This page details the various competitions within the UKMT (UK Mathematics Competitions), the 2025 UKMT competition calendar, and the specific arrangements for the UKMT competition structure.
The UKMT organizes three levels of competitions: Junior Mathematical Challenge (JMC), Intermediate Mathematical Challenge (IMC), and Senior Mathematical Challenge (SMC). Chinese students participate more in the SMC (Senior Mathematical Challenge).
2026 UKMT Tournament Registration/Exam Timeline
| Event Name | Registration deadline | Official match time |
| BMO2 Mathematics Competition | January 15, 2026 | January 22, 2026 |
| IMC Mathematics Competition | January 19, 2026, 23:59 | January 29, 2026 |
| CMO/HMO/MMO | March 12, 2026, 10:00 AM | March 20, 2026 |
| JMC Mathematics Competition | April 21, 2026, 23:59 | April 30, 2026 |
| TMC Math Competition | 10:00 AM, May 6, 2026 | June 8, 2026 |
| JMO Mathematics Competition | June 1, 2026, 23:59 | June 10, 2026 |
UKMT tournament structure
I. Junior Competitions
The UKMT Junior Competitions are primarily for students in Year 8 and below, including the Junior Mathematical Challenge (JMC), Junior Kangaroo, and Junior Mathematical Olympiad (JMO).
Junior Kangaroo and JMO are subsequent rounds of the JMC. Only students who achieve a certain score in the JMC are eligible to participate. Several thousand students qualify for the Junior Kangaroo each year, but only about 1200 qualify for the JMO.
1. Junior Mathematical Challenge (JMC)
Exam Time: 60 minutes
Exam Format: 25 multiple-choice questions; total 135 points. The first 15 questions are worth 5 points each, and the last 10 questions are worth 6 points each. 1 point is deducted for each incorrect answer to questions 16-20, and 2 points are deducted for each incorrect answer to questions 21-25. Blank questions are worth 0 points.
Assessment Content:
1. Fundamentals of Mathematics: Application of fundamental knowledge in number theory, algebra, geometry, and trigonometric functions.
2. Functions and Graphs: Definition, properties, graphs, and analytical expressions of functions.
3. Combining Number and Shape: Solution methods for geometric problems and algebraic problems, such as algebraic transformations, simplification, and completing the square.
4. Data Processing: Knowledge of data analysis, chart creation, probability, and statistics.
5. Logical Thinking: Abilities in logical thinking, reasoning, analysis, and problem-solving.
Suitable Grades:
Grade 7 (or below) in China
Grade 8 in England, Wales, and overseas
Grade 2 in Scotland or below
Grade 9 in Northern Ireland
Awards:
The top 50% of participants will receive awards, with gold, silver, and bronze prizes awarded in a 3:2:1 ratio. If a winning participant achieves the highest score among all students in their grade or school, their certificate will display a badge that reads "Best in Year" or "Best in School." Participants who do not win a prize will also receive a certificate of participation.
Significance of the Competition:
It encourages mathematical reasoning, precision, and fluency of thought, prompting students to think critically. The problems in the Elementary Mathematics Challenge are designed to stimulate student thinking; most are understandable but still present a challenge to those with more experience.
2. Junior Kangaroo
Eligibility:
Eligibility for the Junior Kangaroo competition is based on a qualifying JMC score, by invitation or self-determination. Thousands of UK students qualify for the JMC each year. It is open only to UK schools.
Exam Duration:
60 minutes
Exam Components:
25 multiple-choice questions, totaling 135 points. The first 15 questions are worth 5 points each, and the last 10 are worth 6 points each. There is no penalty for incorrect answers.
Awards:
The top 25% of participants receive a Certificate of Merit. Participants who do not win an award will also receive a certificate of participation.
3. Junior Mathematical Olympiad (JMO)
Exam Duration:
120 minutes
Exam Components:
16 questions in total. Section A: 10 questions, 1 point each, correct answer gets full marks. Section B: 6 questions, 10 points each, showing the solution and steps. Blank questions receive 0 points.
Eligibility:
Eligibility for the Junior Mathematical Olympiad is based on qualifying JMC scores, awarded by invitation or self-determination. Approximately 1,200 students qualify for the JMC each year.
Awards:
JMO awards are offered in two forms: certificates and medals.
Certificates: Students ranking in the top 25% of the total score across Sections A and B receive a Certificate of Distinction; students ranking between 25% and 65% receive a Certificate of Merit. Participants who do not win an award will also receive a certificate of participation.
