Frequently Asked Questions



This FAQ list answers many of the common questions we are asked about the Olympiad contests.
If the answer to your particular question does not appear below, please email enquiries@apsmo.info


General Questions



  • What is a PICO?
    A PICO is the Person in Charge of Olympiads.
    This is the teacher responsible for organising the Olympiads, arranging practise sessions, marking question papers and submitting the results to APSMO Inc.


  • Why are some Olympiad dates different in other states?
    We have tried very hard to find Olympiad dates that are available to schools in all states. Due to holiday clashes this has not always been possible and as a result certain states may have different official Olympiad dates.

  • What Olympiad awards are available?
    There are Olympiad awards for individuals and teams.
    For further details, please click here.


    • Olympiad Teams



  • How many students can participate in an Olympiad Team?
    Up to 30 students can participate in an Olympiad team for the registration fee. 1-5 additional students can be added to the team for a nominal fee per student.

  • What is the minimum number of students that can participate in an Olympiad team?
    There is no minimum for the number of students that can participate in a team.
    Team scores are calculated using the overall Olympiad score for the top 10 students within a team. Teams with less than 10 students are disadvantaged with team awards, however individual students would not be disadvantaged.

  • How many teams can a school register?
    There is no limit to the number of teams a school can register. Often schools register 1 team per class.

  • What is the age limit for students participating in an Olympiad team?
    Primary School Olympiads : 12 years of age at 1st May (and in the equivalent of NSW Primary School Year 6)
          High School Challenge : 14 years of age at 1st May (and in the equivalent of NSW Secondary School Year 8)

    • Students



  • Can individual students compete in the Olympiads?
    No. Students must belong to a school team. Only registered schools may participate in the Olympiads.

  • Do students participate as individuals or as part of a team?
    Students participate as individuals within a team.
    Students must complete the Olympiad papers individually without help from any other team member.
    During practise sessions, students may work in pairs or as a group.

  • Do students have to be good mathematicians in order to compete?
    No. The Olympiad program is designed to encourage all students to be involved. One of the main aims of the Olympiads is to encourage students to develop new skills and problem solving techniques.

  • Do students have to participate in all 5 Olympiads? Yes. In order to be eligible for awards, students must compete in all 5 Olympiads

  • What happens if a student misses one of the Olympiads?
    If a student misses one of the Olympiads he or she may sit the Olympiad paper under the following conditions:
    • The student was legitimately absent
    • The Olympiad contest must be administered on the student’s first day back at school
    • The Olympiad question papers must NOT have been returned to the students
    • The Olympiad questions and solution methods must NOT have been discussed in class
    • The PICO has taken reasonable steps to ensure that the absent student has no advantage over other members of the team
    • Results for the Olympiad must be submitted to APSMO Inc no later than 7 days after the official Olympiad date
    If these conditions cannot be met, the student must be marked absent on the submitted results, and the student will not receive a score for the Olympiad.

  • What happens if a student transfers to another school?
    If a student transfers to another school that is participating in the Olympiads, his/her results can be transfered to the new school's team.
    We require written notification and details of both school teams

    • Preparing for the Olympiads



  • What do you recommend for practise sessions?
    We recommend that at least 1 hour per week is dedicated to practising Olympiad style problem solving.
    PICOs should also encourage students to practise at home.

  • What resources are available.
    APSMO Inc has text books and past Olympiad papers available.
    Please see our resources page for details.

    • Olympiad Contests



  • How do we receive Olympiad Questions?
    Olympiad questions are either sent by mail to the school approximately one week before the official Olympiad date, or can be accessed from the Members' Area of this website.
    A single copy of the question sheet is provided. The school is responsible for duplicating the question sheet for each student within the team(s).


  • Can the Olympiad Questions be emailed to me?
    NO. For security reasons we do not email the Olympiad questions to schools. The questions can be printed in the Members' Area.


  • How many Questions are in each Olympiad?
    There are 5 questions in each Olympiad.

  • What is the time limit for each Olympiad?
    The time limit for each Olympiad varies between 20 and 30 minutes depending on the difficulty level of the questions.
    Each question has a recommended time.

  • Are calculators allowed?
    NO.

  • Are the Olympiads held during school time?
    The Olympiads can be held during school time or outside of school time depending on the school time-table.

  • Do the Olympiads have to be held on the official Olympiad date?
    We prefer that the Olympiads are held on the official date, however we do realise that the date may clash with timetables, excursions etc. For this reason the Olympiad may also be held on either the day before or the day after the official date.
    Should it not be possible to hold the Olympiad on the allowed dates, schools must make a request in writing indicating the reason for a date change.

  • How are the Olympiads marked?
    The Olympiads are marked by the team PICO. Answers and solution methods are included with each Olympiad.
    The results are submitted to APSMO Inc either online or via mail.

  • Can we appeal the official Olympiad answers?
    Yes. If you believe that the official answer to an Olympiad question is incorrect, or there is another possible answer, appeals can be made in writing to APSMO Inc.
    All appeals are considered by the APSMO Inc Board and the results are notified in the following newsletter.

  • How are the Olympiads scored?
    Each question is worth 1 point, a total of 5 points for each Olympiad. There is an overall possible student score of 25 for the 5 Olympiads.

  • How do we submit Olympiad results?
    Once the Olympiad papers have been marked, results can be submitted online in the Members' Area.
    If internet access is not available, a results summary sheet can be completed and mailed to APSMO Inc.
    Please note that these are the only accepted methods for results submission.

  • How are the scores for the Olympiad awards calculated?
    Individual student scores are calculated from the sum of all 5 Olympiad results. The maximum possible student score is 25.
    Team scores are calculated from the sum of the top 10 overall student scores. The maximum possible team score is 250.
    Awards are issued based on the above calculations.

    • Olympiad Integrity



  • What steps do you take to ensure the integrity of the Olympiads?
    In order to ensure the integrity of the Olympiad contests, APSMO Inc has the following conditions:
    • Olympiad Question Papers are not provided to schools until the week prior to the contest date and must not be opened until the scheduled Olympiad date.
    • APSMO Inc reserves the right to re-examine students prior to granting official status to submitted results.