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Maths olympiad preparation for Class 5

Class 5 is when olympiad problems start to need an idea, not just a method. Most children do well on 8 to 10 problems most days with a notebook of mistakes, and NMTC opens to them this year. Problems to try are just below.

Try ten Class 5 problems

Stuck? Hints come one step at a time. Nothing is sent anywhere, and there is no sign-in.

Class 5 sampleProblem 1 of 10

Rohan’s weight increased from 40 kg to 44 kg. What is the percentage increase?

  2. 2 Strategy
  3. 3 Worked step

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

What an olympiad asks at Class 5

At Class 5, olympiad problems start to need an idea, not just a method: counting without listing everything, spotting the pattern in a sequence, working backwards, the pigeonhole principle (“if 13 socks go in 12 drawers…”). Fractions, percentages, ratio, primes and angles all appear.

From Class 5 there is also NMTC, run by the Association of Mathematics Teachers of India. Its problems are the closest a primary child meets to the IOQM style. Math Kangaroo moves up to its Benjamin level this year.

Contests open to Class 5 in 2026-27

5 contests take Class 5 students this year. Most schools enter the first; the rest are worth a look if your child enjoyed the problems above.

  • SOF International Mathematics Olympiad

    Science Olympiad Foundation, through schools. Classes 1 to 12.

    Next
    Level 1 on 23 October, 26 November or 10 December 2026; the school picks one date.
    The paper
    For Classes 5-12 the SOF paper has 50 questions in four sections: Logical Reasoning (15), Mathematical Reasoning (20), Everyday Mathematics (10) and the Achievers Section (5, worth 3 marks each), 60 marks in 60 minutes.
    Who sits it
    Entry is through the school. The top 5% of each class at Level 1 sit Level 2.
    (source: Science Olympiad Foundation)

  • Math Kangaroo

    Math Kangaroo India, for the international Kangaroo contest. Classes 1 to 12.

    Next
    The 2027 contest runs 17 to 30 April 2027. Registration closes 31 March 2027.
    The paper
    90 minutes, multiple choice, 30 questions at Class 5. Puzzles more than sums.
    (source: Math Kangaroo India)

  • Unified International Mathematics Olympiad (UIMO)

    Unified Council. Classes 1 to 10.

    Next
    Final test 10 January 2027 (mock test 3 January 2027).
    The paper
    A maths-only paper.
    (source: Unified Council)

  • NSTSE

    Unified Council. Classes 1 to 10.

    Next
    Through schools in November and December 2026; the online test for students who register on their own is on 24 January 2027.
    The paper
    60 minutes. A science and maths paper, so maths is only part of it.
    (source: Unified Council)

  • NMTC (National Mathematics Talent Contest)

    Association of Mathematics Teachers of India (AMTI). Classes 5 to 12.

    Next
    The 2026 screening test was on 30 August 2026 and the final is on 25 October 2026. The 2027 dates are not out yet.
    The paper
    A screening test, then a written final for the top students.
    Who sits it
    Class 5 sits the Primary (Gauss), for Class 5-6. Entry is through schools and AMTI centres.
    (source: Physics Wallah, Vedantu)

New to Math Kangaroo? Its levels, format and how to prepare. To practise in its format, try Benjamin Kangaroo-style papers.

A daily plan: 15 minutes a day

This is where stamina starts to matter more than speed: staying with a problem that does not give way at once. (source: PW Store, Bhanzu)

Monday to Thursday8 to 10 problems at the edge of what they can do, one topic at a time.
FridayOne hard problem, with 20 to 30 minutes to sit with it before any hint.
SaturdayA timed section of a past paper for the contest they are entering.
SundayThe mistakes notebook: why each one went wrong, in their own words.

In the last three weeks before a contest, swap one weekday for a timed section of that contest’s own sample paper, so the format holds no surprises on the day. More on this in our guide to daily maths practice for kids.

Mistakes children make at this age

  1. Percent of what?

    40 kg to 44 kg is a 10% increase, not 4%. The change is always compared with where you started.

  2. Giving up when no formula fits

    Olympiad problems at this level are built so that no school formula applies directly. Trying small cases, or drawing it, is the first move.

  3. Listing without an order

    “How many two-digit numbers have digits adding to 9?” Children who list at random miss 90 or count 45 twice. Listing in order (18, 27, 36 …) gives nine and shows it is all of them.

  4. Working backwards in the wrong order

    “Double a number, add 3, get 17.” Undoing means taking away 3 first and then halving, the reverse of how it was built. Many children halve first and get 5.5.

Where Kiwimath fits

Class 5 starts at Level 3 in Kiwimath. Each topic is a ladder of small skills: a right answer moves your child up a step, a wrong one brings another problem on the same idea when there is one, and a hint is always one tap away. A skill counts as mastered only after it has been solved without hints on two different days.

Level 3 topics: Parts & Wholes, In Proportion, What Comes Next, Letter Maths, Smart Counting, Winning Moves, Sock Drawer Logic, Angle Chasers, Space & Surface, Map Makers, Prime Hunters, Common Ground, Clock Arithmetic.

Questions parents ask

Which olympiad should a Class 5 child start with?

SOF through school, Math Kangaroo in April, and from Class 5 the NMTC Primary (Gauss) contest, which is closest in style to the real olympiad path.

How many questions are in the SOF maths olympiad for Class 5?

50 questions for 60 marks, in four sections, in 60 minutes.

Does Kiwimath follow the SOF syllabus?

No. Kiwimath is not tied to one contest. Level 3 practises the kind of reasoning these papers share, and adapts to your child: a right answer moves them up a step, a wrong one brings another problem on the same idea when there is one. For a specific contest, add its own past papers in the last weeks.

How much time a day is enough?

15 minutes, most days. Short and regular works better than a long session once a week.

Class 5 starts at Level 3

Level 3 is for Class 5-6. If the first problems feel too easy or too hard, you can move up or down a level at any time; nothing is locked to a class.

Start at Level 3 Free during early access.

  1. Level 1Class 1-2
  2. Level 2Class 3-4
  3. Start hereLevel 3Class 5-6
  4. Level 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. International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO)Science Olympiad Foundation (the organiser)
  2. IMO exam pattern 2026-27Vedantu (a guide; SOF does not print the section split on its page)
  3. Exam datesMath Kangaroo India (the organiser in India)
  4. Contest categories (questions and duration)Math Kangaroo India (the organiser in India)
  5. Exam schedule 2026-27Unified Council (the organiser)
  6. About NSTSEUnified Council (the organiser)
  7. NMTC 2026 exam datePhysics Wallah (a guide; AMTI publishes dates through schools)
  8. NMTC exam detailsVedantu (a guide)
  9. How to prepare for maths olympiad for Class 3PW Store
  10. How to prepare for a math olympiadBhanzu