2026
AMC Early Primary 2026
Competition date
Thursday, 22 Oct 2026
Eligible students
NZ Years 2-3
New Zealand time
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Delivery
In-person online
Registration closed 9 Oct 2026
Closed at 11:00 pm New Zealand time.
Australia
• Closed
(Early Primary) Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC)
A new AMC division for New Zealand Years 2–3, introducing young students to creative mathematical thinking and age-appropriate problem solving.
MATHEMATICS
(Early Primary) Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC)
Competition Overview
Academic Value / Why Participate
Early Primary AMC gives young students an opportunity to:
experience a recognised mathematics competition from an early age;
develop confidence in mathematical problem solving;
explore mathematics beyond routine classroom exercises;
practise recognising patterns and relationships;
strengthen logical and numerical thinking;
learn to approach unfamiliar questions calmly;
develop persistence when an answer is not immediately obvious;
experience an individual academic competition in an age-appropriate setting; and
build a foundation for future participation in the AMC’s higher divisions.
At this age, the value of the competition is not simply the final score. It introduces students to the idea that mathematics can involve thinking, experimenting and finding different ways to solve a problem.
Who It Suits
Early Primary AMC is designed for New Zealand Years 2–3 students.
It is particularly suitable for children who:
enjoy mathematics and number activities;
like puzzles, patterns or logical challenges;
are curious about how numbers and shapes work;
enjoy solving problems independently;
are ready to try questions that may require more than one step;
would benefit from an extension beyond routine classroom mathematics; or
would like their first experience of a formal mathematics competition.
Students do not need to be highly advanced mathematicians or have previous competition experience.
The division is intended to provide an accessible introduction to mathematical problem solving for younger learners.
Prerequisites and Readiness
There is no qualifying competition or previous AMC participation required.
Students should be enrolled in New Zealand Year 2 or Year 3 and have age-appropriate familiarity with the mathematics normally encountered during the early years of primary school.
Helpful foundational skills include:
recognising and working with whole numbers;
basic addition and subtraction;
comparing quantities;
recognising simple numerical and visual patterns;
understanding common shapes;
basic measurement concepts;
reading simple mathematical information; and
following short problem-solving instructions independently.
Students do not need to know advanced mathematics. The emphasis is on using familiar mathematical ideas thoughtfully rather than learning material far beyond their year level.
ROUND 1
Open Round
Exam Date & Time
16:30-17:30, Thurs 22 Oct 2026
Registration Deadline
Friday, 9 October 2026
FURTHER ROUNDS & PROGRESSION
Explore the later stages of the competition. Progression is subject to the organiser's current qualification requirements.
Semifinal Round
The Semifinal Round builds on the earlier stage with more advanced questions and deeper application.
Exam Date & Time
Saturday, 16 May 2026 · 9:00 am – 12:00 pm (NZT)
Registration Deadline
Friday, 1 May 2026 · 11:59 pm (NZT)
Semifinal Round
The Semifinal Round builds on the earlier stage with more advanced questions and deeper application.
Exam Date & Time
Saturday, 16 May 2026 · 9:00 am – 12:00 pm (NZT)
Registration Deadline
Friday, 1 May 2026 · 11:59 pm (NZT)
Semifinal Round
The Semifinal Round builds on the earlier stage with more advanced questions and deeper application.
Exam Date & Time
Saturday, 16 May 2026 · 9:00 am – 12:00 pm (NZT)
Registration Deadline
Friday, 1 May 2026 · 11:59 pm (NZT)
Semifinal Round
The Semifinal Round builds on the earlier stage with more advanced questions and deeper application.
Exam Date & Time
Saturday, 16 May 2026 · 9:00 am – 12:00 pm (NZT)
Registration Deadline
Friday, 1 May 2026 · 11:59 pm (NZT)
All resources
Past Papers
Guide
Rules and
Exam Instructions
A GOOD PLACE TO BEGIN
RESOURCES & PAST PAPERS
Find available practice, curriculum guidance and competition rules.
Practice
No resources found for these filters.
THE RIGHT SUPPORT. AT YOUR STAGE
PREPARATION COURSES
Explore the programme, choose a teaching format and review the full tuition before enrolling.
CLASS
Placement for Advanced Class is confirmed after consultation.
STAGE
REGULAR CLASS · OPEN ROUND PREPARATION
Open Round Preparation
Build neuroscience knowledge, then apply it to research figures, experimental evidence and unfamiliar questions.
16 hours total
8 x 2-hour lessons
· Connect neural structures with function and disease.
· Intepret graphs, experiments and research extracts.
