kiwimath
Start free

IOQM eligibility 2026

Students born between 1 August 2007 and 31 July 2014 and studying in Class 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12 may write IOQM 2026. Students in Class 6 or 7 cannot write it, however strong they are. (source: MTA(I) and HBCSE)

Rule as published by HBCSE and MTA(I), checked on .

By , who makes Kiwimath. Dates and rules checked on against the organisers’ own pages (sources at the end).

Can Class 6 or 7 students write IOQM?

No. This is the most common confusion, because some coaching pages talk about “IOQM for Class 6”. They mean preparing for it, which is a good idea. Sitting it is only possible from Class 8. The rule needs both the class and the birth dates to fit; being young enough is not enough on its own.

For a Class 6 or 7 student the useful contests this year are NMTC and Math Kangaroo, and the useful preparation is the foundation IOQM will need. Olympiad preparation for Class 7.

The full rule for 2026

  1. Born between 1 August 2007 and 31 July 2014, and studying in Class 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12. No student born on or after 1 August 2014 may write IOQM 2026.
  2. Eligible to hold an Indian passport. OCI card holders may write it provisionally and go as far as the training camp, but cannot be picked for India’s team at the IMO, EGMO or APMO.
  3. Living and studying in India, or studying in an Indian school system, since 30 October 2024 or earlier. Students abroad in an Indian school system must travel to India for every round.
  4. Not having passed, or being due to sit, the Class 12 board exams before 30 October 2026. Giving up board results to become eligible leads to disqualification.
  5. Not having started, or planning to start, university by 1 June 2027.

(source: MTA(I) and HBCSE, HBCSE)

Class 12 students

Class 12 students may write IOQM if they meet the rule, but they are ranked separately for RMO: the top 40 in each region go through, against the top 200 for Class 8 to 11. (source: HBCSE)

Questions parents ask

My child is in Class 7 but very strong. Can they write IOQM?

No. Both conditions must hold: the right birth dates and studying in Class 8 to 12. A Class 7 student cannot sit IOQM, however good they are.

My child is in Class 8 but was born in September 2014. Can they write it?

Not in 2026. The rule says no student born on or after 1 August 2014 may write IOQM 2026. They may be able to write IOQM 2027: check the birth-date range in the 2027 rule when it is published.

Can a student studying abroad write IOQM?

Only in narrow cases: they must have been living and studying in India, or in an Indian school system, since 30 October 2024 or earlier, and must come to India to write IOQM and any later round.

Can OCI card holders write IOQM?

Provisionally, yes, and they may go up to the training camp. By court orders they cannot be selected for India’s team at the IMO, EGMO or APMO.

Where do we register?

Through the MTA(I) IOQM site, usually through a school or centre, when registration opens for 2027. HBCSE asks families not to contact it about IOQM registration.

Too young for IOQM? Start early at Level 4

Level 4 is Kiwimath’s pre-olympiad level, for Class 7 and 8: algebra, geometry, number theory and counting, at the depth IOQM builds on.

Start early: Level 4 Free during early access.

  1. Level 1Class 1-2
  2. Level 2Class 3-4
  3. Level 3Class 5-6
  4. Start hereLevel 4Class 7-8
  5. Level 5IOQM
  6. Level 6RMO
  7. Level 7INMO
  8. Level 8IMO: the summit

Sources

All checked on . Organisers change dates; if one of these differs from what your school tells you, trust the school and the organiser, and write to hello@kiwimaths.com so we can fix this page.

  1. Eligibility criteria for IOQM 2026 (PDF)MTA(I) and HBCSE (the organisers)
  2. Mathematical Olympiads 2026-2027 brochureHBCSE (the organiser)
  3. Criteria for qualification from IOQM 2026 to RMO 2026 (PDF)HBCSE (the organiser)
  4. IOQM 2026-2027MTA(I) (runs the IOQM paper)