- By Brand Desk
- Fri, 06 Mar 2026 07:59 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The Mathematics Research Foundation (MRF) has officially declared the introduction of the National Mathematics Olympiad (NMO), also referred to as the National Maths Olympiad (NMO), in a major step to enhance the mathematical abilities and critical thinking of the students. This yearly program is aimed at students in Classes 1 to 12; it aims to follow the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 by focusing not on memorising but on overall growth and critical problem-solving.
National Maths Olympiad will be designed according to the curriculum prepared by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), which is an autonomous body of the Ministry of Education of the Government of India.
The National Maths Olympiad is designed to be two-tiered so as to adequately gauge the mathematical talent in the country. Both rounds of the curriculum will be strongly grounded in the NCERT standards in order to provide an equal playing field among all the applicants.
- Prelims - Round 1 (School Level): This is a preliminary stage that involves an offline, multiple-choice question (MCQ) examination to be undertaken in schools involved in it.
- Mains - Round 2 (National Level): This round involves an examination that is a problem-solving-based one and is still conducted at the designated venue of qualifying students between Classes 3 and 12. (The round 2 does not take place in classes 1 and 2)
It is expected to have over 1 lakh students in the first year of the National Maths Olympiad.
In order to suit the different academic timetables of CBSE, ICSE and State board exams, the Foundation has offered a flexible Round 1 schedule. The schools can choose between the following officially planned dates or can choose a specific date that fits their needs:
- 24 August (Last day to register: 31 July)
- 23 September (Registration deadline: 31 August)
- 28 October (Registration deadline: 30 September)
- 25 November (Registration Deadline: 31 October)
Registration is done offline via schools, and all registration information must be sent to the head offices of the Mathematics Research Foundation in New Delhi at least 20 days before the date of the examination. The examination date and other information required concerning the Round 2 will be announced later by the Foundation upon the announcement of Round 1 results.
The complete registration details and proforma can be found at https://mathsolympiad.in/national-maths-olympiad-details.
The syllabus for the National Maths Olympiad can be found at https://mathsolympiad.in/syllabus.
The sample papers for the National Maths Olympiad can be found at https://mathsolympiad.in/sample-papers.
National Maths Olympiad sample papers are available at the following site: mathsolympiad.in/sample-papers.
Rewards and Recognition
The campaign focuses on merit and involvement. Every participant will be given a certificate, and school-level winners will be given a medal and a certificate of merit for their performance. Cash prizes, special merit certificates and medals can be granted to national winners.
To ensure that national achievers are rewarded, a prize named after Aryabhata will be named the Aryabhata Award, and great teachers will receive another award named after Bhaskaracharya, the Bhaskaracharya Award. National/ State/ Zonal level winners will be given prizes valued at over 10 lakh.
Moreover, the National Maths Olympiad gives students a special opportunity to socialise with the best Indian mathematicians who are presently affiliated with the IITs, IIMs, IIITs, NITs and IISc.
Resources and Support
The Mathematics Research Foundation has an elaborate syllabus and sample papers to help students study and prepare at all grades. These materials, and elaborate registration proformas, can be found on the official site at mathsolympiad.in.
To ask any questions, school coordinators and parents may use the Foundation through email at: info@mathsolympiad.in or WhatsApp/call at +91 9988113929.
(Note: This article has been written by the Brand Desk.)