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"Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where they are going."
- Rita Mae Brown
Edition
Class 1 to 12
A premier test of English proficiency, held once a year for Classes 1 to 12.
The International Olympiad of English Language (iOEL) is a premier competition for students. It tests English proficiency through a globally recognised platform, evaluating skills in comprehension, grammar and writing.
Aligned with CBSE, ICSE and state board syllabuses, it is ideal for school students worldwide — challenging and rewarding in equal measure, and built to push young readers and writers further.
All the students of classes 1st to 12th are eligible to take part in Level 1.
Open to every classTop 1000 Olympiad rank holders between 4 and 1003 with minimum marks of 50% and above.
Class 1st rank holders with minimum 75% marks and 100 participation in the respective subject from the school.
Qualify from Level 1International Olympiad 1st rank holders of classes 6th to 12th from Level 2 will be eligible for Level 3.
Held in New Delhi, IndiaThe Olympiad is held once a year and is conducted during school hours to ensure student convenience and maximum participation. Each participating school can select one of the three proposed dates for conducting the Olympiad. All dates will have separate sets of question papers, ensuring exam integrity and flexibility in scheduling.
Detailed guidelines for conducting the test will be shared with the school along with the question papers. For classes 1st onwards, OMR answer sheets will be provided.
The International Olympiad of English Language (iOEL) prospectus, along with registration forms, is sent to all schools currently registered with the SilverZone Foundation. Please note that the printed prospectus may not reflect the most recent updates. The latest information on syllabus, exam format, levels, and prizes is always available on our official website. We recommend referring to it for accuracy.
Schools not yet registered with SilverZone may request a prospectus by writing to us at info@silverzone.org. Once received, schools must return the completed registration forms by the specified deadline.
Quick Challenge
A warm-up in the Olympiad style: vocabulary, grammar and idiom questions with one correct answer each, answered against the clock.
Five short questions on antonyms, agreement, prepositions, idioms and spelling.
Original practice questions written for this page to show the objective format — not from an official iOEL paper. The 60-second timer and scoring apply to this warm-up only.
Complete Syllabus
Every class has its own English Olympiad syllabus. Select a class to explore all topics and chapters in one clear view.
The syllabus is arranged class-wise so students can quickly find the topics and chapters covered in their International Olympiad of English Language paper.
The raw score is computed by multiplying each correct answer by its corresponding base marks and summing the results.
Total marks are determined by adding the raw score to the sum of the weightage of correct answers. Each question carries an additional weightage, starting from .0001 and increasing incrementally (.0002, .0003, and so forth). Question 1 has a weightage of .0001, question 2 has .0002, and so on.
This weightage is utilised to resolve ties when calculating class, zonal and Olympiad ranks.
Tap questions to mark them correct and watch the weightage separate two equal raw scores.
Example English paper: 10 questions at 3 marks each.
6 of 10 correct. Two students with 18 raw marks are separated by which questions they answered correctly.
This encompasses all students from various sections and divisions of the same class within the same school.
This encompasses all students from India and abroad belonging to the same class.
Each winner is entitled to one award per exam, receiving the higher-level award only. For example, international top three rank holders will receive awards based on their international ranks, and any awards based on their zonal ranks will be passed to the next rank holder. Similarly, if a zonal award winner also qualifies for a class award, the class award will be given to the next rank holder.
Chapter 05 Prizes, dates and venue
Cash prizes, gift certificates, Medals of Excellence and an educational excursion to ISRO. Pick a class and a rank to see exactly what is on offer.
Every award shown here follows the official SilverZone award structure.
The top three Olympiad ranks for Classes 3 to 12 are decided on the basis of the Level 2 result — in Level 1 the Olympiad rank for these classes starts from 4.
Each winner receives one award per exam — the higher-level award applies.
Open to every student of Classes 1 to 12.
For qualifiers from Level 1 — this is where the top three Olympiad ranks of Classes 3 to 12 are decided.
Third-level winners from each class (Classes 6 to 12) and from each subject (iOM, iOS and iOEL) are eligible for an educational visit to ISRO — a chance to explore India's achievements in space exploration.
Reflecting the student's Class, Zonal, State and Olympiad ranks along with their marks.
The top three rank holders in each class receive Medals of Excellence, provided the topper scores at least 50%.
Drag the slider to see how a shared rank is settled.
How ranks, ties and overlapping awards are settled.
The Olympiad rank starts from 4 in Level 1 for Classes 3 to 12; the top three Olympiad rank holders are selected on the basis of the Level 2 result.
