IMO sample papers

IMO sample paper for Class 1, with answers

A free maths olympiad paper in the IMO pattern: 35 questions for 40 marks in 60 minutes, in four sections. Print it, then check the answers and working at the end.

See the answersSit a new paper online
SectionQuestionsMarks
Logical Reasoning1010
Mathematical Reasoning1010
Everyday Mathematics1010
Achievers Section510
Total3540

Scholar Tests · Sample paper

Maths olympiad sample paper, Class 1

35 questions · 40 marks · 60 minutes · no negative marking

Name ______________________ Date ____________

Section 1: Logical Reasoning

Questions 1 to 10, 1 mark each. Circle the letter of the best answer.

  1. 1.

    Which shape comes next in this sequence?

    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
  2. 2.

    Five cards, each with a shape on it, were put down one at a time. Which card was put down last?

    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
  3. 3.

    The dashed line is a mirror. The square marked P is reflected in the mirror. Which square does its reflection land in?

    1. AF2
    2. BD7
    3. CE3
    4. DE2
  4. 4.

    The dashed line is a line of symmetry. One more square must be shaded so that the pattern matches on both sides of the line. Which square must be shaded?

    1. AB6
    2. BC5
    3. CC6
    4. DA6
  5. 5.

    Omar is faster than Nia. Pia is faster than Ben. Nia is faster than Wes. Ben is faster than Omar.
    Who is the fastest?

    1. ABen
    2. BPia
    3. CNia
    4. DWes
  6. 6.

    The shapes keep repeating in the same way. Which shape is 14th?

    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
  7. 7.

    Yara is heavier than Ivan. Kai is heavier than Yara. Eli is heavier than Pia. Ivan is heavier than Eli.
    Who is the lightest?

    1. APia
    2. BIvan
    3. CEli
    4. DYara
  8. 8.

    Which letter comes next in this series?   B, F, J, N, …

    1. AV
    2. BQ
    3. CN
    4. DR
  9. 9.

    Which figure is the odd one out?

    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
  10. 10.

    Five cards, each with a shape on it, were put down one at a time. Which card was put down last?

    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D

Section 2: Mathematical Reasoning

Questions 11 to 20, 1 mark each. Circle the letter of the best answer.

  1. 11.

    It has four straight sides, none of them parallel, and its equal sides are next to each other rather than opposite. What is the shape?

    1. Atrapezium
    2. Bkite
    3. Crhombus
    4. Dparallelogram
  2. 12.

    Which number comes next in this series?   19, 22, 25, 28, 31, …

    1. A34
    2. B37
    3. C62
    4. D35
  3. 13.

    1 cube weighs the same as 2 plums. How many plums weigh the same as 5 cubes?

    1. A10
    2. B7
    3. C2
    4. D12
  4. 14.

    Use each of the digits 7, 2 and 1 once. What is the largest number you can make?

    1. A217
    2. B271
    3. C721
    4. D127
  5. 15.

    1 marble weighs the same as 2 apples. How many apples weigh the same as 5 marbles?

    1. A7
    2. B2
    3. C12
    4. D10
  6. 16.

    A frog starts on 4 on a number line and hops forward 3 each time: 4, 7, 10, and so on. Where does it land after 5 hops?

    1. A19
    2. B16
    3. C14
    4. D22
  7. 17.

    It has three straight sides, all the same length, and every one of its angles is 60°. What is the shape?

    1. Aequilateral triangle
    2. Bright-angled triangle
    3. Crhombus
    4. Dscalene triangle
  8. 18.

    Use each of the digits 7, 4 and 3 once. What is the smallest number you can make?

    1. A734
    2. B743
    3. C473
    4. D347
  9. 19.

    How many shaded squares are there in the picture?

    1. A1
    2. B2
    3. C0
    4. D3
  10. 20.

    What fraction of the big square is shaded?

    1. A2/3
    2. B5/18
    3. C5/9
    4. D4/9

Section 3: Everyday Mathematics

Questions 21 to 30, 1 mark each. Circle the letter of the best answer.

  1. 21.

    Finn is measuring a leaf with a ruler marked in centimetres. How long is the leaf, in centimetres?

