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Maths competitions · 2026–27

Maths competitions in Singapore

Which maths competitions students at international schools in Singapore can take, how to enter each one from here, the 2026–27 dates, how awards and cut-offs work, and what universities' own admissions pages say about competition results. Every fact comes from the organisers' and universities' own pages.

Organisers' and universities' official pages, checked October 2026 · Alex Koo

Updated regularlyLast updated 22 October 2026

This guide is updated whenever new official data comes out. Bookmark it and check back.

5 & 13 NovAMC 10 and 12, A and B dates, 2026Entered from Singapore through MAA's group leader
100 · 85AMC 10 · AMC 12 scores that qualify for AIME 2027Fixed scores replace the old top 2.5% and 5%
Top 10%of SMO Junior and Senior go to Round 2Entries only through the school's head of maths
7 Apr 2027Euclid contest, outside the AmericasWaterloo uses it for Math scholarships
In short

Four things to know

  1. Almost every entry goes through a school

    The SMO takes entries only from the school's head of maths, UKMT only from registered centres, Waterloo contests only at a school that ordered them, and the Australian contest only at a school, registered home school or coaching centre. For the US AMC, students in Singapore register through MAA's international group leader. Start by asking your school's maths department.

  2. AMC and AIME change in 2026–27

    MAA now serves schools outside the US and Canada only through international partners. AIME 2027 is open by invitation to AMC 10 scores of 100 or more and AMC 12 scores of 85 or more, and is a computer-based exam at Pearson centres in the US and Canada; MAA tells students abroad to follow their group leader's policies.

  3. Universities rarely ask for them

    Waterloo uses its own Euclid and CSMC contests for Math scholarships and borderline cases, and Caltech lists AMC, IMO and Putnam as evidence of preparation. Cambridge Mathematics suggests competitions if you have the chance, but its offers rest on STEP. NUS and NTU list olympiad medals as achievements.

  4. Pick by grade and goal

    One or two competitions a year is plenty. Younger students can start with AMC 8 or the Australian contest; Grades 9–10 add AMC 10 and the SMO; Grades 11–12, AMC 12 and, for Waterloo applicants, the Euclid.

Competitions

Competitions open to students in Singapore

The main competitions international-school students sit, and how each one is entered from Singapore. Dates are for the 2026–27 season, as Singapore dates where they differ from the organiser's.

