The IMC measures the cognitive ability of a child in mathematics and quantitative aptitude. Through its innovative and ingenious proctored exams, the IMC analyses, compares and nurtures the Maths, reasoning and numerical ability of school going students.

Just like the rest of the world, the COVID-19 has hit us just as bad. We have had to cancel all classroom based Challenges in 2020. But the silver lining is that we have converted our Maths Challenge to an Online Proctored Maths Challenge and we are thus available to countries where the IMC did not operate earlier. With this reach, the IMC is set to be among the largest Maths Challenge worldwide. The IMC will now continue to be a pure online Maths Challenge for the foreseeable future.

While standard contests and quizzes tell you how you performed against the test , the IMC tells you where your child stands amongst other kids across your country and across the World. You will also learn about your child's strong and weak areas in the subject which will help you prepare them to get ready for a STEM based career in future.

The IMC exams are inclusive and encompasses different syllabi and boards from across the world. The test accounts for the constant variation in the curriculum and ensures that the syllabus is well within the scope and reach of the students within their respective grade. By comparing the students score against the rest of the students in their country and across the world, the parents/guardians have a precise understanding of the global standing of their child.

Students will take this test online, preferably from their respective homes over the weekend. Our advanced Artificial Intelligence based proctoring ensures near zero cheating during the test.

We collect and analyse problems from international math textbooks and have created an excellent repository of maths problems. Our report will be based on sampling of these problems and we also highlight the concepts that your child did particularly well on and those that might need more of his attention. In short, as long as the student is decently prepared with his school math work, he/she will be able to handle the questions in the Challenge.

The papers are set by the IMC Academic Committee (IMC AC) that comprises primary and secondary school teachers from various boards from across the globe. The exam and practice test papers have been vetted by external industry experts before they reach the students.

Generally, the test format has consistently remained the same and hasn’t undergone any change over the past years. However, due to the fact that the test is now purely online and we need to distinguish the winners with multiple tests without making a significant change in the level of the questions, we will keep the test format the same for the first 2 rounds while keeping the option of a format change in the final round. The students who reach the final round will be informed of the changes (if any) well in advance. No extra preparation will be required to adjust to the changes in the final round. Olympiads the OSMC (Online Simulated Maths Challenge) for Selected Schools, will follow the same format as described in the website.

Due to the COVID 19 situation, the IMC is now available online in most locations, with the exception of: Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia and Sudan due to regulatory and local data privacy rules. Please note that proctoring and support for the IMC exam is only offered in English. There will be no local language support available. In the June 2023 edition, 48 countries participated in the Challenge.

We need to cater to students across different time zones. Also, students have commitments like other exams, sports competitions etc. A 48 hour window gives the student the flexibilty of taking the test at any time during this 2 day period.

Unfortunately, you cannot reschedule the exam. The rounds are conducted on fixed dates. The 48 hour window gives you the flexibility to pick a convenient time slot across the 2 days.

No. It’s not. In a 48 hours window, different set of test papers are used. However, the IMC Academic Committee ensures all these papers have exactly the same level of questions, i.e each question in a certain test has a like-to-like similar question of a similar level from the same topic appearing in other tests of the same grade. This ensures parity in the delivery of the Challenge.

Let us explain that with a maths problem (since that’s something we are good at! ) Problem 1: Rob can do a job in 2 days and Charlie can complete the same job in 5 days. How long will they take to complete the job working together? Problem 2) Peter can do a job in 3 days and Mark can complete the same job in 4 days. How long will they take to complete the job working together? As you can notice, both have the same logic, similar working and hence qualify as 2 questions at the same difficulty level from the same topic.

The IMC is open to all school students studying in grades 1 - 12. Unfortunately, we do not accept home schooled students to take this test.

Although there's no specific age requirement, the student must be currently enrolled and registered in an accredited school. Participation is limited to the grade the student is currently studying or one grade lower. More information can be found in the 'How to select your grade' section on the website.

The collaborations team will be able to support you. You can write to collaborations@international-maths-challenge.com

Ever since the Maths Challenge went online, we have stopped taking team entries . We accept individual entries only.

Yes. In case you have a referral code, you can use it to avail the appropriate discount while buying a test package. Once you type in your referral code, the cart will show you the final fees you need to pay.