    1. A8.5
    2. B5
    3. C3.5
    4. D3
  2. 22.

    Hugo is measuring a paperclip with a ruler marked in centimetres. How long is the paperclip, in centimetres?

    1. A7.3
    2. B3.3
    3. C4.3
    4. D4
  3. 23.

    The thermometer below shows the temperature of some water. What is the reading?

    1. A35 °C
    2. B39 °C
    3. C40 °C
    4. D30 °C
  4. 24.

    Each step Tom takes is 50 cm long. How many steps does it take to walk 12 metres?

    1. A240 steps
    2. B24 steps
    3. C600 steps
    4. D417 steps
  5. 25.

    The thermometer below shows the temperature of a freezer. What is the reading?

    1. A-30 °C
    2. B30 °C
    3. C-35 °C
    4. D-20 °C
  6. 26.

    Anika spins the arrow on this spinner once. Which word best describes the chance that it lands on a part marked R?

    1. Aimpossible
    2. Bunlikely
    3. Clikely
    4. Dan even chance
  7. 27.

    Chloe spins the arrow on this spinner once. Which word best describes the chance that it lands on a part marked T?

    1. Acertain
    2. Ban even chance
    3. Clikely
    4. Dunlikely
  8. 28.

    This picture graph shows the cans collected. How many more cans are there for Ash Street than for Bay Road?

    1. A6
    2. B2.5
    3. C5
    4. D19
  9. 29.

    This picture graph shows the books read. How many more books are there for Thursday than for Tuesday?

    1. A44
    2. B6
    3. C1
    4. D4
  10. 30.

    Each step Ethan takes is 25 cm long. How many steps does it take to walk 30 metres?

    1. A121 steps
    2. B750 steps
    3. C83 steps
    4. D120 steps

Section 4: Achievers Section

Questions 31 to 35, 2 marks each. Circle the letter of the best answer.

  1. 31.

    The shapes keep repeating in the same way. Which shape is 30th?

    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
  2. 32.

    Raj is heavier than Zoe. Zoe is heavier than Omar. Kai is heavier than Omar. Theo is heavier than Kai.
    Who is the lightest?

    1. AZoe
    2. BKai
    3. COmar
    4. DRaj
  3. 33.

    2 cubes weigh the same as 5 marbles. 1 marble weighs the same as 2 balls. How many balls weigh the same as 6 cubes?

    1. A30
    2. B29
    3. C15
    4. D31
  4. 34.

    How many triangles of any size are there in this figure?

    1. A4
    2. B12
    3. C11
    4. D3
  5. 35.

    Use each of the digits 9, 7, 8 and 2 once. What is the smallest number you can make?

    1. A9782
    2. B2789
    3. C9728
    4. D9872

Answers and working

Logical Reasoning

  1. 1.B. At each step the shape is turned a quarter turn anticlockwise. One more step gives the answer.
  2. 2.D. Wherever two cards overlap, the card on top came later. That gives the order heart, square, triangle, circle, star, so the card with the star was put down last.
  3. 3.D (E2). P is 3 squares from the mirror, so its reflection is the same distance on the other side. That is E2.
  4. 4.C (C6). Every shaded square needs a partner the same distance on the other side of the line, in the same row. D6 has none, so its partner C6 must be shaded.
  5. 5.B (Pia). From fastest to slowest, the order is Pia, Ben, Omar, Nia, Wes. So the answer is Pia.
  6. 6.A. The pattern repeats every 2 shapes. 14 = 2 × 6 + 2, so the 14th shape is the same as the 2nd: a square.
  7. 7.A (Pia). From heaviest to lightest, the order is Kai, Yara, Ivan, Eli, Pia. So the answer is Pia.
  8. 8.D (R). Each letter moves 4 places forward in the alphabet, so after N comes R.
  9. 9.A. In every figure but one, the dot is inside the shape. The odd one out is the triangle with its dot outside it.
  10. 10.C. Wherever two cards overlap, the card on top came later. That gives the order square, triangle, heart, star, circle, so the card with the circle was put down last.