Should Level 2 not be conducted for any reason, the Level 1 and Level 2 prizes are awarded together on the basis of the Level 1 result and audio, video or in-person interviews. Level 3 will be conducted this year.
The award amount is divided and distributed equally, and each winner also receives a Symbolic Golden Medal of Excellence in the relevant category along with a certificate.
In lieu of a shared award, each winner receives a gift certificate coupon along with a Medal of Excellence in the relevant category and a Special Achievement Certificate.
Each winner receives the higher-level award only. International top three rank holders receive awards based on their international ranks, and any award based on their Zonal rank passes to the next rank holder. Likewise, if a Zonal award winner also qualifies for a class award, the class award goes to the next rank holder.
At school level, the top three rank holders in each class are presented with Medals of Excellence. To qualify, a student must score at least 50%.
Zones
To streamline operations, all states and Union Territories in India, along with participating international countries, are organised into five zones.
States and Union Territories in this zone.
This categorisation serves the following purpose: determining zone toppers for performance-based awards.
| Zone | States, Union Territories and countries |
|---|---|
| North Zone | Delhi NCR, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, J&K, Ladakh, Chandigarh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh |
| East Zone | West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur, Chhattisgarh |
| South Zone | Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Andhra Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar |
| West Zone | Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Daman & Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Madhya Pradesh |
| International Zone | Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Ghana, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, United Arab Emirates (UAE), United Kingdom, United States of America (USA) |
Tap a bubble to try it — darken one bubble per question
Answer Sheet
Unlock the perfect answer sheet: click below for your free PDF download.
See exactly how the OMR sheet looks before exam day, so filling it in feels familiar. Try the bubbles on the sample sheet — then download the real one.
Sample answer sheet (PDF)
FAQ
Quick answers about eligibility, exam pattern, the five sections, levels, scoring, prizes and registration.
iOEL is SilverZone Foundation’s annual English Language Olympiad for students of Classes 1 to 12. It assesses English proficiency — grammar, vocabulary, reading comprehension and writing skills — and is aligned with CBSE, ICSE and state board syllabuses.
Students of Classes 1 to 12 take part through their school, and Level 1 is open to every student in these classes. Any school can become a registered iOEL centre free of charge; a minimum of 40 students per school must register for the English Language Olympiad.
Each class sits its own objective (multiple-choice) paper in English, answered on an OMR sheet during school hours. Classes 1–2 answer 25 questions in 40 minutes, Classes 3–5 answer 30 questions in 40 minutes, Classes 6–8 answer 35 questions in 40 minutes and Classes 9–12 answer 40 questions in 50 minutes. There is no negative marking.
Five. Classes 1 and 2 answer Elementary Knowledge, Writing & Speaking Skill, Word Knowledge, Reading & Comprehension Skill and the Meritorious Zone. Classes 3 to 12 answer Correct Application of Grammar, Vocabulary Knowledge, Reading & Comprehension Skill, Writing & Speaking Ability and a final zone — the Excellence Zone for Classes 3 to 6 and the Brilliance Zone for Classes 7 to 12.
Three. Level 1 is open to all students of Classes 1 to 12. Level 2 is for the top 1,000 Olympiad rank holders (ranks 4 to 1,003) who score at least 50%, and for class 1st rank holders who score at least 75%. Level 3, held in New Delhi, is for the International Olympiad 1st rank holders of Classes 6 to 12 from Level 2.
The raw score is the total of the base marks for every correct answer. A tiny weightage (.0001 for question 1, .0002 for question 2 and so on) is added for each correct answer and is used only to break ties in class, zonal and Olympiad ranks. Every participant receives a certificate showing their class, zonal, state and Olympiad ranks along with their marks.
The top three Olympiad rank holders in each class win cash prizes — up to ₹50,000 for the 1st rank in Class 12. For Classes 3 to 12, these top three ranks are decided by the Level 2 result. Ranks 4 to 25 receive gift certificates, ranks 26 to 500 receive Topper Achievement Certificates, and zonal, state and class toppers receive Medals of Excellence (class toppers must score at least 50%). Level 3 winners of Classes 6 to 12 are eligible for an educational excursion to ISRO. Each winner receives one award per exam — the higher-level one.
Registration is through schools. SilverZone sends the iOEL prospectus and registration forms to every school registered with the Foundation. Schools not yet registered can request a prospectus by writing to info@silverzone.org and must return the completed forms by the stated deadline. Each school chooses one of three proposed exam dates.
Class-wise syllabuses, sample question papers and a sample OMR answer sheet are available on the English Olympiad page. Preparation books, including the Olympiad Excellence Guide, Previous Year Papers and the Comprehensive Book, can be ordered online or through your school coordinator.