Yes. You can use the same referral code for all the rounds. However, you can book a spot in Round II or Round III only after receiving a letter of eligibility from us. Students taking the Selected Schools - Online Simulated Maths Challenge (OSMC) will be sent special referral codes for their single round Challenge.

If your referral code doesn't function, it's rare but if it occurs, reach out to your school, which provided the code. They will assist in resolving the matter. If the problem persists, please contact us at support@international-maths-challenge.com.

After registering for a test package, you'll receive an automated email from the IMC support team confirming your payment. Additionally, if you've also purchased the Test Practice Package, an email with login details for your test papers will be sent to you.

All payments on the IMC site are highly safe and secure. The credit card numbers entered are secured via Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) 128 bit encryption that ensures that the site doesn’t retain any of your card details while ensuring the payment goes through. It's like tap and go!

Unfortunately, we do have any system of group discounts. However, if you have a referral code by an affiliate or a school, you can use that to avail the appropriate discount.

Indeed, the test will feature a question navigation bar on the right side of the screen, enabling candidates to navigate freely. This allows students to move through the test non-sequentially. Within this navigation bar, students can easily identify attempted, unattempted, and flagged questions for later review.

Absolutely! After the student submits the test, they will receive a notification confirming its completion. Subsequently, they can exit the test at that point.

No. We do not allow students to take the test using iPad/smart phone.

Yes. The exam will be recorded. The images, audio and video will be captured and retained in the IMC repository for 2 weeks.

Although we encourage keeping the desk/table uncluttered, we do allow the use of essential stationery to facilitate the test-taking process. This encompasses items like pens, pencils, erasers, notebooks, and scratchpads. However, please note that calculators are not allowed during the test. Students are allowed to have water and light snacks while taking the test.

If you encounter a technical problem during the test, it's crucial to promptly send an email to  support@international-maths-challenge.com within the entire 48-hour test window. On test days, our response time is within 2 business hours. Your concern will be reviewed, and if approved by the IMC Academic Committee, you may have the option to retake the test within 24 hours. According to IMC regulations, the student's 'higher' score between the two tests will be considered. Only one retake is allowed, and the retaken test will be different from the one already attempted. A dedicated day is reserved after the 48-hour test window for potential retakes.

We acknowledge that your child might require a restroom break during the test. While a brief washroom break is allowed, please be aware that the timer will continue running without pause during their absence. For security reasons, we cannot permit an absence exceeding 3 minutes.

You won't need ID cards on the Test Day. Instead, you need to upload the ID cards to the student portal by the deadline specified in the schedule. Typically, this deadline falls within 3-5 working days before each exam.

No. Use of calculators are not permitted during the test

Please ensure your child uses a desktop computer or a laptop to take the test. Other devices such as iPads, tablets or mobile phones are not suitable and hence not permitted. All candidates are required to have a camera connected to their computer. If you decide to use a laptop, a 14.5” screen or larger is recommended for best results. However, a screen size of 13” or less will still be acceptable. Please ensure that your screen resolution is set to a minimum of 1280x1024. The computer should have 2GB RAM and 2GHZ processor for best results. Lower versions will also do though the efficiency may be compromised. Please ensure that the internet is uninterrupted with a minimum of 2MBps download speed.

Yes, you can utilise wired or wireless mouse and keyboards. 

They will be provided enough tools for them to take the test. Also, it’s a Multiple Choice Question exam. Not many tools are required!

This situation is highly unlikely to arise as the questions have been meticulously created and vetted by experts. However in this scenario, the student can make a note of the question and email the IMC team at support@international-maths-challenge.com after the test. Note that the timer cannot be paused for this reason. A suspected incorrect question by the student cannot be treated as a technical issue. The student will have to note down the question and continue with the test. Once student submits the question, the IMC team will get back in 2 business days on the decision. Note that till date, no question has been found faulty in the IMC exams.

The Test Practice Papers (TPP) will be available until the date of your test, and a for a few days after that. If you are participating in the 3 round Olympiad, it will be available for a week after the final day of Round 3. 

Although specific practice material isn't necessary for test preparation, our comprehensive Test Practice Package (TPP) of 10 fully solved papers offers ample practice resources to aid your child's preparation. These papers have a wide range of questions and explanatory answers to help them understand and practice typical Maths Challenge questions. Should you require additional practice questions before the exam, you have the option to enroll in the EXP course. This course offers 7 test papers and answer keys from the 2022 edition.

