Overview
The Regional Mathematical Olympiad (RMO) and the Indian National Mathematical Olympiad (INMO) are Stages 2 and 3 of India's Mathematical Olympiad Programme, run by the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE) on behalf of the National Board for Higher Mathematics. Only students who have already qualified through the Indian Olympiad Qualifier in Mathematics (IOQM) can sit RMO, and only RMO qualifiers can sit INMO. INMO performance decides India's team for the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), the European Girls' Mathematical Olympiad (EGMO) and the Asian Pacific Mathematics Olympiad (APMO).
Who can take part
Students who qualify through IOQM in a given year (Classes 8 to 12, within that year's eligibility window) are eligible for RMO. INMO 2025 awardees were allowed to skip IOQM 2025 and RMO 2025 and write INMO 2026 directly, provided they still met the age criteria, had not started university, and met eligibility for IMO 2026/EGMO 2027. Students must be eligible to hold an Indian passport; OCI cardholders can appear at RMO and INMO and at the training camps but, under current court orders, cannot be selected for India's international teams.
Stages and pathway
| Stage | Round | What it decides |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | RMO | From each region, roughly the top 200 Category A (Classes 8–11) and top 40 Category B (Class 12) students, plus a girls' quota, qualify for INMO |
| 3 | INMO | Top 48 students from Classes 8–11 and top 12 from Class 12 nationally become INMO awardees, plus up to 5 additional girl awardees |
| 4 | IMO Training Camp (IMOTC) | A month-long camp (tentatively April–May) narrows the INMO awardees to a team of six for the IMO |
| 4b | EGMO Training Camp (EGMOTC) | Girl students eligible for EGMO attend a separate camp (tentatively December) to select a team of up to four |
| 5 | International Mathematical Olympiad / EGMO / APMO | India's selected team(s) compete internationally |
Exam pattern
| Exam | Questions | Marks | Duration | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RMO | 6, each worth 17 marks | 102 | 3 hours | Offline, written, each answer requires a detailed proof |
| INMO | 6, each worth 17 marks | 102 | 4.5 hours | Offline, written, each answer requires a detailed proof |
Syllabus
Both RMO and INMO assume familiarity with NCERT Mathematics for Classes 8 to 12, plus deeper work in algebra (inequalities, progressions, theory of equations, complex numbers, functional equations), plane geometry (triangles, circles, concurrency and collinearity theorems, trigonometry, coordinate geometry), combinatorics (enumeration, the pigeonhole principle, recursion, elementary graph theory) and number theory (divisibility, congruences, Fermat's and Wilson's theorems, Diophantine equations). HBCSE notes that difficulty increases from RMO to INMO to IMO, and that problems can draw on topics beyond this list.
Results and awards
For the 2025-26 cycle, INMO 2026 results were expected in the last week of February or first week of March 2026. INMO awardees receive a certificate and a book prize; the junior batch (new awardees) and senior batch (repeat INMO 2025 awardees) both attend IMOTC, where a final team of six is chosen for the IMO based on in-camp selection tests. Students of the Indian team who win gold, silver or bronze medals at the IMO receive cash prizes of Rs. 5,000, Rs. 4,000 and Rs. 3,000 respectively. Since India's first IMO participation in 1989, 208 of the 216 students who have represented the country have won a medal or Honourable Mention; at EGMO, 29 of 33 Indian representatives since 2015 have won a medal or Honourable Mention.
Important dates
For the 2025-26 cycle: RMO 2025 was held on Sunday, November 9, 2025, 1:00–4:00 pm; INMO 2026 was held on Sunday, January 18, 2026, 12:00 noon–4:30 pm.
How to register
There is no separate registration for RMO or INMO — students qualify automatically based on IOQM (for RMO) or RMO (for INMO) results, and HBCSE publishes the qualifying lists on its website.
Preparation tips
Because both RMO and INMO require full written proofs rather than numeric answers, practising proof-writing (not just problem-solving) matters as much as knowing the topics. HBCSE's recommended path is to work through the four core areas — algebra, geometry, combinatorics, number theory — using past RMO and INMO papers available on the HBCSE website, since the standard rises noticeably between the two rounds.
Can I sit RMO without clearing IOQM?
No, other than the direct-entry route for the previous year's INMO awardees, RMO is open only to students who qualify through IOQM that year.
How is RMO different from INMO?
Both are 6-question, proof-based written exams, but RMO is 3 hours and regional, while INMO is 4.5 hours, harder, and conducted nationally; only RMO qualifiers can sit INMO.
What happens after INMO?
INMO awardees attend the month-long IMO Training Camp (IMOTC), where selection tests during the camp choose the final six-member team that represents India at the IMO.
Are OCI students eligible for the IMO team?
OCI cardholders can appear at RMO, INMO and the training camps, but under current Madras and Delhi High Court orders they are not eligible for selection to India's team at the IMO or EGMO.