Medals: The top 40 students in terms of score on Part B of the exam will receive a gold medal, students ranked 41st to 100th will receive a silver medal, and students ranked 101st to 200th will receive a bronze medal. All students who receive a medal will receive a book as a prize.
II. Intermediate Competitions
The UKMT Intermediate Competitions are primarily for students in Year 11 and below. These include the Intermediate Mathematical Challenge (IMC), Grey and Pink Kangaroo, and the Cayley Mathematical Olympiad, Hamilton Mathematical Olympiad, and Maclaurin Mathematical Olympiad.
Grey and Pink Kangaroo, Cayley, Hamilton, and Maclaurin Mathematical Olympiads are follow-up rounds to the IMC. Only students who achieve the target score in the IMC are invited to participate in these subsequent mathematics challenges. Each year, approximately several thousand students qualify for the Grey and Pink Kangaroo, and about 1800 students qualify for the Cayley, Hamilton, Maclaurin, and Mathematical Olympiads.
1. Intermediate Mathematical Challenge (IMC)
Exam Duration:
60 minutes
Exam Components:
25 multiple-choice questions, totaling 135 points. The first 15 questions are worth 5 points each, and the last 10 questions are worth 6 points each. 1 point is deducted for each incorrect answer to questions 16-20, and 2 points are deducted for each incorrect answer to questions 21-25. Blank questions are worth 0 points.
Suitable Grade Levels:
Domestic: Year 10 (Grade 10) and below
England, Wales and Overseas: Year 11 and below
Scotland: Year 4 or below
Northern Ireland: Year 12 and below
Awards:
The top 50% of participants will receive awards, with bronze, silver, and gold certificates awarded in a 3:2:1 ratio. If a winning participant achieves the highest score among students in their grade or the highest score among students in their school, their certificate will display a "Best in Year" or "Best in School" badge. Non-winning participants will receive a certificate of participation.
Significance of the competition:
It encourages mathematical reasoning, precision, and fluency of thought, prompting students to think critically. The intermediate-level math challenge problems are designed to stimulate student thinking; most are comprehensible but still present a challenge to those with more experience.
2. Grey and Pink Kangaroo (Open to UK School Students Only)
Grey Kangaroo and Pink Kangaroo are two different competitions, differing primarily in the age range they are for. Grey Kangaroo is for students in Year 9 and below, while Pink Kangaroo is for Year 10 and Year 11 students.
Eligibility:
Eligibility for Grey and Pink Kangaroo competitions is based on qualifying IMC scores and is granted by invitation or self-determination. Thousands of UK students qualify for the IMC each year. Open only to UK schools.
Exam Duration:
60 minutes
Exam Components:
25 multiple-choice questions, totaling 135 points. The first 15 questions are worth 5 points each, and the last 10 are worth 6 points each. No points are deducted for incorrect answers.
Awards:
The top 25% receive a certificate of merit; the rest receive a participation certificate.
Suitable Age:
Grey Kangaroo:
England and Wales: Year 9 and below
Scotland: Year 2 or below
Northern Ireland: Year 10 or below
Pink Kangaroo:
England and Wales: Year 10 and 11
Scotland: Year 3 and 4
Northern Ireland: Year 11 or 12
3. Cayley, Hamilton, and Maclaurin Math Olympiads
The Cayley Mathematical Olympiad, Hamilton Mathematical Olympiad, and Maclaurin Mathematical Olympiad are three distinct competitions, differing primarily in the age range of students they are for.
The Cayley Mathematical Olympiad is for students in Year 9 and below; the Hamilton Mathematical Olympiad is for Year 10 students; and the Maclaurin Mathematical Olympiad is for Year 11 students.
Eligibility:
Entry to the intermediate-level Olympiads is based on qualifying IMC scores, by invitation or self-determination. Approximately 1,800 students qualify for the IMC each year.
Exam Duration:
120 minutes
Exam Components:
6 Olympiad Math problems, requiring fully simplified answers and complete solution processes. The clarity and accuracy of the presented solution process will affect the score.
Awards:
Students achieving high scores will receive certificates of excellence and certificates of merit. The top 20 students will receive a gold medal, students ranked 21-50 will receive a silver medal, and students ranked 51-100 will receive a bronze medal. All medal winners will also receive a book award. Students who do not win an award will still receive a certificate of participation.