· Complete an Open Round-style mock with an individual error review.
Session 1 — Foundations
……Session 2 — Core concepts
……Session 3 — Problem solving
……
Choose your teaching format
Small-group preparation with up to 3 students, offering structured teaching, guided practice and personalised feedback.
16 hours · 8 × 2-hour sessions
NZ$1,060
per student · full programme
Focused preparation for two students learning together, with guided teaching, targeted practice and personalised feedback.
16 hours · 8 × 2-hour sessions
NZ$1,280
per student · full programme
Fully personalised one-to-one preparation with teaching, practice and feedback tailored to the student's needs.
16 hours · 8 × 2-hour sessions
NZ$1,840
per student · full programme
Select a teaching format to view tuition, lesson format and enrolment details.
Competition Gallery
Submission and Confirmation
Please check your email address carefully before submitting the registration form.
Once you submit the form, you will receive a confirmation email automatically.
All other important communications (including the Exam Instructions, Results and Certificates, etc) will be sent to the email address you submitted to us. Please check your email inbox and junk mail / spam folder regularly!
What Happens Next?
1
2
3
4
Registration Received
We will send you a confirmation email
We may review your registration if required
Eligibility Review
You will receive the Exam Instructions closer to the date
Exam Instructions
Participate and do your best!
Competition Day
Competition Overview
(Early Primary) Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC)
The Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC) Early Primary is a new division of the Australian Mathematics Competition created for younger primary-school students.
Beginning in 2026, the AMC is extending participation to Australian Years 1–2, equivalent to New Zealand Years 2–3. This gives younger students the opportunity to experience the style of mathematical thinking that has defined the AMC for decades, before progressing into the established primary divisions.
The Australian Mathematics Competition was first held in 1978 and is Australia’s longest-running, largest and best-known mathematics competition for school students. Each year, its problems are developed by mathematics educators and academics to challenge students to think creatively, recognise patterns and apply mathematical ideas rather than simply perform routine calculations.
The Early Primary division brings this problem-solving philosophy to a younger age group through questions designed for beginning primary learners.
For New Zealand students, the Early Primary AMC will be delivered as an in-person, supervised online competition, providing a structured competition environment while students complete the assessment digitally.
Early Primary AMC gives young students an opportunity to:
experience a recognised mathematics competition from an early age;
develop confidence in mathematical problem solving;
explore mathematics beyond routine classroom exercises;
practise recognising patterns and relationships;
strengthen logical and numerical thinking;
learn to approach unfamiliar questions calmly;
develop persistence when an answer is not immediately obvious;
experience an individual academic competition in an age-appropriate setting; and
build a foundation for future participation in the AMC’s higher divisions.
At this age, the value of the competition is not simply the final score. It introduces students to the idea that mathematics can involve thinking, experimenting and finding different ways to solve a problem.
Early Primary AMC is designed for New Zealand Years 2–3 students.
It is particularly suitable for children who:
enjoy mathematics and number activities;
like puzzles, patterns or logical challenges;
are curious about how numbers and shapes work;
enjoy solving problems independently;
are ready to try questions that may require more than one step;
would benefit from an extension beyond routine classroom mathematics; or
would like their first experience of a formal mathematics competition.
Students do not need to be highly advanced mathematicians or have previous competition experience.
The division is intended to provide an accessible introduction to mathematical problem solving for younger learners.
The established Australian Mathematics Competition recognises student achievement through an award framework that includes:
Participation
Proficiency
Credit
Distinction
High Distinction
Prize
Best in School
Peter O’Halloran Award for a perfect score
For the established primary and secondary AMC divisions, award cut-offs are determined by comparing students within the same year level and region, and therefore vary from year to year according to the difficulty of the competition.
As Early Primary is a new pilot division, AMT has not yet confirmed in the published information whether the complete standard AMC award framework will apply unchanged to Early Primary students.
The final Early Primary award structure should therefore be confirmed once AMT publishes the pilot results and award arrangements.
Early Primary AMC provides a first entry point into the wider Australian Mathematics Competition pathway.
After completing the Early Primary division in New Zealand Years 2–3, students can continue participating in the AMC as they progress through school.
The next established AMC division is:
Middle Primary — New Zealand Years 4–5
Students can then continue through the AMC’s progressively higher divisions as their mathematics develops.
AMC participation is open entry rather than qualification-based, so an Early Primary result is not required in order to participate in later divisions.
The value of Early Primary AMC is therefore developmental: it introduces students to mathematical competition at a young age and helps build familiarity with the reasoning and problem-solving approach they will encounter in future AMC papers.