IGKO complete guide: general awareness, current affairs and life skills

The International General Knowledge Olympiad (IGKO) is the most "wide" of the SOF olympiads. You cannot cram it in a week, but a steady routine works well.

Sections

• General Awareness — history, geography, science facts, civics, art and culture, sports.
• Current Affairs — recent events, awards, appointments, summits.
• Life Skills — practical judgement, safety, health and good habits.
• Achievers Section — higher-order questions mixing the above.

Daily routine (20 minutes)

1. Read one reliable children's or general newspaper page.
2. Write three facts in a notebook: what, where, why it matters.
3. Once a week, turn your notes into 10 quiz questions and ask a family member.

Static knowledge

Create small themed lists and revisit them: states and capitals, rivers, national symbols, important days, famous personalities, inventions, space missions. Use a map for geography — seeing the location helps memory far more than reading text.

Current affairs

Focus on the last 6–12 months: sports events, major awards, science milestones, government schemes. Do not memorise every date; remember the event and the year.

Life skills questions

These test common sense and safety. When unsure, choose the option that is kind, safe and responsible.

Test yourself

Take a timed practice test every week. Because the same facts are asked in different ways, repeated exposure is useful: it is normal and healthy to meet the same question more than once.

On exam day

Answer the sure questions first. Do not leave blanks if there is no negative marking — make an informed guess by eliminating the obviously wrong options.