To participate in the International Mathematics Olympiad by SOF you must be enrolled in a government-recognized school. There is no other specific requirement.
Other IMO Qualification Standards
To participate in the IMO, students must meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Academic Level: Students from classes 1 – 12, enrolled in a school recognized by SOF are eligible for IMO 2024-2025.
- Selection: There are no specific selection criteria for IMO competition. However, Students from particular classes can appear for that class’s Olympiad only.
- Qualification Standards for the International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO) Level 1: The International Mathematics Olympiad is open to students in grades 1 through 12 who are enrolled in an institution approved by SOF (IMO).
- Qualification Standards for the International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO) Level 2: The IMO level 2 exam is only open to students in grades 3 through 12. For students in classes 1 and 2, there is no level 2 test. The top 5% of each class who took the level 1 exam are chosen to take the level 2 exam.
IMO Participation
Individual IMO Participation:
- You cannot apply independently for IMO 2024-25 registration. The SOF officials do not accept Olympiad application forms directly from participating students.
- The student registration sheet (SRS) and the school registration form (SRF) should be completed by the coordinating teacher of the school according to the instructions provided, and they should be sent to the SOF office by the deadline for form submission.
- SOF will register the applicant school and its students. After completion, SOF will generate roll numbers of participating students based on the Students’ Registration Sheet (SRS) that they have received from the school.
- You don’t need to worry about the IMO center’s location because your school can register itself as an IMO exam center and you can take your exam in school.
School Participation in IMO
- In case your school is not registered with Science Olympiad Foundation it can contact SOF to register. The registration of the school is free of cost.
- For a school, there is no cost to become an IMO center. A school only has to have ten or more kids sign up for IMO.
- For Level 1, there are three exam dates available for the SOF IMO. Schools are free to choose the day that works best for them. There is no requirement to switch the date of the exam; each exam date has its own set of question papers.
Frequently asked questions about IMO Eligibility Criteria
Q. Which class do students take IMO?
Ans: The IMO is open to students from Classes 1 to 12, across various schools in participating countries and the organizing authority is the Science Olympiad Foundation, a non-profit organization.
Q. Can a student of class 2 take the IMO second-level exam?
Ans: No, In the case of class 1 and class 2 there is only Level 1 for IMO.
Q. Who qualifies for the second level of IMO by SOF?
Ans: Students who meet any one of the three requirements below will be eligible to take the Olympiad exams at the second level:
- The top 5% of students in each class are present for the first-level exam. Marks earned in various categories will be given priority.
- Top 25 rank holders by zone for each class.
- The top students from each participating school provided that at least 10 students from the same class take the exam and receive 50% qualifying marks.
- Students with the highest scores, regardless of section, will be eligible for the second stage of registration if registration is received section-wise.
- The winner(s) of the gold medal may not always be eligible for the second stage in case of section-wise registrations.