While it is not necessary to purchase the Test Practice Package along with the main exam, the practice papers will give the student a fantastic exposure to the kind of questions expected in the test. The practice papers comprises questions which have appeared over the past few years in the Olympiad. The papers also cover all chapters in-depth while comprehensively covering all types of question types and difficulty levels. The explanatory answers accompanying the papers are thorough, offering solutions that are easy to understand and grasp.

In the unlikely scenario where you cannot activate the online products, write to our tech team at support@international-maths-challenge.com We will get back to you in 1 business day with a resolution.

The score card will be uploaded on the student portal as per the schedule mentioned on this site. You will need to login and download your child's score report.

The Basic Score Report will mention the test score and the answer key. The Enhanced Score Card entails your performance vs. the TEST, vs. the REST (of the students in the world and your country) and vs. the BEST (The top 10% of the students in the world and your country). The Enhanced Score Report provides the student's knowledge, strengths, gaps, and illuminates parents with as much detail as possible on their child’s grasp of mathematical concepts mastered by their international peers. Amidst the abundance of statistics and figures in the score reports, the percentile ranking of the student undoubtedly stands out as the most significant statistic.

Normally, you cannot cancel the scores. However, if there is a technical issue during the test, you need to write an email immediately (check the schedule for the deadline for such as email) to support@international-maths-challenge.com. Your issue will be considered and if the IMC Academic Committee permits, you can retake the test within 24 hours. As per the rules of the IMC, the student will be allotted the 'higher' score between the 2 tests. Only 1 retake is permitted. The test allotted to the student will be different to the one already attempted by the student.

No. Only the higher score between the 2 tests will be on the record

The Basic Score Card is provided at no cost with the test. You have the option to select an Enhanced Score Card during the test registration process. Alternatively, you can choose to purchase the Enhanced Score Card separately through the ESR package after registering for the test, but this will be pricier than including the ESR with the initial test registration.

Yes you can. Just that it will cost you much higher as against registering for it along with the test.

That will not be required. The ESR has 5 sections and the BSR is the stand alone section 1 of the ESR. 

It's highly uncommon for your child's score to be incorrect. You'll receive a report card detailing your child's answers alongside the correct ones. However, if doubts persist, feel free to email us at support@international-maths-challenge.com for a score recheck.

Questions from an Challenge are generally added to the content of our Test Practice Papers sent to students in the following Challenges. These questions, and their explanatory solutions,  get mixed with the pre-existing questions in the practice papers and older questions in these papers are retired from the set. However, for the Nov 2023 Challenge and onwards, this is to change. Stay tuned for updates on this aspect of the Maths Challenge. 

We have different comparison parameters for Grade 1-6 and grades 7-12. For grades 1-6, if 2 students score the same, they both will be awarded the same percentile. For grades 7-12, if more than one student scores the same, then the one who has scored higher in section 3 will get the higher percentile. If that too remains the same, then the one who scores higher in section 2 will get the higher percentile. If that too remains the same then both students get the same percentile.

We keep your score cards for one year from the test date. After that, your results are stored for 30 years. This proves valuable if you plan to include your achievement in your resumes and require verification of your performance for universities, employers, or other purposes. We're here to support you with that.

The number represents the percentage of people that performed below you. Example: If 100 people take an exam and 3 people get a perfect score, all three did better than 97 test takers.  This places the three in the 97th percentile.

The IMC team will have access to your child's score for the next 30 years. This is crucial as students frequently include their academic achievements in resumes, especially within the achievement section, and we often receive requests for verification. While we might consider sharing your child's score with the school, this will only happen if you grant consent. If you prefer your child's score to remain confidential, you're free to decline our request.

Check your spam. While the emails send to students are bespoke and should hit your inbox directly, there is a chance it might go to your junk or spam folder. In case you still can’t find our emails, write to us on support@international-maths-challenge.com

While this scenario is highly unlikely and would generally get resolved if you reset your password, get in touch with our service team at my support@international-maths-challenge.com

Your username is the email address that you used to set up your online account. If you do not remember your password, you can request to reset it.

