BSE International Finance Olympiad Syllabus 2024

BIFO conducted by EduHeal Foundation in collaboration with the Bombay Stock Exchange is an exam to increase financial literacy in students. 

The BSE International Finance Olympiad (BIFO) syllabus for the different classes is mentioned below.

• EduHeal BIFO Syllabus for Class 9 and 10
• EduHeal BIFO Syllabus for Class 11 and 12

EduHeal BIFO Syllabus for Class 9 and 10

Given below are the BSE International Finance Olympiad syllabus for class 9 and 10 under financial literacy.

Money

• History of money
• Barter system
• Importance and concept of money, coins, paper money, plastic money, and e-money

General and Household Economics

• Earnings, nature of earnings, needs & wants, and list your expenses
• Find simple ways to save money, expenditure, cost & prices, inflation, savings, and thrift
• What you save is what you earn?
• Borrowing-mild definition
• Investment-mild definition
• Interest-mild definition
• Interest rate-mild definition
• Stock exchange especially BSE

EduHeal BIFO Syllabus for Class 11 and 12

Given below are the BSE International Finance Olympiad syllabus for class 11 and 12 under financial literacy.

• Banking
• Investment
• Behavioural Aspects
• Insurance
• Financial Planning
• Retirement and Estate Planning
• Grievance and Redressal
• Use of Technology (Do's and Don'ts)
• Scams and Fraud Schemes
• Borrowings (Need for Borrowing)
• Consumer Protection and Redressal Mechanism
• Taxes
• Importance of Maintaining Financial Records

Banking

Listed below are the topics covered under the banking subject.

• Definition
• Role of bank – in the growth of saving and investment
• Types of banks
• Services offered by banks, deposits, and loans
• Types of A/c, opening a bank A/c, how to transact with banks?
• KYC norms – (A/c opening form and address proof)
• How to read a bank statement, banking products, and services?
• Calculating interests – saving, FD, simple & compound interest
• Power of compounding
• Loans and types of loans
• Definition of EMI and calculation of EMI
• Difference between banks and money lenders
• Microfinance
• How to make a complaint?
• Basic of foreign exchange
• Importance and use of foreign exchange
• Check counterfeit currency
• CIBIL
• Regulator–the role of RBI

Investment

Listed below are the topics covered in the investment subject.

• Piggybank
• Principles of investment – safety, liquidity, and return
• Bank Saving
• Post office savings
• Bonds and debentures
• Shares, mutual funds, and gold & silver
• Real estate
• Arts and other investments
• Commodities
• Asset allocation
• Risk and return
• Basics of investment – liquidity, credit, compounding, and the time value of money
• Nominal and real return (Inflation)
• Effect of taxes
• Long term vs short term

Behavioural Aspects

Listed below are the topics covered in the subject of the behavioural aspect.

• Concept of needs and wants
• Helping the needy
• Spend wisely vs waste spending
• Conscious consumption – lavish and impulsive spending
• Whatever you save is what you earn
• Using money responsibly and avoiding cash payments
• Insisting on bills
• Dangers of excessive borrowing, repayment of loans, make informed choices, ownership of your financial decision, take care of your old ones, and tax payment
• Insider trading
• Financial records

Insurance

Listed below are the topics covered in the insurance subject.

• Meaning
• Need and wants
• Loss protection, life, non-life, and health
• Benefits of insurance
• Term plans, investment plans, and hybrid plans-Ulip
• Agents, advisors, and role of insurance companies
• Regulator
• How to take a new policy?
• How to revive an old policy?
• Transaction cycle, nomination, assignment, and claims settlement
• Exclusions
• Differences between insurance and investment

Financial Planning

Listed below are the topics covered in the financial planning subject.

• Meaning
• Household financial health checkup
• Important life stages
• Education, medical, and other emergencies
• Social obligations
• Goal setting
• Budgeting, marriage, and buying a house
• Plan a vacation
• Retirement planning
• Price of procrastination

Retirement and Estate Planning

Listed below are the topics covered in retirement and estate planning subjects.

• Concept of PPF, EPF, Gratuity, NPS, and SCSS
• Financial need after retirement
• Three stages – saving, accumulating, and not saving
• Calculating of a corpus, required after retirement, and protection from inflation
• A reverse mortgage, the definition of will, and making a will.

Grievance and Redressal

Listed below are the topics covered in grievance and redressal subject.

• Financial advisor
• CA, CFP, and CPFA
• Basic terms and processes in the securities market
• Market rumours and tips
• Sources of reliable information
• What are Indices? (Sensex and NIFTY)
• Investment vs speculation.

Use of Technology

Listed below are the topics covered in the use of technology.

• Password protection
• NEFT and RGTS
• ATM
• Online trading
• Internet banking
• Need for keeping the mobile number with banks
• Three in one account
• A need for protecting your online account
• The functioning of stock exchanges
• Depository working mechanism
• Algorithmic trading

Scams and Fraud Schemes

Listed below are the topics covered in scams and fraud schemes subject.

• Free tips
• Insider trading
• Money laundering
• Phishing mail about winning a lottery
• Price rigging
• Real estate frauds
• Banking and credit card scams
• Preventive measures from getting duped

Borrowings

Listed below are the topics covered in borrowings subject.

• Need for borrowing
• Source of borrowing
• Merit and demerits of borrowing
• How much to borrow?
• Avoid a life of the credit
• Comparing the interest rate on loan offers
• Importance of timely payment
• Credit cards-merits and demerits

Consumer Protection and Redressal Mechanism

Listed below are the topics covered in consumer protection and redressal mechanism subject.

• Rights of consumers
• Applicable to financial services
• Filing a complaint
• Complain to the entity concerned
• Regulators
• Arbitration
• Consumer courts
• Government websites (PG portals)
• Investor associations

Taxes

Listed below are the topics covered in taxes subject.

• Meaning
• Need for taxes
• Types of taxes
• How taxes impact income?
• Income, wealth, and gift tax
• Service Tax
• STT
• Stamp duty
• Tax planning vs tax evasion
• Tax rates
• Tax-free bonds
• Tax saving investment.

Importance of Maintaining Financial Records

Listed below are the topics covered in the importance of maintaining financial records subject.

• PAN and its utility
• Aadhar card
• Demat Account
• Bank statements and passbook
• Insurance policies
• Tax return
• Property documents
• Helpline numbers of services
• Stock exchanges especially the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE)

Note: The students can consider the BSF BIFO sample paper to get familiarized with the question pattern asked for different classes.