Mathematical Reasoning

  1. 11.B (kite). Take the clues one at a time and cross off any shape that breaks even one of them. A kite is the only one left standing: it is the only shape that matches every part of the description at once.
  2. 12.A (34). Each number is 3 more than the one before it, so the next number is 34.
  3. 13.A (10). Each cube can be swapped for 2 plums, so 5 cubes weigh the same as 5 × 2 = 10 plums.
  4. 14.C (721). The largest number you can make from 7, 2 and 1 is 721.
  5. 15.D (10). Each marble can be swapped for 2 apples, so 5 marbles weigh the same as 5 × 2 = 10 apples.
  6. 16.A (19). 5 hops of 3 take the frog 15 along, from 4 to 19.
  7. 17.A (equilateral triangle). Take the clues one at a time and cross off any shape that breaks even one of them. An equilateral triangle is the only one left standing: it is the only shape that matches every part of the description at once.
  8. 18.D (347). The smallest number you can make from 7, 4 and 3 is 347.
  9. 19.B (2). Going row by row and ticking each one that fits, there are 2 shaded squares.
  10. 20.C (5/9). The big square has 9 small squares. The shaded part is 5 squares. So 5 out of 9 is shaded: 5/9.

Everyday Mathematics

  1. 21.C (3.5). The leaf runs from 5 cm to 8.5 cm on the scale. A length is the difference between the two ends, so it is 8.5 − 5 = 3.5 cm.
  2. 22.B (3.3). The paperclip runs from 4 cm to 7.3 cm on the scale. A length is the difference between the two ends, so it is 7.3 − 4 = 3.3 cm.
  3. 23.A (35 °C). The printed numbers are 10 apart with a small mark every 5 degrees. The liquid stands 1 mark below 40, so the reading is 35 °C.
  4. 24.B (24 steps). 12 metres is 12 × 100 = 1200 cm. Each step covers 50 cm, so it takes 1200 ÷ 50 = 24 steps.
  5. 25.A (-30 °C). The printed numbers are 20 apart with a small mark every 5 degrees. The liquid stands 2 marks below -20, so the reading is -30 °C.
  6. 26.C (likely). Five of the eight equal parts are marked R, so landing on R is likely.
  7. 27.C (likely). Five of the six equal parts are marked T, so landing on T is likely.
  8. 28.C (5). One circle stands for 2 cans. Ash Street has 6 circles, which is 12; Bay Road has 3.5 circles, which is 7. The difference is 5.
  9. 29.D (4). One circle stands for 4 books. Thursday has 6 circles, which is 24; Tuesday has 5 circles, which is 20. The difference is 4.
  10. 30.D (120 steps). 30 metres is 30 × 100 = 3000 cm. Each step covers 25 cm, so it takes 3000 ÷ 25 = 120 steps.

Achievers Section

  1. 31.C. The pattern repeats every 3 shapes. 30 = 3 × 9 + 3, so the 30th shape is the same as the 3rd: a triangle.
  2. 32.C (Omar). The clues do not fix the whole order, but in every order they allow, Omar is in that place.
  3. 33.A (30). 6 cubes weigh the same as 15 marbles, and each marble is 2 balls, so the answer is 15 × 2 = 30.
  4. 34.B (12). Counting size by size, from the smallest up to the biggest, finds 12 triangles.
  5. 35.B (2789). The smallest number you can make from 9, 7, 8 and 2 is 2789.

Written by Scholar Tests in the published IMO pattern. Not an SOF paper; we are not connected with the Science Olympiad Foundation.

Questions parents ask

What is the IMO pattern for Class 1?
35 multiple-choice questions for 40 marks in one hour: Logical Reasoning (10), Mathematical Reasoning (10), Everyday Mathematics (10), and 5 Achievers questions worth 2 marks each. There is no negative marking.
Is this a real IMO paper?
No. Every question is written by us in the published pattern, so it is safe to print and share. We are not connected with the Science Olympiad Foundation, which runs the IMO.
How should my child use it?
Sit it in one go with a 60-minute timer, then mark it with the answers at the end. Go back over the questions that were missed: the working shows the method for each.
Can we practise with more papers?
Yes. Sit a new paper online and every one is different. A free account includes 3 practice tests, and the India pack (₹499 for 6 months) opens unlimited tests with the answers and working.