IMO

Exam pattern

The competition consists of 6 problems, each worth 7 points, for a maximum total of 42 points. It takes place over two consecutive days; on each day contestants have four and a half hours to solve three problems. No calculators are permitted, and solutions must include complete proofs and justifications. Only writing and drawing instruments such as rulers and compasses are allowed in the Contest.

Read from: What is IMO? - International Mathematical Olympiad, 'Quick Facts' and 'The Competition'; confirmed in General Regulations clauses 5.1 and 5.4 (imo-regulations)

Syllabus

Official links and how they were checked

• IMO - International Mathematical Olympiad (home) Verified against the document
  Official website · International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO Board), imo-official.org · 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
  Opened https://www.imo-official.org/ on 2026-10-06 (HTTP 200); the page title reads 'IMO - International Mathematical Olympiad'. It is the official site of the IMO; its menu links About IMO ('What is IMO?', History, Regulations, Media), IMO Competitions (Editions, Countries, Problems, Hall of Fame), Results, Organisation, Sponsors, News and Contact. Those pages were opened as listed in the other documents. The site was restructured in 2026 (old .aspx addresses such as regulations.aspx now return 'Page Not Found'); only the current addresses are recorded.
• Regulations - International Mathematical Olympiad (General Regulations) Verified against the document
  Information bulletin / notification · International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO Board), imo-official.org · 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
  Opened https://www.imo-official.org/regulations/ on 2026-10-06 and read the General Regulations (last updated July 16, 2025) clauses 1 to 9 and the page's further sections (annual regulations for the current edition, procedure for a new country, the contestants' pledge). Compared for this file: clause 1.4 (aims of the IMO), clause 2.1 and 2.2 (invitation, team of up to six, selection through the national Mathematical Olympiad or equivalent, age and enrolment condition), clause 4.2 (proposals 'cover various fields of pre-university mathematics') and clause 5.1 and 5.4 (two days, three problems each, four and a half hours, instruments allowed). Searched the whole page text for 'syllabus', 'topic', 'algebra', 'geometry', 'number theory' and 'combinatorics': the only hit is the word 'syllabuses' in clause 1.4; no topic list exists. Dates, costs and the annual-regulation details of the current edition were read but are not copied.
• Problems - International Mathematical Olympiad Opened; part could not be confirmed
  Sample / previous-year papers · International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO Board), imo-official.org · 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
  Link to official page, contents not read. The page https://www.imo-official.org/problems/ was opened on 2026-10-06 (HTTP 200, title 'Problems - International Mathematical Olympiad'); it has a year selector from 1959 to 2026 and prints the statements of the contest problems of the selected edition (the 2026 problems were visible). No problem was read or compared for this file, and the page was not used as a source for any chapter.
• Results - International Mathematical Olympiad Opened; part could not be confirmed
  Results / scores · International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO Board), imo-official.org · 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
  Link to official page, contents not read. Opened https://www.imo-official.org/results/ on 2026-10-06 (HTTP 200); its text opens 'Select a mode, year, or country to explore IMO results.' Result tables were not read or compared, and none are copied.
• News - International Mathematical Olympiad Opened; part could not be confirmed
  Notices / FAQ · International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO Board), imo-official.org · 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
  Link to official page, contents not read. Opened https://www.imo-official.org/news/ on 2026-10-06 (HTTP 200); it lists dated news posts about the IMO. Only the listing was seen; no post was read in full and nothing from it is copied.
• What is IMO? - International Mathematical Olympiad Verified against the document
  Other official page · International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO Board), imo-official.org · 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
  Opened https://www.imo-official.org/about/ on 2026-10-06 and read the whole text. It carries the Quick Facts, the Introduction, 'The Competition' (6 problems of 7 points, two days, four and a half hours a day, 'Problems are chosen from various areas of secondary school mathematics, including algebra, combinatorics, geometry, and number theory'), Participation, Awards and Recognition, 'Problem Selection and Topics', Format and Scoring and Marking and Coordination. The sentence naming the four areas and the pattern facts recorded in this file were compared word for word with that text. The 'Problem Selection and Topics' section describes how problems are proposed and chosen; it lists no topics.
• Editions - International Mathematical Olympiad Opened; part could not be confirmed
  Other official page · International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO Board), imo-official.org · 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
  Link to official page, contents not read. Opened https://www.imo-official.org/editions/ on 2026-10-06 (HTTP 200, title 'Editions - International Mathematical Olympiad'); it lists the editions of the IMO. Only the title and status were checked; the listing was not compared with anything in this file.