Q: What does International Singapore Maths Competition (ISMC): Parent & Student Guide cover?
A: Dates, paper format, calculator policy, and DSA-aligned prep for the Marshall Ca-endish Education-run ISMC (Grades 2-6), plus how it fits IP goals.
TL;DR > ISMC is a Grades 2-6 international competition built on Singapore Maths and organised by Marshall Cavendish Education (MCE) (with Learners' Connections). In 2025, students sat a Regional Round online on 10 May (90 min, 28 questions, no negative marking), with calculators allowed for Grades 5-6 only; top participants then joined a Global Round in Singapore (4-6 Jul; written paper + awards). Some countries (e.g., India) run a single, global online sitting. Use ISMC results to bolster DSA-Sec portfolios—time your attempt before the MOE DSA window (7 May-3 Jun 2025).
Organiser: Marshall Cavendish Education; joint launch with Learners' Connections.
Who: Grades 2-6.
Structure:
Regional Round (online, proctored) — 2025 Singapore-hosted round ran on 10 May.
Global Round (physical in Singapore) — training + written paper + awards over 4-6 Jul 2025 (venues included SMU School of Economics and NTU@One-North).
Country variation: In India, GOA administers a single global online sitting (2026 date: 19 Apr 2026).
Format (Regional, 2025):90 min, 28 questions. Section A (MCQ, Q1-20: 2/3/4 marks), Section B & C (Q21-25: 4 marks; Q26-28: 5 marks). No penalties for wrong answers.
Calculator policy:Allowed only for Grades 5-6 (Regional).
Awards: Regional —
Gold/Silver/Bronze
medals + certificates. Global — overall champion and top territory winners receive trophies; all others medalled/certified.
Note on variants & history: Past ISMC papers commonly had 25 questions in 90 min with the classic A-B-C mark scheme; from 2025 MCE formalised a 28-question paper for the Regional Round. Always check your local organiser's current-year circular.
2) Key timelines (recent cycles)
Cycle & geography
Registration window (indicative)
Sitting
Results
Next stage
2025 (MCE, Regional Round)
Closed before May (see site)
10 May 2025, 10:00-11:30 SGT (online)
May 2025 (tentative)
Global Round in SG, 4-6 Jul 2025
2025 (MCE, Global Round)
Event signup announced on site
4-6 Jul 2025 (training + written paper + awards)
Onsite ceremony, 6 Jul
—
2026 (India via GOA)
Up to 29 Mar 2026
19 Apr 2026 (single global online)
Per GOA comms
—
Sources:MCE ISMC page and Global ISMC event schedule; GOA ISMC India 2026 page.
DSA-Sec timing (for P6 families in Singapore): MOE's 2025 window ran 7 May 11:00-3 Jun 15:00. Plan your ISMC attempt & result collation ahead of this window when possible. (Dates vary annually; check MOE.)
Section A (MCQ): Q1-5 (2 marks each), Q6-10 (3 marks), Q11-20 (4 marks).
Section B (Short): Q21-25 (4 marks each).
Section C (Problem Solving): Q26-28 (5 marks each).
Calculator:Permitted only for Grades 5-6; Grades 2-4 no calculators.
Global Round (Singapore, 4-6 Jul 2025):
Mode:Written paper; part of a multi-day programme with training and awards.
Country/admin -ariations: Some partner organisers describe free-response (non-MCQ) for their sittings; check your local circular before preparing.
4) Syllabus: aligned tightly to MOE Primary Maths
MCE publishes grade-specific topic clusters (below)—these mirror the Singapore Primary Mathematics syllabus and scale in difficulty towards P5-P6 percentage/ratio/rate/algebra and circles/statistics.
Grade
Major topics (selection)
G2
Whole numbers; fractions; money; measurement; geometry; data (bar/line).
G3
Whole numbers; fractions; money; measurement; area & perimeter; geometry; data.
G4
Whole numbers; fractions; decimals; measurement; area & perimeter; geometry; data (including pie charts).
Curriculum-aligned excellence: ISMC emphasises on-grade Singapore Maths rather than heavy beyond-syllabus olympiad content—making it ideal for signalling mastery with rigour in P5-P6 portfolios.
Portfolio -alue: Many IP schools look holistically at achievements; a credible math competition record can supplement school-based results during DSA-Sec. (Use MOE's central portal; 2025 window: 7 May-3 Jun.)
Builds the right habits: Upper-primary staples (percentage, ratio, rate) are the bridge to Sec 1 algebraic modelling—good placement for IP maths acceleration later. Inference based on MCE's topic map.
Contrast with other contests: Olympiad-style meets like APMOPS and SASMO lean more on non-routine/beyond-syllabus content and stricter calculator bans. Calibrate expectations and choose contests to match your child's readiness.
6) 6-week preparation plan (time-boxed to 90 min / 28Q)
Assume sitting in mid-Apr to mid-May; shift dates to suit your region.
Week
Focus
Daily/Alternate-day targets
1
Number sense fluency (G2-G6 per level)
30 quick drills on place -alue, operations, estimation; 10 timed MCQs (10-12 min).
4 non-routine Questions/day; 1 “error log” entry with worked re-solution.
5
Full mock 1 (90 min, 28Q structure)
Sit it under exam rules; P5-6 practice with calculator (efficient %/ratio arithmetic).
6
Full mock 2 + review
Re-attempt all previously-wrong items; compress Section A to ≤ 35 min; target ≥ 90% on re-do.
Environment rules to replicate: online timing, no penalties for wrong answers (so guess MCQs you can't solve), and calculator only if you're P5-P6.
7) Strategy tips (what actually moves the needle)
P5-P6: calculator discipline. Use it to speed %/ratio/rate, not to brute-force easy arithmetic; keep mental math sharp for Section A speed.
Exploit no negative marking. Don't lea-e MCQs blank—eliminate and guess with 30-60 sec to go.
Heuristics stack for Section C: draw neat diagrams, try unitary method for ratio/rate, work backwards on “target -alue” puzzles, and tabulate for combinatorics. (Aligned to MCE topic scope.)
Country-specific checks: If your organiser lists non-MCQ throughout (e.g., GOA variant), train to type or enter final numeric answers rapidly.
8) Recent-year examples (to anchor expectations)
2025 Regional (MCE):10 May online; 90 min; 28Q; calculators for G5-G6 only; no penalties; topics by grade as above.
2025 Global (Singapore):4-6 Jul—training + written competition + awards; venues included SMU and NTU@One-North (schedule published by MCE).
2026 (India, GOA):19 Apr 2026 online, single global round; registrations open to students in India (fee and logistics by GOA).
9) DSA-Sec: how to use ISMC evidence
Upload certificates (regional medals or global awards) to your DSA application—ideally before the MOE window closes. 2025's window: 7 May 11:00 → 3 Jun 15:00; your school may run tests/interviews through July-Aug with offers by late Aug/early Sep. (Dates vary each year.)
Match the talent area. For IP schools that accept “Mathematics” or “STEAM” talent tracks, ISMC medals are relevant signals of on-syllabus problem solving. (General guidance; check each school's rubric.)
Last updated 20 Jul 2025. Next review: when MCE releases the 2026 circular for Singapore and partner organisers publish their schedules.