Yes. The exam session is recorded and will remain in place until the exam is finished. However, all copies of the footage will be deleted within two weeks after the exam, following the confirmation that no misconduct occurred during the test.

The highly secured test platform at the IMC adheres to international privacy and data laws followed in 190 global locations. The exam session will be monitored by a proctor, and your session will be recorded, in both audio and video. Your details are stored according to relevant local privacy and data laws.

Human proctors, supported by state-of the-art Artificial Intelligence technology, ensure the security and integrity of the exam, and fairness to all test takers. All test takers will be authenticated via their digital photograph, submitted on their portal. The workspace is also thoroughly reviewed and monitored during the exam. The exam is being monitored at all times, via the live video feed, by human proctors, supported by AI technology. 

Our high tech proctored tests use a combination of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and human proctors to provide a hassle-free, yet highly secure online exam. Our automated proctoring utilizes your mic, webcam and our screen-sharing program. The proctor is a series of AI-powered computer algorithms programmed to flag certain suspicious behavior’s. These algorithms are complemented with human proctors as well. Our AI technology uses live footage from webcam and audio from the laptop/computer to understand if the student is resorting to unfair means. The AI is trained to catch discrepancies. Here’s some of them

• If the student moves away from the system for a considerable time, it will be reported.
• If a second person comes within the camera frame, our AI will detect and report this.
• If somebody else is speaking to the student or vice versa, this will be flagged by the AI.
• If the student is reading from a different device hidden from the camera, his eye movements will be flagged.
• If the student attempts to open another tab on his/her computer, it will be reported and flagged.
• If a student tampers with the audio or video, it will be reported and flagged.

The IMC strives to make its products and services broadly accessible and we are committed to providing equal access to our assessments to the extent possible. We ensure that special accommodations are available for test takers who meet certain eligibility criteria and properly document their request. The IMC has identified these students as those who belong to any of the following categories 1) Disability and 2) those student having English as a Second language (ESL)

The following disabilities are considered by the IMC for accommodations

1. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
2. Learning and Cognitive Disabilities
3. Physical/Systemic Disabilities
4. Psychological Disabilities
5. Deaf/Hard of Hearing and Blind/Low Vision

The IMC currently offers varied accommodations to students who have the above disabilities. It generally comprises extensions in the testing time, an optional break, a reader who can read items to you, and a recorder who can record your responses, access to JAWS software or Zoom Text. The decision is individually tailored and varies from student to student.

Documentation is important in our decision-making process and we encourage you to provide relevant information in the form of a personal statement and from other sources such as a Professional evaluation or School report. This is intended as an opportunity for you to share information from your own perspective. Please do not be concerned regarding formatting or other technical aspects of the information we are requesting. If clarification is needed, we will let you know.

1. Accommodation Request Letter by the parent: For any disability or functional impairment, it is most helpful for us to understand your child’s unique history and current needs. We encourage you to address the following items in an accommodation request. This request needs to be in a simple letter typed out and sent to accommodations@international-maths-challenge.com. The email has to be sent from the registered email id only
   • Describe how your child is presently impacted when he/she studies, takes exams
   • Describe how your child is presently impacted in a school setting. Describe any accommodations, supports, and coping strategies your child has used in a school setting. It will be important for you to tell us about your child’s schooling and how he/she have been affected in their ability to meet academic and non academic demands. If your child is being home schooled, simply state this.
   • Describe any current impacts in social situations and when your child is carrying out practical tasks or activities of daily living.
   • Tell us if your child has received any formal or informal accommodations in school. If so, tell us exactly what accommodations he/she had (e.g., extra time on exams, breaks during testing) and when these accommodations were in place.
   • Tell us about your child’s school performance from early grades, to the best of your recollection. Tell us if he/she were placed in regular classrooms, advanced classes, or special education classes. Tell us what you remember about the marks he/she earned and whether they repeated any grades.
   • Tell us whether your child have taken any other high-stakes assessments (e.g., PSAT, NAPLAN). If relevant, describe the accommodations your child received on those high-stakes assessments. Tell us what their percentile scores were on each section of each exam, to the best of your recollection. If possible, provide a copy of your score reports for these exams.
2. Professional Assessment—Apart from the letter, we will also need to review the results of an evaluation performed by a licensed expert (eg, Medical Doctor etc) that captures the nature and severity of your child’s disability and associated impact on tasks of clear relevance to the demands of the IMC. It will be particularly important for the evaluation to include standardized timed academic tasks so that we can determine what accommodations are reasonable and necessary for your child within the context of the IMC. Ideally, the evaluation should allows us to accurately understand the current impact of the diagnosis.

