What Is AJMO? A Parent’s Guide to the New Junior Maths Olympiad

By Ace Achievers · Published 16 October 2026 · Official information checked 14 October 2026

Who can enter, and what does the paper look like?

AMT describes AJMO as a single online paper for students up to Year 8: 10 problems in 90 minutes, with integer answers from 0 to 999 and no written solutions required. These details come from the official AJMO competition page.

“Junior” describes its intended audience; it does not mean a routine school worksheet. A child can know the ingredients of a problem and still need time to discover how they fit together. That experience is part of the challenge.

What is the difference between learning a topic and solving a problem?

A topic lesson often makes the method visible: practise fractions, then answer fraction questions. An unfamiliar problem may hide the same idea in a story, diagram or restriction. The student has to decide what information matters before doing the calculation.

Our preparation approach separates three skills: knowing the mathematics, selecting a useful representation, and checking that the result answers the question. A child needs opportunities to practise all three. Speed alone is a poor first target if they cannot yet choose a sensible first step.

Is my child ready to try it?

Begin with an appropriate official sample rather than the promise of a particular award. Let the child work independently for a while, then ask what they tried. Some productive struggle is different from having no access to the underlying mathematics.

• If they can explain the conditions but need a hint about drawing or listing, teach that strategy and try a fresh problem.
• If fractions, measurement or arithmetic prevent them understanding the task, rebuild those foundations first.
• If they quickly solve and justify most suitable examples, discuss a more demanding route with their teacher.

A useful readiness conversation asks, “Does my child enjoy investigating?” as well as, “What mark might they get?” Avoid making an early competition experience a fixed judgement of mathematical ability.

How do parents arrange entry, and when is the next competition?

Speak to the school or existing competition coordinator and use AMT’s registration information. On 14 October 2026, the public AJMO page shows “TBC” for its date and entry closing date. We are not presenting a guessed 2027 date as confirmed.

Registering with Ace Achievers creates a learning account; it does not enter a child into an AMT competition. Our course fees and AMT entry arrangements are separate.

How can we start learning now?

Use a short cycle: learn one idea, see a worked example, attempt a changed problem, then revisit it in a mixed set. Record the technique in ordinary language: “I listed cases by the first choice” is more useful than “I did a hard question.”

For upper-primary students with secure foundations, our AMC Y5–6 Advanced curriculum can develop related problem-solving skills. Older students can inspect AMC Y7–8 Advanced; students ready for deeper reasoning can explore AIMO preparation. These are existing Australian AMC and AIMO courses, not a newly launched AJMO-specific course.