The Indian National Mathematical Olympiad (INMO) examination is conducted in February every year for students of all classes. It is a 4-hour written test that is set centrally and is common throughout the country. It comprises 6 problems to be solved in the areas of algebra, geometry, number theory and combinatorics. 30 students qualifying the exam receive a certificate of merit and are given a month’s mathematics training. Then 6 top students selected on the basis of 5 selection tests get to represent India in the International Mathematical Olympiad.

The Mathematics Olympiad Programme leading to participation in the International Mathematical Olympiad consists of the following stages:

Regional Mathematical Olympiad (RMO) is held in each region normally between September and the first Sunday of December each year. There will be at least one centre in each district of the region. The RMO is a 3-hour written test containing about 6 to 7 problems. Each regional coordinatorhas the freedom to prepare his/her own question paper or to obtain the question paper from NBHM. The regions opting for the NBHM question paper hold this contest on the 1st Sunday of December. On the basis of the performance in RMO, a certain number of students from each region are selected to appear for the second stage.

Indian National Mathematical Olympiad (INMO) INMO is held on the first Sunday of February each year at various Centres in different regions. Only students selected on the basis of RMO from different regions are eligible to appear for INMO. INMO is a 4-hour written test. The question paper is set centrally and is common throughout the country. The top 30-35 performers in INMO receive a certificate of merit.

The INMO certificate awardees are invited to a month long training camp (junior batch) (International Mathematical Olympiad Training Camp (IMOTC) which is conducted in May-June each year. In addition, INMO awardees of the previous year that have satisfactorily gone through postal tuition throughout the year are invited again for a second round of training (senior batch).

International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO)

The team selected at the end of the camp, a "leader" and a "deputy leader," represent India at the IMO that is normally held in July in a different member country of IMO each year. The leader and deputy leader are chosen by NBHM from among mathematics teachers/researchers involved in the Mathematics Olympiad activity. IMO consists of two written tests held on two days with a gap of at least one day. Each test is of four-and-a-half-hours duration. Travel to IMO venue and return takes about two weeks. India has been participating in IMO since 1989. Students of the Indian team who receive gold, silver and bronze medals at IMO receive a cash prize of Rs. 5,000/-, Rs. 4,000/- and Rs. 3,000/- respectively, from NBHM during the following year at a formal ceremony at the end of the training camp.The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) finances international travel of the eight-member Indian delegation connected with international participation. NBHM finances the entire in-country programme and takes care of other expenditureStudents aiming for selection for participation in IMO should note that RMO is the first essential step for the programme. To appear for RMO, students should get in touch with the RMO co-ordinator of their region well in advance, for enrolment and payment of a nominal fee.