What it is
The International Olympiad of Mathematics (iOM) is the maths olympiad of the SilverZone Foundation, a New Delhi-based organiser of school olympiads. It is open to Classes 1 to 12 and, unusually, can run to three levels: a first paper in school, a second round for top scorers, and a third round for the very top rank holders of the senior classes.
SilverZone says the paper draws on the CBSE, ICSE and state board syllabi, and that applied mathematics, using maths on real-world problems, is an integral part of it. Each paper has three sections:
- Mathematics: the class syllabus, from counting and shapes in Class 1 to calculus, vectors and probability in Class 12.
- Reasoning and Aptitude: mental ability and logical reasoning questions.
- Scholar’s Zone: five harder questions that carry more marks.
| Classes | Questions | Time | Total marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | 25 | 40 minutes | 100 |
| 3–5 | 30 | 40 minutes | 100 |
| 6–8 | 35 | 40 minutes | 100 |
| 9–12 | 40 | 50 minutes | 100 |
Every question is multiple choice, answered on an OMR sheet from Class 1, and there is no negative marking. The paper is in English only. Each class has its own paper, and each exam date has its own set of papers.
Who can take it
Any student from Class 1 to Class 12 whose school registers them. Any school can become a SilverZone centre, and SilverZone sets a minimum number of students for a school to take part. Schools that are not yet registered can request a prospectus from SilverZone directly.
How it works
Level 1 is written in the student’s own school, during school hours. SilverZone offers a few dates, and the school chooses one.
Level 2 is for Classes 3 to 12. SilverZone’s page lists two routes in:
- students ranked 4th to 1003rd in their class in Level 1, with at least 50% marks; and
- students who rank first in their class in their school, with at least 75% marks, where at least 100 students from that school sat the subject.
In Level 1, olympiad ranks for Classes 3–12 start from 4th; the top three places in each class are decided by the Level 2 result. For Classes 1 and 2, Level 1 is the whole olympiad.
Level 3 is for students who finish first in their class at Level 2, in Classes 6 to 12. SilverZone says it is held in New Delhi, with Dubai as the venue for schools outside India in the 2026–27 session.
SilverZone ranks each class in several ways: an olympiad rank among all students of that class in India and abroad, zonal and state ranks, and a class rank within the school. To separate students on the same score, every question carries a tiny extra weight that grows through the paper, so later correct answers break ties. Every participant gets a chapter-wise performance report with marks, ranks, percentiles and a breakdown by topic. SilverZone describes medals, certificates and other awards at international, zonal, state and school level, with a participation certificate for everyone; the current list is on the official site.
When it happens
Level 1 is usually held between October and December, on one of three dates the organiser offers. Registration goes through the school and usually closes about 30 days before the chosen date. Level 2 and Level 3 follow later in the school year for those who qualify. Check the official SilverZone page for this year’s dates, and the olympiad calendar for how they fit with other olympiads.
How to prepare
Know the shape of the paper. With 25 to 40 questions and no negative marking, a child should answer every question, even a careful guess. That changes strategy: no blanks.
Use the class syllabus as the base. SilverZone publishes a chapter-by-chapter table for each class, showing how many questions come from each topic. Spend the most time on the topics with the most questions, and on the ones your child finds hardest.
Practise reasoning separately. Reasoning and Aptitude is 5 questions in the junior classes and 10 from Class 7. Short puzzle sessions twice a week help; the reasoning prep guide explains the usual question types.
Tackle the Scholar’s Zone slowly at first. These five questions are worth a large share of the marks. In practice, give them extra time and talk through the method; speed comes later.
Mind the clock. Forty minutes for 30–35 questions is tighter than many school tests. One or two timed sample papers from SilverZone in the last month help.
For Classes 1–3, short, playful sessions over four or five weeks are plenty. From Class 6, six to eight weeks of two or three focused sessions a week is a sensible range. The maths prep guide has more by age.
Where daily practice fits
Ado’s free daily quiz gives 8 questions a day, including a 60-second sprint, across maths, reasoning, science, English and GK. Answering a few maths and reasoning questions every day builds the calm speed that a 40-minute paper asks for. Students are ranked only against others the same age, and the Ado Rank builds from their three strongest subjects and never resets.
Good to know
The iOM and SOF’s International Mathematics Olympiad are different olympiads from different organisers, with similar names. SOF’s has two levels and a one-hour paper; SilverZone’s has up to three levels and a 40- or 50-minute paper. Unified Council’s UIMO is a third option.