What is RMO?
RMO stands for Raffles Mathematical Olympiad (RMO). It is an annual national competition organised by Raffles Institution (RI) since 1996 with the aims to promote interest in Mathematics and develop problem-solving abilities through a friendly competition for MOE Primary School students.
Eligibility for RMO
RMO is for students from Primary 4 to Primary 6 where they will compete in 2 categories:
- Junior Category for Primary 4 to Primary 5
- Open Category for Primary 6
Students will be competing in 2 rounds.
Round 1
| Format | Online and held in Primary Schools |
| Type | 20 MCQ – Papers are the same for Junior and Open Category |
| Duration | 60 minutes |
Round 2
To qualify for Round 2,
- Junior Category – Top 2% or top 40 students (whichever is lower)
- Open Category – Top 3% or top 60 students (whichever is lower)
| Format | Written and held in Raffles Institution (RI) |
| Type | Junior Category – 15 short answer questions Open Category – 7 short answer questions and 4 open ended questions, requiring workings to justify their answers |
| Duration | 60 minutes |
Awards
There are two categories of awards: individual and school awards.
Awards are given to participants based on their performance as follows:
- Top 2% – Certificate of High Distinction
- Next 13% – Certificate of Distinction
- Next 15% – Certificate of Merit
- Remaining – Certificate of Participation
From experience, we have had students who were able to clinch a Certificate of Distinction without entering Round 2 due to its highly competitive nature (refer to Round 2 qualifications on top).
As for school awards, they are awarded to the top 3 schools with the highest total marks of their top 4 participants. Schools with less than 4 participants will not be eligible for team prizes.
Our Detailed Analysis for RMO:
- RMO questions are classified into 5 main modules – Arithmetic, Geometry, Number Theory, Combinatorics, and Counting Principle. As RMO questions are more challenging, students will need to apply multiple techniques in order to solve RMO questions.
- Modules like Arithmetic, Counting Principle, Number Theory and Geometry questions took up approximately half the number of questions in the first round. Since calculation questions are basic questions, they are also the type of questions, we want our students to strive to complete with accuracy. First round questions test largely on Arithmetic, Counting Principle, Number Theory, and Geometry.
- Mastering the 5 main modules (Arithmetic, Geometry, Number Theory, Combinatorics, and Counting Principle) is essential for students to advance to Round 2 due to the highly competitive nature of RMO.