CompetitionWhoFormat2026–27Entering from Singapore
AMC 8 · MAA (US)Grade 8 and below, under 15.525 multiple-choice questions, 40 minutes21–27 January 2027Through MAA's international group leader for Singapore (listed on MAA's AMC International page)
AMC 10 and AMC 12 · MAA (US)AMC 10: Grade 10 and below, under 17.5. AMC 12: Grade 12 and below, under 19.525 multiple-choice questions, 75 minutes; AMC 12 covers the high-school curriculum without calculusA: 5 November 2026 · B: 13 November 2026Through the international group leader; a student may sit both the A and B dates
AIME · MAA (US)By invitation: 100 or more on AMC 10, or 85 or more on AMC 12; aged 13 or over15 questions in two 90-minute parts, answers 0–999, on computer; US$855–6 February 2027Pearson centres in the US and Canada; for students abroad, MAA says to follow the group leader's policies
Junior, Intermediate and Senior Mathematical Challenge · UKMT (UK)UK Year 8, Year 11 and Year 13 and belowJMC and IMC: 25 multiple-choice questions, 60 minutes. SMC: 25 questions, 90 minutes. Paper onlyIMC: 28 January 2027 · JMC: 6 May 2027 · SMC: October (8 October in 2026)Only through a registered UKMT centre; outside the UK, the school must be a British international school
British Mathematical Olympiad · UKMTYear 13 and belowBMO1: 6 problems, 3½ hours. BMO2: 4 problems, 3½ hoursBMO1: 19 November 2026 · BMO2: 21 January 2027Qualify through the SMC, or by a paid entry from the school (£40 and £50)
Singapore Mathematical Olympiad (SMO) · Singapore Mathematical SocietyJunior: Sec 1–2. Senior: Sec 3–4 (both by date of birth). Open: Sec 1 to junior collegeRound 1: 2½ hours. Round 2 for the top 10% (Junior, Senior) or selected students (Open)June (2026: Round 1 on 3–4 June, Round 2 on 27 June and 4 July); registration closed 31 March in 2026Only through the school's head of mathematics; several international schools take part
Australian Mathematics Competition · Australian Maths TrustJunior (Years 7–8), Intermediate (9–10), Senior (11–12)30 questions, 75 minutes3–5 August 2027 (international paper entries close 25 June)Through a school, registered home school or coaching centre; it cannot be sat at home
Waterloo contests · CEMC (Canada)Pascal G9, Cayley G10, Fermat G11; CIMC G9–10, CSMC G11–12; Euclid final yearPascal, Cayley, Fermat: 25 multiple-choice, 60 minutes. CIMC, CSMC: 9 questions, 2 hours. Euclid: 10 questions, 2½ hoursCIMC and CSMC: 19 November 2026 · Pascal, Cayley, Fermat: 24–25 February 2027 · Euclid: 7 April 2027Only at a school that orders the contest; if yours does not, another local school may host
Singapore Math Kangaroo (SMKC) and SASMO · SIMCC (private organiser)Primary to Sec 4 (SMKC); up to Grade 12 (SASMO)Multiple choice; SASMO 90 minutesMarch–April (2026 dates)Through a school, or as a private candidate (S$57 plus GST in 2026)
  • Primary-school olympiads run by Singapore schools are mostly closed to international-school students: the Raffles Mathematical Olympiad takes entries only through MOE primary schools, and NUS High's NMOS only through primary schools.
  • Olympiad teams: Singapore's IMO team is chosen through SMO Open Round 2 and selection tests. IMO rules expect team members to be citizens, with exceptions for long-term residents educated in the country, and no student may sit two countries' final selection tests in the same year. UK teams need British citizenship or three years of UK secondary school.
Calendar

The 2026–27 season, month by month

Dates as published by the organisers in October 2026, in Singapore time where the day differs. Entry deadlines come weeks earlier and are set by the school or group leader.

  1. November 2026

    • AMC 10 and 12: A on 5 November, B on 13 November
    • BMO1: 19 November
    • Waterloo CIMC and CSMC: 19 November

  2. January 2027

    • BMO2: 21 January
    • AMC 8: 21–27 January
    • UKMT Intermediate Challenge: 28 January

  3. February 2027

    • AIME: 5–6 February (by invitation)
    • Waterloo Pascal, Cayley and Fermat: 24–25 February

  4. March–April 2027

    • SMO entries through schools (closed 31 March in 2026)
    • SMKC and SASMO (late March to April in 2026)
    • Waterloo Euclid: 7 April · Fryer, Galois and Hypatia: 8 April

  5. May 2027

    • UKMT Junior Challenge: 6 May
    • Waterloo Gauss (Grades 7–8): 10–21 May

  6. June–July 2027

    • SMO Round 1 and Round 2 (3–4 June, 27 June and 4 July in 2026; 2027 dates not yet published)
    • Australian contest: international paper entries close 25 June

  7. August–October 2027

    • Australian Mathematics Competition: 3–5 August
    • UKMT Senior Challenge (8 October in 2026)
Cut-offs and awards

What it takes to get an award

Each organiser sets awards differently: some by a share of participants, some by a fixed score.

From AMC to AIME

From 2026–27, AIME qualification is a fixed score: 100 or more on AMC 10, or 85 or more on AMC 12 (out of 150). Before, MAA invited roughly the top 2.5% on AMC 10 and the top 5% on AMC 12, so the score needed changed every year. USAMO and USAJMO now select mainly on the AIME score and are held only at sites in the US and Canada.

UKMT challenges: certificate and olympiad thresholds

The JMC and IMC give certificates to the top 50% of participants and the SMC to the top 66%, as bronze, silver and gold in the ratio 3:2:1. The highest scorers are invited to an olympiad.

