TIMO Past Papers with Answers - Practise Online

The Thailand International Mathematical Olympiad (TIMO) is an annual mathematics competition for students from kindergarten to Grade 12. Every grade from Primary 1 to Secondary 3 sits its own paper, with one paper for kindergarten and one shared paper for senior secondary students. Students answer short-answer questions in five fixed areas, first in a Heat Round in their own country and then, if they win a medal, in a Final Round in Thailand or online.

Because the topic areas and the number of questions stay the same every year, TIMO past papers are an efficient way to prepare.

Overview

The official TIMO website describes the competition as an annual Mathematical Olympiad organised by the Thailand Mathematics Society, aimed at all students with a strong interest in mathematics, not only those already in olympiad training. Internationally, TIMO is part of the family of contests run by the Olympiad Champion Education Centre (OCEC) in Hong Kong, the same organizer behind HKIMO, Big Bay Bei (BBB) and the Hong Kong International Science Olympiad (HKISO). Local partners in each country or region register students and run the Heat Round.

Final Rounds have been held in several Thai cities, including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya and Phuket, and online. Results published on the official site go back to the 2017-2018 season. Gold medalists of the TIMO Final Round are also invited to the World International Mathematical Olympiad (WIMO), which OCEC runs for winners of TIMO, HKIMO and Big Bay Bei.

Levels and grades

The official structure lists one kindergarten group, each grade from Primary 1 to Secondary 3, and one Senior Secondary group for Secondary 4 and above. Each grade gets its own question paper.

Rounds

In most countries the path is simple: take the Heat Round, and if you win a gold, silver or bronze medal you are invited to the Final Round. Some partners add their own stages. In Vietnam, for example, the partner runs an online qualifying round and then an in-person national round before the international final.

The organizer also publishes a TIMO Mock Exam each season. Its marks are not counted towards the Final, so it is best treated as official practice.

Exam format and scoring

Every TIMO paper covers the same five areas: Logical Thinking, Arithmetic or Algebra, Number Theory, Geometry and Combinatorics. Questions are short answer, so you write the final number, not a full solution.

Papers are offered in English together with the student's regional language. There is no deduction for wrong answers in the published structure. Partner pages for the Heat Round describe fixed score bands: 80 and above for gold, 60 to under 80 for silver, 40 to under 60 for bronze and 20 to under 40 for a merit certificate. Check your own partner's rules, as national stages can differ.

When is it held

TIMO runs on an academic-year cycle. The Heat Round is usually held in the autumn, and the Final Round in the first months of the following year. Exact dates are set each season and can differ between countries. Registration is done through the TIMO partner in your country or region, often via schools or learning centres.

How to prepare with past papers

• Practise area by area. With exactly five questions per area in the Heat Round, it is easy to see which area costs you the most marks. Use past papers to find that area and focus on it.
• Keep a steady pace. In the Heat Round you have 90 minutes for 25 questions, about three and a half minutes each. In the Final, 120 minutes for 30 questions gives four minutes each, but the questions are harder.
• Check your final number. Short-answer questions give no options to compare against, so one arithmetic slip loses the full four or five points. Save a few minutes at the end to re-check units and calculations.
• Do not leave blanks. With no penalty for wrong answers in the published structure, write your best answer for every question.

On Edupiad you can take TIMO past papers online with a timer, get automatic marking for short-answer questions and review each question afterwards. Coverage of years and grades grows over time, and not every question has a written solution yet.

Frequently asked questions

What grade is TIMO for?

TIMO is open from kindergarten to Grade 12. There is a kindergarten paper, one paper for each grade from 1 to 9, and a single Senior Secondary paper for Grades 10 to 12.

Is TIMO multiple choice?

No. In the official structure, the Heat Round and the Final Round use short-answer questions where you write the final answer. Some national qualifying rounds may use a different format.

How do you qualify for the TIMO Final Round?

Students who win a gold, silver or bronze medal in the Heat Round are invited to the Final Round. In countries with an extra national stage, the national partner explains its own selection rules.

Is TIMO hard?

The Heat Round is designed so that strong students at each grade can score well, while the Final Round is longer and harder.

How is TIMO different from HKIMO?

Both come from the same OCEC family, use the same five topic areas and a similar Heat and Final structure. The main difference is where the Final is held: TIMO in Thailand, HKIMO in Hong Kong.

Sources

• TIMO official website
• TIMO exam structure
• About TIMO
• TIMO Final Round 2024-2025 results
• Olympiad Champion Education Centre (OCEC)
• TIMO Heat Round, Indonesian partner page