PANINI LINGUISTICS OLYMPIAD

PLO is a fun, exciting, educational, challenging, puzzling, linguistic competition for students studying in grades 6th to 8th (Juniors) and 9th to 12th (Seniors).

This competition helps foster problem solving, computational thinking and appreciation for the linguistic diversity and linguistics in general.

Here, You can challenge your mind against puzzles in logic, language and linguistics, from deciphering flower formulae to tracking the evolution of Nna.

To actually get on solving these, you don’t need to have any prior knowledge of Linguistics or languages!

PLO 2025 Timeline

PLO 2025 will have 2 major selection rounds. We also have a special Puzzle Lab for people hoping to get started with their Linguistic Olympiad journey. Dates in the timeline are tentative and subject to change.

Round 1 Registration Opens

13 November, 2024

This is the first selectional round for PLO. Top participants from this round will be eligible for Round 2. So don't wait and register!

Round 1 Registration Closes

28 January, 2025

Last date to register for the contest.

Round 1 Contest

02 February, 2025

Time to put on your thinking caps and solve some fun linguistics puzzles!

Round 1 Results

05 March, 2025

Round 1 results are announced!

APLO 2025

20 April, 2025

Top participants from Round 1 are eligible to particpate in APLO 2025 to compete against people from all over the world. This is not the final selection round for the Indian Team.

Round 2 and Camp

May 2025

Top participants from Round 1 get to take part in an Invidational Camp in Hyderabad where they learn linguistics and key tips and tricks. Particpants then will get a chance to take part in Round 2 which would help select the top 8 students to represent the Indian team at IOL 2025.

IOL 2025

July 2025

Top 8 participants from Round 2 are selected to reprsent India at IOL 2025.

Centres

The centres which help us in conducting the exams are:

State	City	Centre
Bihar	Patna	IIT Patna
Karnataka	Bengaluru	IISc Bengaluru
New Delhi	Delhi	IIT Delhi
West Bengal	Kolkata	Jadavpur University
Maharashtra	Pune	Deccan College, Pune
Maharashtra	Mumbai	IIT Bombay
Tamil Nadu	Chennai	IIT Madras
Assam	Guwahati	IIT Guwahati
Chhattisgarh	Raipur	KPS Raipur

Initial exam centres have been listed above. Please note that additional centres may be added in cities with a high number of applicants.
Centre allocations will be updated accordingly.

Let's try one problem.

To get a feel, try this sample problem.

K = outermost green layer
C = next whorl
A = next – the yellow dots, and
G the innermost = orange.

The number of elements in the whorl is subscripted.
To view the full solution, find this problem on the Resources Page

Did you enjoy the problem?
Try out more and don't forget to participate in the olympiad.