Suitable Grade Levels:
Kelly Math Olympiad:
England, Wales and Overseas: Year 9 and below
Scotland: S2 or below
Northern Ireland: Year 10 or below
Hamilton Math Olympiad:
England, Wales and Overseas: Year 10
Scotland: S3
Northern Ireland: Year 11
Maclaurin Math Olympiad:
England, Wales and Overseas: Year 11
Scotland: S4
Northern Ireland: Year 12
III. Senior Competitions
The UKMT Senior Competitions are primarily for students in Year 13 and below, and include the Senior Mathematical Challenge (SMC), Andrew Jobbings Senior Kangaroo, British Maths Olympiad Round 1 (BMO 1), and British Maths Olympiad Round 2 (BMO 2).
Andrew Jobbings Senior Kangaroo and BMO 1 are subsequent rounds of SMC. Only students who achieve a target score in SMC are invited to participate in these two competitions; similarly, achieving a certain score in BMO 1 is required for an invitation to BMO 2.
Each year, several thousand students qualify for Andrew Jobbings Senior Kangaroo, approximately 1000 students qualify for BMO 1, and approximately 100 students qualify for BMO 2.
1. Senior Mathematical Challenge (SMC)
Exam Duration:
90 minutes
Exam Components:
25 multiple-choice questions. 4 points for a correct answer, 1 point deducted for each incorrect answer, starting with a score of 25.
Purpose of Participation:
The problems in the Senior Mathematical Challenge are designed to stimulate students' thinking. It provides challenging questions for both beginners and experienced problem solvers.
Suitable Grades:
Domestic: Years 1-12 (Senior 12)
England, Wales and Overseas: Year 13 and below
Scotland: Year 6 or below
Northern Ireland: Year 14 and below
Awards:
The top 66% of participants receive awards, with bronze, silver, and gold certificates awarded in a 3:2:1 ratio. Winners who achieve the highest score among their year-end students or the highest score among students from their school will receive a "Best in Year" or "Best in School" badge on their certificate. Non-winning participants will also receive a certificate.
2. Andrew Jobbings Senior Kangaroo (Open only to UK school students)
Exam Duration:
60 minutes
Exam Components:
20 questions, 5 points each, each question's answer is a positive integer less than 1000
Awards:
Top 25% receive a Certificate of Merit; others receive a Certificate of Participation
Eligibility:
Entry to the Andrew Jobbings Senior Kangaroo is by invitation or self-determination based on qualifying SMC scores. Thousands of UK students qualify for the SMC each year. Open only to UK schools.
Suitable Years:
England and Wales: Year 13 and below
Scotland: Year 6 and below
Northern Ireland: Year 14 and below
3. British Maths Olympiad Round 1 (BM01)
Eligibility:
British students must advance from the SMC to participate in BMO Round 1, while Chinese students can directly participate in BMO.
Exam Duration:
210 minutes
Exam Components:
6 Olympiad math problems, 10 points each, requiring a completely simplified answer and a complete solution process.
Awards:
High-scoring students will receive certificates of excellence and certificates of merit. The top 20 students will receive a gold medal, students ranked 21-50 will receive a silver medal, and students ranked 51-100 will receive a bronze medal. All medal winners will also receive a book award. Students who do not win an award will still receive a certificate of participation.
Suitable Grades:
Domestic: Years 10-12
England, Wales and Overseas: Year 13 and below
Scotland: Year 6 or below
Northern Ireland: Year 14 or below
4. British Mathematical Olympiad Round 2 (BMO2)
BMO2 is the next round after BMO1. Only students who achieve a certain high score in Round 1 qualify for Round 2. The top 24 students in BMO2 will receive training at Cambridge University to compete for a place representing the UK in the International Mathematical Olympiad.
Exam Duration:
210 minutes
Exam Components:
4 Olympiad problems, 10 points each. Complete simplification and a full solution process are required. Solving one or two problems completely will earn more points than solving all four problems incompletely.
Suitable Age:
England, Wales and Overseas: Year 13 and below
Scotland: Year 6 and below
Northern Ireland: Year 14 and below
5. Mathematical Olympiad for Girls (MOG)
Exam Duration:
150 minutes
Exam Components:
5 questions, 10 points each, requiring a fully simplified answer and a complete solution process.
Participation Information: Each school can participate 4 times free of charge.
Exam Location:
On-campus at participating schools nationwide (online assessment service available upon request).
Competition Format:
Individual competition
Scoring Criteria:
5 major questions, 10 points each, each major question contains several sub-questions. Questions 2 and 3 only require an answer; questions 1, 4, and 5 require a solution process, and partial correct steps will also earn points.
Suitable Grade Levels:
England and Wales: Year 11 and above (schools may decide whether to admit younger students)
Scotland: Year 4 and above
Northern Ireland: Year 12 and above
