Competitions

AIMO 2026: What to Know Before Entries Close

The Australian Intermediate Mathematics Olympiad sits on 10 September 2026, and entries close on Friday 4 September. Entry is through schools, so if your child is sitting it, the decision needs making now rather than in September. For the full timeline and format, see our AIMO exam guide.

What is the AIMO?

AIMO is a four-hour written olympiad-style paper — not multiple choice. Students write out full solutions, and the marking rewards a correct argument rather than only a correct final number.

Where to go next

AIMO assumes AMC-level fluency already. These build it, then take it further — first three lessons of every course are free.

Advanced
AMC Y7-8 Advanced
Lessons
18 lessons
Learning time
25–35 hrs
Difficulty
Year group
Y7–8
Best for
  • Already scoring Credit or Distinction
  • Targeting HD and the hardest questions
By the end: Able to attack Questions 26–30, where Distinction becomes High Distinction.
A$399 one-time
Try 3 lessons freeFull curriculum & details →
Olympiad
AIMO Preparation
Lessons
21 weeks
Learning time
60–80 hrs
Difficulty
Year group
Y9–12
Best for
  • Already at AMC Distinction or HD
  • Moving from competition maths into olympiad
By the end: Ready for AIMO-style proof and problem-solving, not just multiple choice.
A$599 one-time
Try 3 lessons freeFull curriculum & details →
Practice
AMC Y7-8 Mock Exams
Lessons
6 mock papers
Learning time
8–12 hrs
Difficulty
Year group
Y7–8
Best for
  • Knows the content, loses marks to timing
  • Wants exam-day rehearsal
By the end: Used to full-length AMC timing, with a worked solution for every question.
A$199 one-time
Try 3 lessons freeFull curriculum & details →

How is AIMO different from the AMC?

The AMC is a 30-question paper — 25 multiple-choice and 5 integer answers — sat in 75 minutes at secondary level. AIMO is a four-hour written paper where the reasoning itself is marked. A student can be quick and accurate at AMC and still find AIMO unfamiliar, because the skill being tested has changed.

Who should enter the AIMO?

Students already scoring Distinction or High Distinction in the AMC. Below that band the paper tends to measure the gap rather than close it, and the same fortnight is better spent on AMC technique.

When do AIMO entries close?

Entries close on Friday 4 September 2026, and registration is handled by schools rather than by families directly. Ask your maths teacher or competition coordinator — they are the people who can enter your child.

How do I prepare for AIMO in two weeks?

Two weeks is not enough to learn new olympiad technique, but it is enough to get used to the format. Write out full solutions to problems already solved, in prose, as if explaining to a marker — the most common lost marks at AIMO are for reasoning that was in the student's head but never on the page.