JEO-SEO Past Papers with Answers - Practise Online

JEO-SEO (Junior-Senior English Olympics) is an international English language competition for students in Grade 1 to Grade 12, run since 2020 by UniCEP (Universal Center of Educational Platform) in Australia together with Miss Man International Education. The Junior English Olympics (JEO) is for primary school and the Senior English Olympics (SEO) is for secondary school. Every paper has 25 multiple-choice questions on reading, grammar and general English, to be answered in 50 minutes.

Students first take a Qualification Round in their own country; award winners can go on to a paper-based Global Round. This guide explains the JEO-SEO levels, the JEO-SEO exam format and scoring, the rounds, and how to use JEO-SEO past papers effectively.

Overview

UniCEP was founded in 2017. Its timeline lists the IMEC mathematics olympiad in 2019, JEO-SEO in 2020 and the ISCO science olympiad in 2021. That makes IMEC (mathematics) and ISCO (science) the two sister contests of JEO-SEO. All three use levels of two school grades, the same Qualification Round and Global Round, and the same scoring rule.

Unlike many English tests, JEO-SEO is not a speaking or writing exam. It checks vocabulary, grammar and reading through multiple-choice questions, which makes it a useful benchmark for students learning English as a second language. UniCEP reports participants from more than 35 countries, and students register on the UniCEP website or through an official country representative. All JEO-SEO papers are in English.

JEO-SEO levels and grades

There are six levels. JEO 1 to JEO 3 cover primary grades and SEO 1 to SEO 3 cover secondary grades. There is no kindergarten level.

The notes summarize the official syllabus for each level. Across all levels, questions also test situational English: choosing the right response for a given everyday situation.

Rounds

• Qualification Round. Every registered student takes this round, online or on paper, through UniCEP or its representative in each country. In Vietnam, it is run as an online national round together with IMEC and ISCO.
• Global Round. Students who receive Diamond, Gold, Silver, Bronze or Honourable Mention in the Qualification Round are eligible. The organizer states that the Global Round is paper-based. For the 2026-2027 season, Global Rounds are listed in Sydney in April 2027 and in Malaysia in June 2027. Earlier UniCEP Global Rounds took place in London, Sydney, Dubai and Kuala Lumpur.

The Global Round is optional. Qualification Round awards are given whether or not a student travels.

JEO-SEO exam format and scoring

The time limit is tight for reading questions. Fifty minutes for 25 questions is about two minutes each, and a single reading passage may carry several questions. Students who read slowly lose more marks to the clock than to difficult grammar.

When is JEO-SEO held

The Qualification Round normally takes place in November, with registration closing a few weeks earlier. Country representatives may set their own date in the same period. Global Rounds follow in the first half of the next year. Check the UniCEP website or your country representative for the current timetable and fee.

How to prepare with JEO-SEO past papers

• Do grammar questions first, reading second. Short grammar and vocabulary items take seconds when you know the rule. Answering them first leaves a block of time for the passages.
• Read the questions before the passage. Knowing what you are looking for (a date, a reason, the meaning of a word) makes skimming much faster.
• Keep an error notebook by rule. Write down each mistake under its grammar point: tenses, prepositions, conditionals, reported speech. Most students repeat the same three or four types of error.
• Learn collocations and idioms in context. Levels such as JEO 1 and SEO 1 include collocations, synonyms and idioms. Learn them from the sentences in past papers rather than from isolated word lists.
• Use the scoring rule sensibly. A correct answer is worth four times what a wrong answer costs. If you can rule out one or two options, guess; if you have no idea, skip and return at the end.
• Practise at full length. Sit complete papers with a 50-minute timer so you can feel when to move on from a hard passage.

On Edupiad you can take JEO-SEO past papers online with a timer, have them marked automatically and review each question after you submit. The years and solutions available vary by level.

Frequently asked questions

What does JEO-SEO stand for?

JEO stands for Junior English Olympics and SEO for Senior English Olympics. JEO covers Grades 1 to 6, SEO covers Grades 7 to 12.

Which JEO-SEO level should my child take?

Choose by school grade: JEO 1 for Grades 1-2, JEO 2 for Grades 3-4, JEO 3 for Grades 5-6, SEO 1 for Grades 7-8, SEO 2 for Grades 9-10 and SEO 3 for Grades 11-12.

Does JEO-SEO have negative marking?

Yes. According to the official page, each correct answer earns 4 points and each incorrect answer loses 1 point, for a maximum of 100 points.

Is there speaking or writing in JEO-SEO?

No. The paper has 25 multiple-choice questions on reading, grammar and general English. There is no speaking or essay section.

How is JEO-SEO related to IMEC and ISCO?

All three are UniCEP olympiads with the same two-round structure: IMEC for mathematics, ISCO for science and JEO-SEO for English. Students often enter more than one in the same season.

Sources

• JEO-SEO Junior-Senior English Olympics - UniCEP
• About UniCEP
• IMEC, ISCO, JEO-SEO registration in Vietnam - Fermat Education