IMO 2026-27 for Classes 1–5: Exam Pattern, Dates and a 4-Week Prep Plan

The SOF International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO) is the most popular Olympiad for primary-school children in India. If your child's school picked the 26 November or 10 December 2026 date, there is still enough time for steady, stress-free preparation.

IMO 2026-27 Level 1 dates

SOF offers three dates and each school chooses one: 23 October, 26 November and 10 December 2026. Your school's Olympiad coordinator can tell you which one applies.

IMO exam pattern: Classes 1–4

• Logical Reasoning: 10 questions × 1 mark
• Mathematical Reasoning: 10 questions × 1 mark
• Everyday Mathematics: 10 questions × 1 mark
• Achievers Section: 5 questions × 3 marks

Total: 35 questions, 40 marks, 60 minutes.

IMO exam pattern: Class 5

• Logical Reasoning: 15 questions × 1 mark
• Mathematical Reasoning: 20 questions × 1 mark
• Everyday Mathematics: 10 questions × 1 mark
• Achievers Section: 5 questions × 3 marks

Total: 50 questions, 60 marks, 60 minutes. All questions are multiple-choice with no negative marking, so your child should never leave a question blank.

What each section really tests

Logical Reasoning

Number and letter series, odd one out, patterns, analogies and simple direction or ranking puzzles. This is the section children improve in fastest with practice. See our 10 logical reasoning question types.

Mathematical Reasoning

School maths for the class (numbers, operations, shapes, measurement), asked in a way that needs one extra step of thinking.

Everyday Mathematics

Word problems about money, time, calendars, weights and lengths: maths in real situations.

Achievers Section

Fewer questions, three marks each, and multi-step. This section often decides ranks.

Sample IMO-style questions (with answers)

1. Logical reasoning: What comes next? 2, 5, 10, 17, 26, __
   Answer: 37 (the gaps are 3, 5, 7, 9, so the next gap is 11).
2. Mathematical reasoning (Class 3): Riya has ₹50. She buys 3 pencils at ₹8 each. How much money is left?
   Answer: ₹26 (3 × 8 = 24, and 50 − 24 = 26).
3. Everyday maths: A clock shows 3:45. What time will it be 35 minutes later?
   Answer: 4:20.
4. Achievers: Two numbers add up to 30. One is 6 more than the other. What is the bigger number?
   Answer: 18 (18 + 12 = 30, and 18 − 12 = 6).

A realistic 4-week IMO prep plan

About 15 minutes on school days, plus one longer session at the weekend.

Week 1: Find the gaps

Mixed practice across all class topics. Note which topics cause the most mistakes. Don't fix anything yet, just observe.

Week 2: Fix the two weakest topics

Focus on the two topics with the most mistakes, plus 5 logical reasoning questions a day.

Week 3: Word problems and the Achievers section

Everyday-maths word problems and a few harder multi-step questions each day. Teach your child to underline what the question is actually asking.

Week 4: Timed practice and confidence

One full 60-minute timed paper early in the week, then light revision only. Keep the last two days easy and positive.

Exam-day tips for young children

• Attempt every question. There is no negative marking.
• Do the questions you're sure about first, and come back to the hard ones.
• Leave about 15 minutes for the Achievers section. It's worth 15 of the 40 marks for Classes 1–4.

Also preparing for science? Read our NSO 2026-27 guide.

Practise for free with Brain & Bounce Kids

Brain & Bounce Kids' Olympiad-ready Maths and Logical Reasoning tracks give your child short, adaptive practice sessions that get harder as they improve. The Parent Zone shows which topics need work, so Week 1 of this plan takes care of itself.

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Brain & Bounce Kids is an independent practice app and is not affiliated with the Science Olympiad Foundation (SOF). Exam dates and patterns are from SOF's published 2026-27 schedule. Please confirm the exact date with your child's school Olympiad coordinator or at sofworld.org.