ICSO

• SOF International Company Secretaries Olympiad (ICSO) exam is conducted in partnership with The Institute of Company Secretaries of India, which is basically a statutory body under the administrative control of The Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India, New Delhi.
• Science Olympiad Foundation (SOF) is primarily an educational organisation that promotes academic competition and helps in instilling a competitive spirit in school children.
• It was started by prominent academicians, media personalities and scientists with the sole goal of promoting subjects like Science, Mathematics, English, Computer Education, General Knowledge and Professional Courses.
• The ICSO exam initiated by the foundation makes the process of learning interesting and interactive, wherein you are able to put your skills, memory, talent and knowledge to the test.

Class-11 Syllabus

Class-12 Syllabus

• The ICSO test is conducted during school hours in your school.
• The exam is a written test of 60 minutes, which includes 50 objective-type (multiple choice) questions for Class 11 and Class 12.
• There are separate question papers for each class.
• The medium of the test is English.
• For setting the test papers, CBSE, ICSE/ISC and State Board syllabi are followed.

Here is the detailed exam pattern for the ICSO:

SECTION	NO. OF QUESTIONS	MARKS/QUESTION
Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning	15	1
Economics	10	1
Business Studies	10	1
Accountancy	10	1
Achievers Section	5	3
Grand Total	50

It’s for a total of 60 marks and this exam pattern is applicable for classes 11th and 12th.

• All students belonging to Classes 11 and 12 from Commerce, Science and Humanities stream are eligible to appear for the International Company Secretaries Olympiad (ICSO).
• The foundation does not have any other eligibility criteria like minimum marks for the exam.

• The SOF ICSO can be given by students of classes 11 and 12.
• The prospectus that includes the registration forms are sent to all schools registered with SOF as per the scheduled time.
• Schools that are not registered with the foundation can also request for a prospectus by sending across an email at info@sofworld.org/ or by making a phone call. The respective schools need to return the registration forms to SOF.
• The coordinating teacher of the school generates your roll number.
• A copy of these roll numbers clubbed with the Students' Registration Sheet (SRS) and School Registration Form (SRF) will be sent to the Foundation's office, after they are filled in and completed, by the due date.
• The foundation then registers the students and the applicant school.
• The question papers and guidelines for conducting the examination are also dispatched.
• As per the guidelines, any school can get registered as a center for SOF ICSO and there is absolutely no fee required from the institution to become a registered examination centre.
• However, there needs to be a registration of a minimum of 5 students for SOF ICSO from each school for feasibility reasons.
• You can register through your school only, as any kind of individual registrations is not accepted.

• For registration, there is a charge of Rs 125 (US$9 per student for International schools), including 18% GST, for the examination and that amount is payable if you belong to a school in India, Nepal, Bangladesh or Bhutan.
• Exceptions are made, if you are suffering from any major physical disabilities or if your parent was martyred during defence operations.
• Additionally, the school can also collect an amount upto Rs 25 (US$1 per student for International schools) for the purpose of the honorarium of the incharge, remuneration given to teachers, study material supplied by SOF and other miscellaneous expenses.

SOF would be uploading the admit card for The International Company Secretaries Olympiad 2018 on its official site http://www.sofworld.org/icso soon. Please note that the server of the Science Olympiad Foundation (SOFWORLD), could be slow or there may be a problem due to overload. For that reason, it is advisable to not wait until the last date for downloading the admit card for ICSO exam 2018.

• The SOF ICSO is conducted on two dates and every school is free to select a date for the SOF ICSO as per its convenience.
• Each date of the exam has a separate question paper.
• Any changes in the date for conducting SOF ICSO is not allowed. SOF ICSO is a single level exam.
• Schools may send registrations 30 days before the chosen date of the exam.
• The following are the ICSO Exam dates: 20th Dec 2018 and 31st Jan 2019

• The result of Olympiads are ideally announced within 8 weeks of the last date of examination and are released on the official website.
• For checking the ICSO results, you need to enter your roll number in this format: your school code, class number, then roll number. For example: AN0001-04-001
• The results also get sent to your school.

