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INAO Exam: Indian National Astronomy Olympiad (INAO)

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Last updated date: 27th Mar 2024
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Olympiads

INAO Exam Dates, Exam Pattern, Eligibility Criteria, & More

Candidates who pass the National Standard Examination of Astronomy (NSEA) will be qualified to take the Indian National Astronomy Olympiad (INAO) 2023-24, which is administered by the HBCSE (Homi Bhabha Center For Science Education). This exam is usually conducted at the end of November. It is the second stage and only those candidates can appear in the exam who clear the previous stage, NSEA.

To get an idea of the question patterns, candidates should practice various sample papers and previous year question papers. It is important to have a thorough idea of the topic and the contents of the syllabus before one can proceed with the examination. The most essential part is keeping an eye on the official website for all future updates. Vedantu makes it possible for candidates to keep an eye on all the useful information needed for attending the examination. It provides candidates with a clear idea of the eligibility criteria, question pattern, important dates, and the procedure of the examination. 

Olympiad is an international examination mainly based on the school curriculum. These exams make students prepare early for the national level examinations that they might take part in the future. They should follow a strict routine and abide by the same every single day. This will help them cover the entire syllabus and also self-assess themselves with practice. They should also take part in doubt clearing sessions conducted by experienced teachers through online platforms like Vedantu and enroll themselves in weekly mock tests to check the pace of their progress.

Before attending the INAO, candidates should be aware of the pattern and the number of stages that they can go through before successfully getting selected. Let us look at some of the stages discussed below.

INAO 2023-24 Exam Pattern

The Astronomy Olympiad Program has the following 5 stages.

Stage 1: National Standard Examination in Astronomy (NSEA).

Stage 2: Indian National Astronomy Olympiad (INAO).

Stage 3: Orientation cum Selection Camp in Astronomy (OCSC).

Stage 4: Pre-departure Training Camp (PDT) for IOAA.

Stage 5: International Olympiad in Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA).

The candidates are eligible for INO‘s Astronomy Examination (INAO) after qualifying for the National Standard Examination in Astronomy (NSEA).

After each stage, students should check the official website for INAO to understand if they have qualified for the next stage. All the proceedings are done in the online mode and candidates should be strictly careful not to miss any updates. Along with qualification details, the scorecards of the candidates are made available in their dashboards, where they need to log in through their registration id and password. Final results are also published online on their official website.

Some of the tentative dates related to INAO are given below.

INAO 2023-24 Exam Dates

Last date to register for the INO exam

January 2nd week

INO exams

February 1st Week

Solutions to INO question papers

Few days after the exam

Last date to receive comments on the solutions

February 2nd Week

Final solutions and INO scores

February 3rd Week

Last date to receive the requests for re-evaluation

February 4th Week

Final scores, certificates, and OCSC lists

March 1st week

The registration fee of the examination is 150 rupees per candidate and it can be submitted either by online banking or through credit and debit cards. Students should keep an eye on the release of admit cards which need to be furnished at the examination venue on the day of the examination. Without the hard copy of the admit card, candidates won’t be allowed in the examination hall. In the pandemic era, all the necessary precautions to be taken will be mentioned in the admit card, and candidates are advised to strictly abide by the same. 

Candidates who are preparing to take the exam in 2022 should know the eligibility criteria before applying. Follow the same that has been discussed below. 

The eligibility criteria for the Astronomy Olympiad of INAO are as follows.

  • All Indian students who are born between 1st July 2004 and June 30, 2009, both days inclusive and studying in Class XII or lower are eligible to appear for INAO 2023-24 examination. Those students who are Class XII pass out are not eligible to enroll for INAO.

  • Candidates must be residing and studying in the Indian school system since November 2021, or earlier.

  • Candidates must not have planned to commence studies in universities or equivalent institutions by June 1, 2023.

  • Must not have passed class XII board examination or equivalent earlier than November 30, 2022.

  • Must not appear in NSEJS 2023.

  • Candidates must be eligible to hold an Indian passport. As per the High Court order of Madras, the OCI candidates will not be eligible for the selection to the Indian team in the International Olympiads. But such candidates are eligible for selection to all the prior stages up to and including OCSC (stage III) provided that they fulfill all the other eligibility criteria.

All the necessary information related to the examination can be accessed through the official web page of Vedantu. It tries to keep students updated and make the learning process fun with exciting topics and regular mock tests on concerning topics.

FAQs on INAO Exam: Indian National Astronomy Olympiad (INAO)

1. What is the Procedure For Selection In Astronomy Stage II (INAO 2023-24)?

Ans:

  • There will be the division of the students batch into two groups i.e. Group- A & Group - B.

  • Group A: Consists of students of class XII from November 30, 2022.

  • Group B: Consists of students of class XI or lower as of November 30.

  • The question paper of NSEA 2022 and INAO 2023-24 will be the same for both groups.

  • A total of 250 students will be selected from each group for stage II of INAO and therefore, a total of 500 students will be selected.

  • Separately Merit Index (MI) and Minimum Admissible Score (MAS) are calculated for each group.

2. What is HBCSE Science Olympiad 2023-24?

Ans: The science olympiad is a 5-stage selection process for shortlisting the Indian team for representation at the International Olympiads in Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Junior Science, and Physics. The very first stage is the NSE (National Standard Examination), and the 2nd stage is INO (Indian National Olympiad). The students who qualify for stage 1 have to register online for the 2nd stage on the official HBCSE site. The selection procedure consists of the following 5 stages: NSE, INO, Orientation-cum-Selection camp (OCSC), pre-departure camp, and International Olympiad.

3. What is the Astronomy Olympiad Screening Procedure?

Ans: The students are split into two classes, A and B, in the batch/pool. Students in Group A must be in class XII as of November 2022, while students in Group B must be in class XI or lower as of November 2022.


A total of 250 students will be chosen from each category for INAO stage II. As a result, 500 students will be chosen.

4. How to get the INAO Admit Card?

Ans: Students can get their Astronomy exam admit card from the INAO in an online mode. All eligible students can download the admit card of INAO from the official website. They should keep an eye on the regular updates available on the website and then take necessary steps accordingly while keeping in mind the deadline attached to every procedure. INAO admit cards should be downloaded and students will have to produce a hard copy of their INAO admit card at the examination hall.

5. Why is Vedantu essential?

Ans: Vedantu is essential since it provides candidates with multiple sample papers and mock tests which when practiced regularly can lead to good scores. It simultaneously prepares students for any other competitive exams that they may take part in the future. It also provides various interesting sessions conducted by subject experts where students can have one-to-one doubt clarification. They also help with solving the INAO previous year question papers and help in making the learning process easier for students.