The IMC reviews accommodation requests in accordance with the guidelines that are enumerated within the framework of the Americans with Disabilities Act, as recently amended. The ADA defines disability as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a person’s ability to perform one or more major life activities, as compared to most people in the general population.  Under ADA guidelines, your child could have a diagnosed condition that does not rise to the level of a disability. In addition to reviewing your supporting documentation, IMC will evaluate the reasonableness of the requested accommodations and their effect on the psychometric integrity of the IMC you wish to take.

If your child is disabled within the meaning of the ADA, you are entitled to reasonable and appropriate accommodations that enable equitable access to a IMC. Your requested accommodations will be considered, but you might not receive your preferred accommodations.

The ADA is intended to enable equal access, not to maximize outcomes. Accommodations must not provide anyone with an unfair advantage relative to other test takers. Instead, they should provide equitable access to IMC exams for test takers with disabilities. 

Please remember that test takers must carefully monitor their time on any IMC Exam . An inability to complete our Challenge under standard time conditions is not automatically a reason for granting additional test time

Yes. Your child's disability status and medical documents are treated as confidential as described more fully in the Privacy Statement that is included on www.international-maths-challenge.com. Various service providers (like Medical Evaluators) assist in reviewing accommodation requests. These service providers are subject to strict confidentiality requirements.

Yes. The deadline for submitting the documents for accommodations is April 15, 2024.

No. Do not enroll your child for the test or submit payment with your accommodation request. If your request for accommodations is approved, you will be asked to pay for each accommodated testing appointment when you are ready to schedule it.

Yes. There will be a nominal fee of $20 charged to process your accommodation request.

No. You will be notified in writing if additional documentation is required. It is your responsibility to provide all necessary documentation to the IMC Disability Services when completing and submitting an Accommodation Request Letter.

Yes. In order for your application to be reviewed, a word-for-word English translation must be submitted, along with the original documentation for our validation.

No. Score reports do not indicate whether a test was taken with accommodations.

Unfortunately, you need to send all the documents as a fresh requirement from our end.

No. You need to furnish all the documents as a fresh requirement from our end.

No. Policies and procedures for establishing eligibility for accommodations differ from school to school and school accommodations may involve different considerations than accommodations on a standardised examination like the IMC exams.

While your child may have been diagnosed with a permanent disability, the manifestations of the condition may vary over time and across settings. We need to verify the current impact of the condition on your child's daily functioning. For some conditions, such as most learning disabilities, documentation prepared within the past three years is generally sufficient to verify current impact, while more recent documentation may be needed for other conditions, such as psychological disorders. For physical disabilities and long-term vision and hearing disabilities that typically do not change over time, older documentation may be accepted as long as it provides a clear indication of your child's current functional limitations.

We encourage you to request accommodations that appropriately address any functional limitations your child experienced.  Accommodations are designed to provide equitable access to candidates with disabilities.  Requests for accommodations must include objective evidence of a clear connection between the functional limitation and the accommodation being requested. The evidence presented must demonstrate that the accommodation is needed. Requests for accommodations not supported by objective documentation will not be granted.

This is test of the student’s Mathematics skills and not English skills. To assist students who do not have English as the first language (language of instruction in school), the IMC will permit them to get additional help during the test.

These students may use a hard-copy, nontechnical dictionary to translate between their native language and English. The students must declare the choice of dictionary by April 12, 2024 and send across the details to accomodations@international-maths-challenge.com. The IMC will announce its decision within 4 business days. On the test day, the student needs to highlight the book being used before the start of the test. The student needs to hold up the book and take a picture from the tool provided by the testing agency prior to the test. Further details on this will be communicated to the students concerned. Note that no additional time will be given to students using a translation dictionary.

To prove that you child falls under this category; you need to request your school to write to us requesting for the accommodation. It needs to be a simple email written by the school authorities mentioning the grade and the primary language of instruction of the child. The school should mention the Registration Number of the student and mark you in the email as well. The email needs to written to accomodations@international-maths-challenge.com