The International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) stands as the most prestigious and oldest mathematics competition held for pre-university students. First held in Romania in 1959, it brings together the brightest young minds from more than 100 countries under one roof. Since its inception, the contest has been an epitome of international collaboration and an inspiration to excellence in problem-solving and analytical thinking.
The contest attracts the most passionate mathematical minds, and if you’re one of them, here’s everything you need to know to become a part of it — from registration to eligibility to exam dates to exam stages, everything!
The International Olympiad Tests are high-level academic competitions conducted on a global level in various disciplines, including mathematics, biology, astronomy, and many more. These contests aim to identify and celebrate young, talented pre-university students worldwide for their exceptional problem-solving abilities.
Among these contests, the International Mathematical Olympiad is the oldest competition, which is conducted by the IMO Advisory Board. Each year, the hosting country for the competition changes; this year, the host nation is Australia.
The International Mathematical Olympiad, conducted by the IMO Advisory Board, is not a single exam but a series of stages of exams, conducted from school to national level in each participating country. These include:
Stage 1 — Indian Olympiad Qualifier in Mathematics (IOQM): It is the first stage of the selection process for IMO. It is a 3-hour examination with 30 questions, held at the school level on a pan-India basis.
Stage 2 — Regional Mathematical Olympiad (RMO): The qualifying students in stage 1 will advance to RMO, conducted at the regional level. The exam contains six problems in English and Hindi.
Stage 3 — Indian National Mathematical Olympiad (INMO): The top students from RMO qualify for stage 3, held at the national level, with students coming from different states of India.
Stage 4 — International Mathematical Olympiad Training Camp (IMOTC): The top 64 to 65 students of INMO advance to the International Mathematical Olympiad Training Camp, generally held at HBCSE (Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education).
Note: The entire selection process typically begins in September of the preceding year and continues until April or May of the year in which the exam is held.
Stage 5 — The International Mathematical Olympiad Final: It is a subjective type of 2-day exam. The exam includes 6 complex problems that need to be solved in a maximum of 4.5 hours. The exam is held in the host nation for almost 11 days in July.
Each participating country sends up to six students to represent their country in the competition, and these six candidates must fall under the following eligibility criteria:
Candidates can not apply for the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) directly or on their own; instead, the registration is done and managed by their respective country’s national mathematical organizations. In India, the process is managed by HBCSE (Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education).
Each participating country has its way of selecting its representatives in IMO; for example, in India, the selection process includes the following three steps:
There is no official or fixed syllabus for the International Maths Olympiad, nor does it cover any university-level topics or problems. Generally, the problems are asked from various areas of secondary school mathematics, such as:
All the problems are asked from the four groups mentioned above, but at the advanced level, which makes the solutions more complex and challenging. The exam generally does not require prior knowledge of calculus and analysis, but it is allowed for the solutions of the final questions.
All in all, the exam covers basic topics but also requires substantial knowledge of advanced topics.
The 66th edition of the International Mathematical Olympiad will be conducted on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia, in July 2025. Mark these important dates for the competition on your calendar:
Preparing for this year’s IMO? Then, you need these trusted and proven preparation tips to excel in the IMO selection and final exams:
Get More Preparation tips and tricks for International Olympiads
The IMO Advisory Board has its own set of strict guidelines for the IMO final exams, which include:
(Session 2025 - 26)