ChallengeYearBronzeSilverGoldOlympiad
JMC→ JMO2024577086123
2025547391125
2026475975112
IMC→ Cayley / Hamilton / Maclaurin2024476177101 / 106 / 110
2025375272105 / 110 / 116
202635466186 / 93 / 98
SMC→ BMO12024496683110
2025465772104
2026415471101

Out of 135 marks (JMC, IMC) and 125 (SMC). The IMC's olympiad thresholds are for the Cayley, Hamilton and Maclaurin olympiads, which depend on the student's year group.

Other competitions

SMO
Silver, bronze and honourable mention are awarded on Round 1 against set criteria; gold only to Round 2 participants. The top 10% in Junior and Senior go to Round 2. No cut-off scores are published.
Australian Mathematics Competition
Within each year group and region: High Distinction for the top 3% (Senior 5%), Distinction for the top 20% (25%), Credit for the top 55% (60%), and a prize for about 1 in 300.
Waterloo Euclid
A Certificate of Distinction for the top 25%; cash prizes only for top participants in Canada.

Sources: MAA, UKMT, Singapore Mathematical Society, Australian Maths Trust and CEMC pages.

Admissions

What universities say about competition results

Only what universities' own admissions pages state. Most say little, and none of the universities below requires a competition.

United States

Caltech
Lists academic competitions, naming AMC, IMO and Putnam, as one way to show readiness for STEM, and requires verification of any medal or placement listed; false claims lead to the offer being withdrawn.
Harvard
Accepts national or international contests among the optional credentials applicants may choose to submit.
MIT
Says it does not expect or require participation in specific STEM programmes; its STEM page lists the olympiads and notes that the IMO route in the US runs through the AMC.
Stanford, Princeton, Carnegie Mellon
Nothing on the admissions pages we checked.

United Kingdom

Cambridge
The Faculty of Mathematics suggests doing maths competitions if you have the opportunity, and says you need not worry if you have no extra activities; almost all Mathematics offers include STEP.
UCAS
Its maths personal statement guide says admissions tutors especially like to see maths challenges, and that recent, successful results carry more weight.
Oxford, Imperial, Warwick, LSE
No mention of competitions on the Mathematics admissions pages we checked; Imperial and Warwick ask for the TMUA.

Canada

Waterloo
Euclid and CSMC are not required for Math admission but are used for scholarships (one of them is needed to be considered), a strong score can help a borderline applicant, and a missing or poor score is not used. Only contests written in the year of application count.
Toronto
No mention of competitions on the pages we checked.

Singapore and Hong Kong

NUS
Aptitude-Based Admissions asks every applicant to list up to four achievements, with International Olympiad medals as the first example; NUS Computing names the SMO as a recognised achievement.
NTU
Its Aptitude-Based Admissions guidelines list International Olympiad winners and give special consideration to prize winners.
HKUST
Offers scholarships to International and Asian Olympiad medallists, including the IMO and APMO, on nomination by its schools.

For UK maths, computer science and engineering applications, admissions tests count far more than competitions.

UK admissions tests: TMUA, ESAT, TARA, STEP

By grade

A path by grade

Our suggestion, not an official rule: one or two competitions a year, chosen for the student's level, without letting them crowd out school work.

Grades 6–8

  • AMC 8 (January)
  • Australian Mathematics Competition, Junior (August)
  • UKMT Junior Challenge, if your school is a UKMT centre (May)
  • Waterloo Gauss, Grades 7–8 (May)

Grades 9–10

  • AMC 10 (November)
  • SMO Junior or Senior, if your school enters (June)
  • UKMT Intermediate Challenge (January)
  • Waterloo Pascal or Cayley (February)

Grades 11–12

  • AMC 12 and, if invited, the AIME
  • SMO Senior or Open
  • UKMT Senior Challenge and BMO, for UK applicants
  • Euclid in April of the final year, for Waterloo applicants

Students aiming at UK maths courses should keep time from Grade 11 for TMUA, ESAT or STEP preparation.

Read next

Related guides

Sources

Official pages used

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Checked on organisers' and universities' official pages in October 2026.

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This is an independent summary by Math with Alex of pages published by competition organisers and universities. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by MAA, UKMT, the Singapore Mathematical Society, the Australian Maths Trust, CEMC or any university. Dates and rules change every year; check the organiser's page before entering.

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