What it is
The Regional Mathematical Olympiad (RMO) and the Indian National Mathematical Olympiad (INMO) are the second and third stages of India’s Mathematical Olympiad Programme, run by the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE) for the National Board for Higher Mathematics. They sit between the first stage, IOQM, and the camp that chooses India’s team for the International Mathematical Olympiad.
The big change from IOQM is the kind of answer. IOQM asks for a number. RMO and INMO ask for a proof: a complete written argument that convinces an examiner the answer is right and nothing has been left out. Marks go to clear, correct reasoning, and a right answer with a weak argument earns little.
Who can take it
There is no direct entry. A student reaches RMO by doing well enough in IOQM, and INMO by doing well enough in RMO. The same eligibility rules apply all the way through: Classes 8 to 12, a birth-date window, eligibility for an Indian passport, and rules on residence and on finishing school. Students with OCI cards may take part up to and including the training camps, but under current court orders cannot be selected for the Indian team.
One exception matters for younger students. INMO awardees from Classes 8 to 11 may write the next year’s INMO directly, without IOQM and RMO, as long as they still meet the other conditions. Check the official eligibility rules for this year on HBCSE’s site, as they are strict and change.
The stages
| Stage | Who | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| RMO | Students selected from IOQM in each region | Six proof problems in three hours |
| INMO | Students selected from RMO in each region, plus last year’s awardees | Six proof problems in four and a half hours |
| IMOTC | INMO awardees | A camp of about a month, usually in April–May, with selection tests |
| Pre-departure camp | The IMO team | Final training before the IMO |
| IMO | Up to six students | The international contest, each July |
Selection at each step is regional. For 2026–27, students from Classes 8–11 and from Class 12 were ranked in separate lists in every region, with extra places for girls in Classes 8–11, and a student needed a non-zero RMO score to be considered for INMO. The 2026–27 brochure named the top 48 INMO scorers from Classes 8–11 and the top 12 from Class 12 as INMO awardees, plus up to five more girls. These numbers can change, so read the current year’s criteria.
Two related contests use the same route. INMO awardees and the senior camp students who are eligible also write the Asian Pacific Mathematics Olympiad (APMO) in their regions. Girls who are eligible are invited to a separate camp that selects up to four students for the European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad (EGMO).
When it happens
RMO is usually held in November, on the same day in every region, and students who qualify from IOQM register for it shortly before, usually in late October or early November. INMO is usually held in January, and its results usually come out in late February or early March. The camp follows in the spring. Exact dates are announced on HBCSE’s maths olympiad page each year.
How to prepare
Proof writing is a skill of its own, and it is the main thing to build between IOQM and RMO.
- Write full solutions, every time. Solving a problem in your head is not the same as writing it up. Practise stating what you will prove, proving each step, and checking the edge cases.
- Get your proofs read. A teacher, a mentor or a strong classmate who points out gaps is worth more than another hour alone.
- Study official solutions. HBCSE publishes past RMO and INMO papers with solutions. HBCSE itself notes that its solutions are not the only possible ones, so compare your approach with theirs.
- Go deeper in the four main areas: algebra, combinatorics, geometry and number theory. HBCSE’s brochure lists recommended books for each.
Expect INMO problems to be much harder than RMO. A student who reaches RMO in Class 9 or 10 has done well and gains years of useful experience, even if INMO comes later.
The one-camp rule
A strong student may qualify for INMO and for one of the national science olympiads in the same year. HBCSE allows each student to attend only one camp a year, either the maths camp or one science camp. Before the national exams, students who qualify in more than one subject list their subjects in order of preference, and are invited to the highest one on their list for which they qualify.
Where daily practice fits
RMO and INMO are about long problems and careful written arguments, which no quick quiz can train. A short daily routine can still help with the basics that make proofs easier: confident arithmetic, quick pattern spotting and steady reasoning. Ado is a free daily quiz of 8 questions, including a 60-second sprint, across maths, science, English, GK and reasoning, ranked only against students the same age. It works as a daily habit alongside proof practice, not instead of it.