The INO exam was successfully conducted on January 31 and February 01, 2026.
Please note the change in OCSC Physics dates below.
INO Question papers and proposed solutions (updated on Feb 03, 2026)
INO question papers and solutions are the intellectual property of HBCSE. Any versions of the same published by any agency other than HBCSE are illegal and constitute an infringement of copyright. Distribution and use of such versions constitute illegal acts and are liable to be prosecuted. HBCSE reserves the right to disqualify any student from the Olympiad programme on such grounds.
| Subject | Question paper (English) | Question paper (Hindi) | Solution |
| Astronomy | QP (E) | QP (H) | Solutions |
| Biology | QP (E) | QP (H) | Solutions |
| Chemistry | QP (E) | QP (H) | Solutions |
| Physics | QP (E) | QP (H) | Solutions |
Any alternative method of solution to any question that is scientifically and mathematically correct and leads to the same answer is accepted with full credit. Partially correct answers will receive partial credit. For questions requiring reasoning or calculations, full credit is given only if adequate justification and the necessary steps of the calculations are provided in writing.
The comments on the proposed solutions can be submitted through the INO portal till February 08, 2026.
For the Question Paper and Solution of INJSO 2026, please refer to the IAPT JSO website.
Previous Announcements:
To appear in the Indian National Olympiad (INO) examination 2026, it is MANDATORY to register yourself for the same on the HBCSE webpage:
https://secure.hbcse.tifr.res.
This registration will be open from January 06-17, 2026. Failure to register will lead to disqualification for INO.
Schedule of the Indian National Olympiad (INO):
| Astronomy (INAO): | Saturday, January 31, 2026 | 09.00 a.m. – 12.00 noon |
| Chemistry (INChO): | Saturday, January 31, 2026 | 01.30 p.m. – 04.30 p.m |
| Junior Science (INJSO)** | Sunday, February 01, 2026 | 09.00 a.m. – 12.00 noon |
| Physics (INPhO): | Sunday, February 01, 2026 | 09.00 a.m. – 12.00 noon |
| Biology (INBO): | Sunday, February 01, 2026 | 01.30 p.m. – 03.30 p.m. |
**For INJSO, please see the note at the end of this page.
Tentative schedule for INO-related actions:
| Mandatory registration for students on INO website: | January 06-17, 2026 |
| Hall Tickets available for download: | January 23, 2026 |
| INO examinations: | January 31-February 01, 2026 |
| Question papers and provisional solutions on HBCSE website: | February 03, 2026 |
| Comments on provisional solutions: | February 03-08, 2026 |
| INO marks and frozen solutions on HBCSE website: | February 21, 2026 |
| Reevaluation request: | February 21-26, 2026 |
| INO final results and OCSC lists: | March 06, 2026 |
Tentative dates for OCSC/IMOTC:
| Astronomy: | April 27 – May 13, 2026 |
| Biology: | May 11 – 22, 2026 |
| Chemistry: | April 13 – 24, 2026 |
| Physics: | April 21 – May 04, 2026 |
Note:
- HBCSE is well aware of the schedules of different board examinations and competitive examinations that are published till date. Best efforts have been made to avoid any clash of dates. The Olympiad programme is tied to a fixed international schedule and has various constraints of its own. Please do not approach HBCSE with requests of change of dates of examinations or camps.
- Students taking any external examination during OCSC camp dates are requested to select the respective venue of the OCSC as their exam centre. Efforts will be made to accommodate such exam schedules in the OCSC programme.
- All stages of the Junior Science Olympiad will be handled by the Indian Association of Physics Teachers (IAPT). All queries related to the Junior Science Olympiad should be directed to iapt.jso@gmail.com . The conduct of examination, evaluation of INJSO and selection for OCSC (JS) are the responsibility of IAPT, and more information can be found on this website.
- Candidates for INJSO 2026 are automatically eligible for consideration for the next stages of selection of the Indian team for the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA-Junior). They will have to declare their preference order for consideration for OCSC in Junior Science and Astronomy-Jr during registration for INJSO.
The Astronomy-Jr programme is conducted by the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) and more information is available at https://ncsm.gov.in/activities-main/events/international-astronomy-olympiad-junior