National Mathematical Olympiad of Singapore (NMOS): 2026 Parent & Student Guide

Q: What does National Mathematical Olympiad of Singapore (NMOS): 2026 Parent & Student Guide cover?
A: A one-page primer that demystifies NMOS rules, rounds, awards and IP-entry leverage.

TL;DR
Registration quick answer (Singapore): Schools register Primary 5 pupils for NMOS; there is no individual entry route. For current rules, dates and circulars, refer to NUS High’s official NMOS pages: https://www.nmoh.nushigh.edu.sg/ NMOS is the Primary 5 maths contest that feeds gifted programmes, DSA shortlists and eventually Integrated Programme (IP) maths classes. Round 1 is a 25 problem multiple-choice paper for all P5 pupils; the top ≈3 % advance to a Special Round of 15 short-answer problems. Medals are benchmarked to fixed percentile cutoffs and not curved by school type. One disciplined 10-week drill plan plus timely registration (usually April) positions any high-ability kid for Gold contention.

1 What exactly is NMOS? (facts & origin)

• Organiser - The NUS High School of Mathematics and Science Gifted Education branch runs NMOS under the Ministry of Education's Gifted Education Programme (GEP) wing.
• Target cohort - Only Primary 5 pupils enrolled in MOE schools may enter; no P4 or independent candidates.
• Aims - Stretch high-ability learners, seed long-term Olympiad talent and identify pupils who may benefit from future IP-style acceleration tracks.
• Typical timeline -
  • Registration window: early Apr → early May
  • Round 1: mid-Jul (2 h, 25 MCQ)
  • Special Round: late Aug (1 h 30 min, 15 short-answer)
  • Award ceremony: Oct-Nov

Exact dates vary yearly and are published in the Rules & Regulations PDF emailed to participating schools.

2 Competition format at a glance