• Practice is the key: Practice as much as you can. 70% of your ICSO preparation comprises of practice. Toppr offers over 3.5 lakh questions in our question bank to help you learn and strengthen concepts in each chapter.
• Take All-India Level mock tests: Give time-bound mock tests in a completely exam-like environment to improve your efficiency at attempting questions. Toppr offers an All-India Test Series that lets you compete with other students from all over India.
• Clear all your doubts: Don't get stuck with doubts. Discuss and clarify them with Subject Experts at Toppr to get an instant reply.
• Study from the best sources: NCERT and several recommended books for ICSO are the minimum resources you need. Toppr offers the best study material from all over the web to help you prepare better.
• Revision is important: When you go through a formula or concept, maintain revision notes in the form of bullet points. Revision will be useful when the exam is close and a good revision pattern will take less time. Normally, without these notes, you would have to go through the entire chapter to understand important points once again.

Solving sample papers and previous year papers is not only advisable, but also mandatory, if you want to stay ahead of the stiff competition in ICSO 2018. Solving sample papers will help you prepare for the expected paper and its pattern, while also assisting you in learning efficient time management. You can also assess your own performance by practicing sample papers and judge your level of preparations for ICSO 2018.

Practising previous years’ ICSO papers is important as it helps you simulate the real exam. Toppr provides you with a complete set of all question banks from previous years which you can practice to sharpen your skills.

Q: I want to take part in ICSO. How can I get more details about the exam?

Ans: All the information about the exam is always sent to the registered schools across countries, along with important documents like the prospectus, registration forms, posters and other details before the exam. You can also get the necessary details from your school teachers or through the official website or through the SOF Facebook page.

Q: How will I benefit from giving the ICSO exam?

Ans: Class 11th and 12th are one of the most important junctures of your education, where you are about to make big career decisions. The ICSO helps you realise your potential and aptitude. Apart from self-realisation, SOF also appreciates your potential, by granting awards on merit basis.

You get ranks as per the marks obtained. Therefore, after the exam is done, you can judge yourself academically at four different levels - within the school, at the city level, at zonal level and most importantly at the International level.

You are also given a Student Performance Report (SPR). This report has a detailed analysis of your strong and weak areas and also a performance comparison against other students at school, city, zonal and international level. You get an analysis report of your performance in the past 2 years.

You are given awards as per your international, zonal and school ranking. Prizes are given out annually and include cash awards, certificates, medals, gifts, etc. Even the International toppers get awards at a grand prize distribution ceremony held in Delhi, attended by eminent personalities. The prizes for zonal winners and school winners get sent over to their respective schools. For the year 2018-19, a total amount of Rs. 16 crores will be utilised towards awards, felicitations, scholarships, etc.

Q: What are the career prospects after I complete the Company Secretary Course?

Ans: Company Secretary is one of the key positions in the corporate pyramid. Having a career as a Company Secretary is prestigious, financially rewarding and also comes with a high level of job satisfaction. They can also get the chance to work as a Practicing Company Secretary.

Q: What are the best reference books for the ICSO preparations?

Ans: It is recommended to refer to NCERT books/course books that are prescribed by the CBSE/ICSE/State Boards for exam preparation.

Q: My school is not registered for the Olympiads, so can I give the exam on my own?

Ans: SOF does not allow individual participation and all students need to register strictly through their schools only.

Q: I had given the Olympiad exam when I was in a lower class. Can I give the exam again?

Ans: Definitely. It will also give you an opportunity to improve your previous rankings. And if you get good grades, you will be eligible for certificates and prizes.

Q: When exactly are the results announced for Olympiads?

A: Results of all Olympiads are announced within 8 weeks of the last date of examination. The results get sent to the registered schools and are also made available on the official website.

Q: I am keen on participating in multiple Olympiad exams conducted by SOF. Is it possible?

A: Although these exams like the NCO, NSO, IGKO, IMO, IEO and ICSO are conducted by the same foundation, they are drastically different competitions. But you can choose to register for all the Olympiads in a year as per your class eligibility.

Q: I have still not received my admit card/roll number, and my school authorities don’t have it either. What should I do?

A: You need to request your Principal / Commerce Teacher to inform the SOF about the non-receipt of the documents. The Foundation would then be sending duplicate copies to your school as soon as possible.

Q: Are Olympiads conducted in multiple languages?

A: No, the exams are conducted in English only.

Q: In our school, there are less than 5 students who want to take part in the SOF ICSO exam. Can we give the test?

A: For practical reasons, it is not possible for the foundation to conduct the SOF ICSO for less than 5 students in a school. Therefore, at least 5 students need to be enrolled so that a school becomes an exam center.