IMC Singapore Past Papers with Answers - Practise Online
About IMC SingaporeIMC Singapore 2027 exam dates
Each row links to the organiser's original notice.
- Nov2941 days left
No papers match these filters yet.Try clearing a filter, or check back soon - we're adding papers regularly.
About IMC Singapore
The International Mathematics Contest (IMC), often called IMC Singapore, is a mathematics competition for primary and secondary students run by the International Mathematics Contest Union (IMC Union), with an international final held in Singapore every year. There is a separate paper for each grade, and the grades offered range from Grade 1 to Grade 11 depending on the country. Students qualify through rounds in their own country before the Singapore Final.
IMC Singapore past papers are a good fit for students who want to practise mixed papers that combine multiple-choice questions, short answers and a few full written solutions. This guide covers the IMC Singapore levels, the rounds, the exam format and scoring, and how to prepare.
Note that IMC Singapore is a different contest from the International Mathematics Competition (IMC) of the Chiu Chang foundation in Taiwan, whose divisions are EMIC and IWYMIC. The two share the initials IMC but have different organizers, formats and finals.
Overview
The IMC Union is a cooperative network of education organizations, groups and individuals that promote mathematics for young students. It was formed in 2005 and registered in the state of Nevada in the United States. Member organizations run the contest in their own regions, and the strongest students from each region meet at the final in Singapore.
Students have taken part from mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and other countries in Asia. In Vietnam the contest is represented by the Archimedes education system, which has been the sole IMC representative there since 2015.
A distinctive feature of IMC is that every paper mixes English with the local language. The share of English questions grows round by round and reaches about 30-40 percent in the final, depending on the grade. In Vietnam, papers in the international stage are bilingual in Vietnamese and English.
IMC Singapore levels and grades
| Level | Grades | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 to Grade 11 | Grade 1-11, one level per grade | One paper per grade; each country opens only part of this range |
Examples of local ranges: Taiwan has offered the preliminary round from Grade 1 to Grade 11, mainland China mainly covers Grades 4 to 9, and Vietnam currently accepts Grades 2 to 8. There is no kindergarten or Grade 12 paper.
Rounds
| Round | Who takes it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Preliminary Round | Registered students in some regions | Used in mainland China and Taiwan |
| National Round | Students who pass the preliminary, or all registered students where there is no preliminary | Called the semi-final in mainland China and Taiwan |
| Singapore Final | Top students from each region | Held in person in Singapore |
Vietnam has no separate preliminary round: students sit the National Round, usually in April, and the best are invited to the Singapore Final.
IMC Singapore exam format and scoring
The final and the national round follow a 90-minute, 100-point paper. The figures below are those published by IMC organizers in mainland China; the Vietnamese representative describes the same 18 questions in 3 parts for 100 points in 90 minutes.
| Round | Questions | Structure | Points | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preliminary | 15 | 10 multiple choice (6 points each) + 5 fill in the answer (8 points each) | 100 | 60 minutes |
| Semi-final | 16 | 13 fill in the answer + 3 written solutions | 100 | 90 minutes |
| Singapore Final | 18 | 8 multiple choice (5 points each) + 8 fill in the answer (5 points each) + 2 written solutions (10 points each) | 100 | 90 minutes |
The two written-solution problems at the end of the final are marked on the working as well as the answer, so partial credit is possible.
When is IMC Singapore held
The season runs over the school year. Preliminary rounds, where they exist, are usually held towards the end of the calendar year, national or semi-final rounds in spring, and the Singapore Final in late July or early August. Registration goes through the IMC member organization in each country, usually a few weeks before the first round.
How to prepare with IMC Singapore past papers
- Practise the final structure. Eight multiple-choice and eight short-answer questions in 90 minutes leave time for the two written problems only if you move steadily. Aim to finish the first 16 questions in about 55-60 minutes.
- Write full solutions for the last two problems. They are worth 20 points together. Practise writing clear steps with a short reason for each one.
- Prepare for the English part. Even if you sit a bilingual paper, part of the questions are in English only. Learn common maths terms in English for your grade.
- Use papers from your own grade first. Each grade has its own paper, so difficulty follows the school year.
- Check short answers carefully. With no options to compare, simple slips are the main cause of lost points.
On Edupiad you can practise the IMC Singapore papers we have online with a timer, automatic marking and a review of each question. Written-solution problems cannot be fully marked online, and we do not have every year for every grade.
Frequently asked questions
What grade is IMC Singapore for?
There is a paper for each grade from Grade 1 to Grade 11, but each country opens only some grades. Vietnam, for example, currently accepts Grades 2 to 8.
Is IMC Singapore the same as IWYMIC or EMIC?
No. IWYMIC and EMIC are the two divisions of the International Mathematics Competition archived by the Chiu Chang foundation in Taiwan, held in a different host city each year with teams. IMC Singapore is run by the IMC Union with a yearly individual final in Singapore.
Is the IMC Singapore paper in English?
Partly. Each paper combines English questions with questions in the local language, and the English share rises to about 30-40 percent in the final.
Does IMC Singapore have written answers?
Yes. The final ends with 2 problems that need a written solution, worth 10 points each.
When is the IMC Singapore Final?
Usually in late July or early August, in Singapore.