BBB 2027 exam dates
Each row links to the organiser's original notice.
- Nov0719 days left
- Dec13Heat RoundHong Kong
Sunday, 13 Dec 2026
Register by 25 Oct 2026 (6 days left)Source: OCECUpdated 07 Oct 2026
55 days leftRegister - Jan24National RoundHong Kong
Sunday, 24 Jan 2027
Register by 10 Jan 2027 (83 days left)Source: OCECUpdated 07 Oct 2026
97 days left - Mar13145 days left
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About BBB
Big Bay Bei (BBB), in full the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Mathematics Competition, is an annual mathematics competition for students from kindergarten to Grade 12, organized by the Olympiad Champion Education Centre (OCEC) in Hong Kong. Students answer short-answer questions in sections of rising difficulty, and the best performers progress to a Final Round held in a Greater Bay Area city or online.
For students who already know TIMO or HKIMO, BBB past papers feel familiar in content but different in shape: the paper is split into sections A, B and C, and later questions are worth more.
Overview
Big Bay Bei is one of the competitions listed by OCEC, the Hong Kong organizer that also runs the Thailand International Mathematical Olympiad (TIMO), the Hong Kong International Mathematical Olympiad (HKIMO) and the Hong Kong International Science Olympiad (HKISO).
According to the organizer, the Final is held each year in a city of the Greater Bay Area, with Macau named as the first stop, and partner pages describe it moving between cities such as Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Students outside the region can usually take the Final online. National partners run the competition in countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam. Gold medalists of the Big Bay Bei Final are invited to the World International Mathematical Olympiad (WIMO), together with Final gold winners from TIMO and HKIMO.
Levels and grades
Kindergarten and each grade from 1 to 9 have their own paper. Students in Grades 10 to 12 share one Senior Secondary paper and are ranked together.
| Level | Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | Kindergarten | One kindergarten group |
| Grade 1 - Grade 6 | Grade 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 | One paper per grade |
| Grade 7 - Grade 9 | Grade 7, 8, 9 | One paper per grade |
| Senior Secondary | Grade 10-12 | One shared paper and one ranking |
Rounds
OCEC describes three stages: a Preliminary Round, a selection round (called the Qualifier Round on OCEC pages and the Heat Round on most partner pages), and the Final Round.
| Round | Who takes part | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Preliminary Round | Registered students in countries that run it | Not held everywhere |
| Heat Round | Registered students, or those who pass the Preliminary Round | Run in each country by the local partner |
| Final Round | Heat Round medalists | In a Greater Bay Area city or online |
Many countries, such as Malaysia, run only the Heat Round and the Final Round. In Vietnam, the partner runs all three: a preliminary round, a national round and the international round.
Exam format and scoring
All questions are short answer: students write only the final answer. Topics are Logical Thinking, Arithmetic or Algebra, Number Theory, Geometry and Combinatorics. The paper is divided into three sections, and each section is worth more per question than the one before.
| Round | Section A | Section B | Section C | Total | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat Round | 10 questions x 4 points | 10 questions x 5 points | 5 questions x 7 points | 25 questions, 125 points | 75 minutes |
| Final Round | 10 questions x 4 points | 10 questions x 5 points | 10 questions x 6 points | 30 questions, 150 points | 90 minutes |
Papers are offered in English together with a local language, for example Simplified Chinese in Malaysia or Bahasa Indonesia in Indonesia. Partner pages describe awards by percentage rather than fixed scores: about the top 8% receive gold, the next 16% silver and the next 24% bronze, and medalists qualify for the Final.
When is it held
Big Bay Bei runs on an academic-year cycle, with dates set each season. In several partner countries the Heat Round falls around January and the Final Round around March. Registration goes through the Big Bay Bei partner in your country, often via schools or learning centres.
How to prepare with past papers
- Bank Section A first. Ten 4-point questions are worth 40 marks. Solving them quickly and accurately gives you time for the harder sections.
- Plan time by section. The Heat Round gives 75 minutes for 25 questions, which is tighter than TIMO or HKIMO. A practical split is about 20 minutes for A, 30 for B and 25 for C, adjusted to your strengths.
- Do not skip Section C. Each Section C question in the Heat Round is worth 7 points, almost double a Section A question. Partial progress can still lead to a correct final number.
- Check answers carefully. With short-answer questions, a small calculation slip loses the whole question.
- Remember that ranking is relative. Because medals depend on percentages, a hard paper does not mean a low award. Focus on doing your best on each question rather than on the raw score.
On Edupiad you can take Big Bay Bei past papers online with a timer, get automatic marking and review each question afterwards. Available years and grades grow over time, and not every question has a written solution yet.
Frequently asked questions
What does Big Bay Bei mean?
Big Bay Bei is the name of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Mathematics Competition. "Bei" comes from the Chinese word for cup, so the name means "Greater Bay Cup".
What grade is BBB for?
BBB is open from kindergarten to Grade 12. Kindergarten and Grades 1 to 9 each have their own paper; Grades 10 to 12 share one Senior Secondary paper.
Is Big Bay Bei multiple choice?
No. All questions are short answer, so students write only the final answer.
How do you qualify for the Big Bay Bei Final?
Students who win a gold, silver or bronze medal in the Heat Round are invited to the Final Round. In countries with a Preliminary Round, students must first pass that round to reach the Heat Round.
How is Big Bay Bei different from TIMO and HKIMO?
All three come from OCEC and share the same five topic areas. Big Bay Bei uses sections with different point values, a shorter time per question, and medals based on percentages. Its Final moves between cities of the Greater Bay Area, while the TIMO Final is in Thailand and the HKIMO Final in Hong Kong.