SMC 2026 Sample Questions: A Student’s Guide by Grade

Thinking about entering your child in the Singapore Math Challenge (SMC) 2026?

Many parents want to understand the style and difficulty of the questions before registering. This guide brings together a small selection of official SMC 2026 sample questions, organised by competition level, so families can explore the paper in a calm and practical way.

What is the Singapore Math Challenge?

SMC is a 90-minute international mathematics challenge that rewards more than routine calculation. Students are encouraged to recognise patterns, apply mathematical knowledge, reason logically and solve increasingly non-routine problems.

For the current New Zealand competition cycle:

• Competition date: Sunday 27 September 2026

• Registration deadline: Friday 18 September 2026

• Delivery: Remote online

• Duration: 90 minutes

• Current NZ eligibility: Years 2–12

What do the sample questions show?

The examples below help students and parents see how SMC questions are presented. Depending on the level, students may meet number patterns, arithmetic, geometry, measurement, data interpretation and multi-step problem solving.

These samples are for familiarisation only. They are not a complete practice paper and should not be used to predict a student’s final result.

How the official sample levels are grouped

• Kindergarten 2 (K2)

• Primary 1 & 2 (Grades 1 & 2)

• Primary 3 & 4 (Grades 3 & 4)

• Primary 5 & 6 (Grades 5 & 6)

• Secondary 1 & 2 (Grades 7 & 8)

• Secondary 3 (Grade 9)

• Secondary 4/5 (Grades 10–12)

Please note: the official sample pack includes a K2 example, while the current New Zealand SMC entry is open to students in Years 2–12.

How parents can use these questions

1. Choose the sample closest to your child’s competition level.

2. Let your child read and attempt the question independently.

3. Ask them to explain their thinking, even if the answer is not correct.

4. Discuss a second possible method or strategy together.

5. Focus on confidence and reasoning rather than speed or scores.

A useful question to ask is: “How did you know where to start?” This often reveals more about a student’s mathematical thinking than the final answer alone.

Sample Questions by Level

The following questions have been selected from the official SMC 2026 syllabus and sample question pack. Each image is labelled with its relevant competition level.

What should families do next?

Try one or two questions together and notice which strategies feel natural to your child. If a question is challenging, that is completely normal—SMC is designed to stretch mathematical thinking.

Ready to take part in SMC 2026?

Parent registration: https://www.pinnaclexam.org/register/smc

School coordinator information: https://www.pinnaclexam.org/smc/for-schools

Source: Official SMC 2026 Syllabus and Sample Questions Pack.