NCO or “National Cyber Olympiad” is a well-reputed olympiad exam conducted by SOF (Science Olympiad Foundation) every year to nourish participants’ hidden cyber skills. It is a popular olympiad exam designed to recognize and polish the cyber expertise & cyber concepts of the students from Classes 1 to 12.
The NCO exam is conducted in two levels and each level consists of three sections including Logical & Analytical Reasoning, Achiever Section, and Computer and IT. The NCO 2022 will help students evaluate their skills based on their performance. If you are also participating in the NCO SOF exam 2022 and looking for “How to prepare for NCO?”, you are in the right place.
Also Read: List of Top Olympiad Exams in India
All the students from Classes 1 to 12 are eligible to apply for the SOF National Cyber Olympiad. They must get themselves registered through their respective schools by sending an email to info@sofworld.org. Respective schools must submit the registration forms to SOF with the correct details by the due date.
A minimum of 5 students from each school can participate in the SOF NCO. If a school is not registered with SOF, they may request a prospectus by sending an email to the official website of the SOF.
SOF NCO 2022 is all set to be conducted on 24th November 2022 and 20th December 2022. Though this is the tentative date and may change in case of any emergency.
Students can get themselves enrolled for the exam through their respective schools by filling out & submitting the registration forms at the official SOF website. A registration fee of INR 125 (including GST) is charged to the students.
Science Olympiad Foundation will publish the NCO results on its official website. Participants can visit the official site of SOF and download the results.
NCO exam focuses on encouraging students’ cyber skills & expertise and honors them based on their international, state, and school ranking in the NCO exam. The prizes include medals, certificates, gifts, cash awards, etc. NCO ranking is conducted based on the marks obtained in the cyber olympiad exam. In case of a tie, the ranks will be given based on preferences that include scored marks in the exam.
Be it basic concepts of computers, reasoning, or the evolution of computers, practice is the key to success in the NCO. Though scoring good marks in the olympiad is not an easy thing, adopting the right method & devoting a significant amount of time can help you shine in the exam.
So, let’s have a look at how you can prepare for the NCO exam:
To get prepared for the NCO 2022, the very first thing to do is to be aware of the exam pattern. The SOF includes conceptual-based and logical questions in the exam to test your observation skills as well as knowledge of the subjects. So, you need to better understand the concepts & patterns and solve previous years’ Level 1 NCO question papers.
NCO paper has three sections -
Logical Reasoning - Verbal & non-verbal reasoning to improve your thinking & problem-solving skills
Computers and IT - Questions from the school curriculum such as Introduction to MS Word, Internet, QBasic, and so on.
Achievers Section - Comparatively complex section carrying Higher Order Thinking questions.
The NCO syllabus is based on recognized boards such as CBSE, ICSE, State Board, etc. Additionally, SOF provides sample papers and study materials to help students prepare better.
To get a good rank in the NCO 2022 exam, students must get their hands on quality study material in advance to avoid last-minute struggles. SOF olympiad facilitates quality NCO study material for classes 1 to 12. It includes chapter-wise MCQs, Previous Year Papers, and Mock Tests along with key points to strengthen the concepts. Also, the content is regularly updated according to the changing pattern & syllabus.
NCO aspirants should also be well-versed with the technology while preparing for the NCO exam. The students should have a clear understanding of computers and associated technology. Apart from learning all the concepts, their practical application is equally important. That’s why an efficient combination of both practical & theoretical knowledge is required to rank in the NCO. So, open your laptop and explore its features. It will be easier for you to understand the concepts.
Whether it is NCO or any other competitive exam, time management is the key to success. To improve your time management skills, you should solve mock tests or previous year's question papers. It will not only give you an idea about the type & weightage of questions but you can also track your time in attempting the paper and improve it further. Allocate yourself a specific time to work on your weaker sections. You can create a timetable consisting of all the topics and cover them within that period.
You must have heard “Practice makes a man perfect”. To achieve good scores in the NCO exam, you should try to solve as many questions as possible and practice them regularly. It will improve your time management & problem-solving skills. You can start with the summary chapters and practice chapter-wise questions. Once you are thorough with the syllabus, go for the Previous Year's question papers and model test papers. Lastly, take mock tests to revise the entire syllabus.
Be it any type of competitive exam, proper guidance is essential to prepare for the exam. Since not all the students know which topics are important or how to apply formulas or tricks to solve questions, joining coaching classes whether online or offline helps them evaluate their intelligence level and polish their learning skills.
Now you know about the National Cyber Olympiad exam 2022. Participating in these exams provides exposure to students to show their cyber skills on the national level. Students work on their logical, critical, and problem-solving skills to shine in the NCO. Apply all these tips to your study preparation and maintain a regular & positive attitude.
1. Who can participate in the NCO 2022 exam?
Students of classes 1st to 10th are eligible to participate in the exam. There is no eligibility criteria like minimum marks.
2. What is the syllabus for the SOF NCO exam?
The syllabus of the Olympiads is based on school curriculum from recognized boards such as CBSE, ICSE, State Board, etc. You can check the NCO syllabus on the official SOF website.
3. Which books should I refer to prepare for the NCO exam?
Generally, NCERT books are referred for NCO preparation. Additionally, SOF also facilitates quality NCO study material for classes 1 to 12.