APMOPS and RMO: the two-round contests, and who they are really for

Both are two-round contests registered through the school, and both cap their second round at a fixed number of seats rather than a share of the field. APMOPS advances the top 50 P6 scorers nationally; RMO advances roughly the top 2–3% of Round 1, capped at about 40 (Junior) or 60 (Open) students, whichever is lower. Neither rewards a child sitting their first olympiad.

What they actually are

Eligibility follows the 2025–2026 cycles — confirm with the organiser before registering.

The second round is where the real filter sits

Both contests advance a small group from Round 1, and both express that group as a cap rather than a proportion. That distinction matters more than it looks.

• APMOPS takes the top 50 P6 scorers nationally to the Invitation round — a fixed number.
• RMO takes roughly the top 2% or about 40 students in the Junior category, and the top 3% or about 60 in the Open category — whichever is lower.

Because RMO applies “whichever is lower”, a growing field does not widen the door: past a certain entry count, the percentage stops mattering and the seat cap binds. APMOPS is the same idea with the percentage removed entirely. The practical consequence for a parent is simple — last year's cut-off is not a target, because the score that earned a place depends entirely on who else sat the paper.

Who these are really for

A child with a year or more of olympiad training behind them, who is comfortably near the top in school maths, and who actually enjoys hard problems. Not a child sitting a first contest — and not a child being entered because classmates are.

The full map by level puts these in the “add after a year of training” column for a reason. A first olympiad should be one single-round paper.

The P6 problem

Only P6 can reach the APMOPS Invitation round, and RMO's Open category is P6 too. P6 is also the PSLE year. Two-round contests mean a second commitment landing weeks after the first, in the middle of the most loaded year of primary school. That is a real cost and it deserves stating out loud before registration rather than in April.

First, the question only the school can answer

NMOS, APMOPS and RMO are registered through the school. SASMO is the one a parent can enter directly as a private candidate.

Ask the maths department early in the year whether it registers for either contest, and how pupils are selected. If the answer is no, the decision is made for you and you can stop weighing it. More on registration routes →

What we can't know

Advancement numbers describe recent cycles as published by the organisers and can be revised. Nobody outside either contest can tell you what mark earned a Round 2 place in a given year — that depends on the field, and any specific cut-off score you are quoted is a rumour. Always confirm current structure and dates with the organiser directly.

Sources

• Raffles Institution — RMO official page
• MathsKid “Which Olympiad Fits My Child” poster (PDF)
• MathsKid Award Odds poster (PDF)

Last verified: 2026-08-05