International Mathematics Olympiad blueprint · classes 3 to 8

SOF IMO preparation

Thirty full papers on the olympiad blueprint, written one question at a time. Timed like the real thing, and every wrong answer tells you which mistake it came from instead of just turning red.

30
full papers
1,350
questions, all hand-written
350
figures drawn by hand
6
classes, 3 to 8
Sit a paper now

Questions parents ask

What is the IMO paper made of?

Four sections. Logical Reasoning and Mathematical Reasoning come first, then Everyday Mathematics, then five Achievers questions worth two or three marks each. Classes 3 and 4 sit 35 questions for 40 marks; classes 5 to 8 sit 50 for 60. Both are 60 minutes.

Are these the official SOF papers?

No. These are our own questions, written on the International Mathematics Olympiad blueprint. We are not affiliated with Science Olympiad Foundation, and the official papers, dates and rules are theirs.

How are the questions written?

One at a time, by hand. None is generated. Every answer key is recomputed by a second route that deliberately differs from the explanation given, so a mistake in the reasoning cannot quietly agree with a mistake in the key.

How do you stop the same question appearing twice?

Every candidate question is checked against all 1,350 already in the bank by two independent models before it is accepted. In the most recent round, 44 of 64 drafts were rejected as duplicates and thrown away rather than reworded.

What makes the Achievers Section different?

An ordinary hard question takes several correct steps. An Achievers question needs one idea, and without it no amount of steps gets there. We test that by putting each one to two models with the stem alone and asking whether an insight could be missed. Thirty-four of ours came back as routine and were rewritten.

Is there negative marking?

Not in our papers, so there is never a reason to leave a question blank. Check the current official rules for the real exam.

Can my child sit a paper without an account?

The first few questions of every paper are open to anyone. The rest of the paper, the timer and the scored report need an account.

Does this help with Math Kangaroo or AMC 8 too?

Considerably. The reasoning is shared even though the format is not, and our questions carry a Kangaroo difficulty band as well, so the same paper can be read either way.

What does a wrong answer tell us?

More than the score. Every wrong option is built from a specific mistake and the paper names it, so a report says which misconception cost the mark rather than only how many were missed.

Which class should my child practise at?

Their own, first. If they are finishing well inside the hour and losing marks only in the Achievers Section, the class above is the better use of the next paper.

Section names and paper shape follow the Science Olympiad Foundation olympiad blueprint. We are not affiliated with them, these questions are our own, and the official pattern and dates are theirs to confirm.