|
High-Order Thinking Skills-based questions – Syllabus as per Classic Section |
| 3 |
|
High-Order Thinking Skills-based questions – Syllabus as per Classic Section |
| 4 |
|
High-Order Thinking Skills-based questions – Syllabus as per Classic Section |
| 5 |
|
High-Order Thinking Skills-based questions – Syllabus as per Classic Section |
| 6 |
|
High-Order Thinking Skills-based questions – Syllabus as per Classic Section |
| 7 |
|
High-Order Thinking Skills-based questions – Syllabus as per Classic Section |
| 8 |
|
High-Order Thinking Skills-based questions – Syllabus as per Classic Section |
| 9 |
|
High-Order Thinking Skills-based questions – Syllabus as per Classic Section |
| 10 |
|
High-Order Thinking Skills-based questions – Syllabus as per Classic Section |
| 11 |
|
High-Order Thinking Skills-based questions – Syllabus as per Classic Section |
UCTO Results
One month after the final exam, Unicus Olympiad will release UCTO 2022 results. Candidates must visit the official website to stay up to date on the UCTO 2022 results. Students can also check UCTO results with the school coordinator.
UCTO Ranking Criteria
If two or more students achieve the same total mark, the ranks will be calculated by (in the case of an offline exam),
(i) Marks obtained in the previous class’s Scholar Section.
(ii) Marks obtained in the Scholar Section of the previous class.
(iii) Marks obtained in the previous class’s Classic Section.
(iv) Marks obtained in the Classic Section of the previous to the previous class.
- In the event of a tie (in the case of an online exam), the student who completed the test in less time will be ranked higher.
- In the event of another tie (in the case of an online exam), the younger student, based on the Date of Birth, will be ranked higher.
- The Unicus Olympiads will be held on separate days, and the sessions will have different sets of question papers. The final ranks will be determined by normalising the ranks for each session.
- If two or more students receive the same score under the above criteria, they will be assigned the same rank.
- In the event of a misunderstanding, the Academic Council’s decision will be final and binding.
Awards and Recognition
All the students who write the olympiad exams prepare with great zeal and expect a reward from the organisation. These help to boost the confidence of students and encourage them to write more such competitive exams.
UCTO Rewards for Classes 2 -11
For students appearing for UCTO (Classes 2 to 11), the awards and recognition are described below:
- The top 15% of students will be awarded a Merit Certificate.
- Gold Medal for all students who get 95 percentile or above, or Zonal rank less than or equal to 10.
- The top 3 students (registered through school) from every school with more than 25 students in a class appearing for an Olympiad exam will be awarded a Medal of Excellence and a Merit Certificate.
- Overall the top 3 students from Classes 2 to 11 will be awarded a Scholar’s Trophy and Merit Certificate.
- Every participant will be awarded a digital participation certificate. This will be available in the dashboard of the participant.
- If a student meets 2 or more criteria, then they will qualify for a higher award.
Preparation Tips for UCTO
Students can prepare for the Unicus Critical Thinking Olympiad by reading extensively from their school textbooks. The questions on the annual olympiad exam are all based on the school curriculum. It provides services to all boards, including CBSE, ICSE, and other state boards.
The following are some preparation tips for the Unicus Critical Thinking Olympiad:
- Participants should be aware of the exam pattern for their respective classes. The exam is split into two sections: Classic and Scholar.
- Refer to UCTO sample papers available on the official website to practise conceptual questions.
- Students taking UCTO 2022 can expect questions ranging in difficulty. The exam is introduced to stimulate students’ inquisitiveness.
- A mock test can be taken to know the difficulty level of the exam.
- Being the Critical Thinking exam, one must have good mental ability skills and aptitude as well along with theoretical knowledge.
- Spending some time daily on solving the olympiad exam syllabus will help to gain a high score in the examination.
- Starting the preparation at the earliest will help the candidate to study peacefully and helps to grasp things faster.
- Practical knowledge and practising logical skills will help the student to speed up the preparation.
- To know the advanced trends, one can subscribe to some good puzzle magazines or newsletters that give information or problems on logic and mathematical skills.
- A quick recall and revision after every chapter or concept must be done compulsorily to speed up, and it helps to move to the next chapters easily.
- Reading a lot of reference books, such as puzzles, crosswords, coding, and geometrical figures will be beneficial.
- Taking up some online sources related to the exam subjects and topics is a vital step as it helps to give detailed information regarding the concepts, and also video learning or visual learning is better than regular study.
Other UNICUS Olympiad Exams
| Unicus Maths Olympiad (UMO) |
| Unicus English Olympiad(UEO) |
| Unicus Science Olympiad (USO) |
| Unicus General Knowledge Olympiad(UGKO) |
