INAO 2024-25 Exam Pattern

Indian National Olympiad In Astronomy (INAO) is a national level Olympic competition held for the students of Class 11 and 12 to participate in the International Olympiad In Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA). INAO is conducted for CBSE Class 10+2 students and includes basic questions that are based on Physics, Mathematics and Elementary Astronomy. But, before applying for the upcoming INAO Examination 2024-25, we must be familiar with the latest INAO Exam pattern and question pattern. By doing so, we will be able to understand the level of difficulty of the examination. Therefore, in this article, we have discussed the latest exam pattern for INAO 2024-25.

Candidates who pass the National Standard Examination in Astronomy (NSEA) will appear in the Interior National Observatory's Astronomy Examination (INAO), which is conducted by the HBCSE (Homi Bhabha Center for Science Education). This exam usually takes place in November. Astronomy - Stage 2 is the second stage and candidates who have passed Astronomy - Stage 1 will be eligible for the exam. The INAO 2024-25 information is now available on our website.

INAO 2024-25 Exam Pattern and Marks Distribution

To be eligible for the INAO Exam, it is compulsory for all candidates to qualify in the National Standard Examination In Astronomy (NSEA). The candidates who don’t qualify in the NSEA exam are directly exempted from INAO. As per the INBO previous year question papers, it consisted of 100 marks and two sections - Section A and Section B. Section A consisted of 28 questions of 1 mark each and section B was of 72 marks consisting of 27 questions. There was also a negative marking for each incorrect answer.

Due to the ongoing pandemic condition in the country, the conducting body i.e., HBCSE has decided to reduce the stages of the Astronomy Olympiad Programme and conduct the NSEB and the INBO examination as a single paper. This will be a three-hour examination and will include 2 parts -  Part 1 (National Standard Examination In Astronomy) and Part 2 (INAO). This stage will be known as the Indian Olympiad Qualifier. The detailed information has been given below:

1. Part I - National Standard Examination in Astronomy

This will be a one-hour examination consisting of multiple-choice questions. These questions will be based on Class 10+2 Physics, Mathematics and Elementary Astronomy and will follow the regular pattern of the NSEA examination. It is compulsory to pass the NSEA section to be eligible for further rounds.

2. Part II - Indian National Astronomy Olympiad

This will be conducted for two hours and will include detailed questions following the similar INAO standards of the previous years. This section will only be evaluated if the candidate qualified in the 1st part. The selection to the next round i.e., Orientation cum Selection Camp will be done based on the individual score of this part. 

Procedure for Choosing Candidates for Stage 2 of Astronomy (INAO 2024-25)

• There are two groups or batches of students in the batch, namely, those in groups A and B. As of November 2022, students who will be in class XII under Group A will come. As of November 2022, students who will be in class XI or lower will come under Group B.

• Each group will choose 250 students for stage II of INAO. This amounts to 500 students selected in total.

• There will be different metrics used for each group: Merit Index (MI), Minimum Admissible Score (MAS), and Effective Score (ES).

• For each group, the following clauses will be applied separately, as described below. The official pdf contains these clauses.

• The exam questions for NSEA 2024 and INAO 2024 will be identical.

What You Need To Do to Enroll in the INAO Exam

The next step in the National Olympiad Program will only be accessible to each candidate once they have passed the first stage. Below you can find out how to enroll.

• You must go to the official website to register i.e. hbcse.tifr.res.in

• and choose the Olympiad option there. On the desktop, it is usually to the left-hand side.

• You can find it by clicking on the upcoming events link.

• In order to enroll in INO, enter your NSE center code, roll number, and DOB.

• At the time of registration, students must select their examination center.

Getting to the Second Round of Qualification

Conducting this test has as its main goal not to focus on merit but to make as many students in the country participate in the test and demonstrate their talent and abilities. The choice of candidates for stage II of the examination, which is the Indian National Olympiad (INO) are determined according to this scheme.

• A student must score a minimum admissible score, which is 40% of the maximum score, to advance to the second stage of examination.

• The maximum number of students per subject for Stage II (INO) is 300 in proportional representation. We consider both merit and proportionality when selecting these students. Across each state or union territory (UT), the percentage based on the number of candidates that sat for the NSE in the previous year is determined by how many candidates sat for the exam at the particular location the year before. Students will tie for the last position, and students who qualify for this position will get to move on to Stage II. Students must meet the eligibility clauses outlined above in order to be eligible. You will be able to see the number of candidates that will be selected from all centers in each state on the IAPT and HBCSE websites for each subject.

• The minimum representation clause requires that at least one student must come from each of the States and the UT, provided that the eligibility clause is met.

• As previously stated, approximately 300 students will be chosen for the second stage of the selection process. It is understood that if this is not achieved according to MAS then, if there is a shortfall from 300 students, the shortfall will be chosen purely based on merit without further consideration of proportional representation or minimum representation. Those students with the same score at the last position in the list will qualify to sit for Stage II if there is a tie at that position

This information is provided based on the last updated notification and can be changed according to the current pandemic situation. Therefore, candidates must check the official HBCSE website regularly for any new updates.