Pinnacle Exam Centre
SIMOC Competition Format
SIMOC consists of three categories:
Math Olympiad (individual)
An individual problem solving that challenges students with non-routine, Olympiad-style mathematical problems.
Students must apply logical reasoning, creativity, and problem-solving skills to tackle questions of increasing difficulty.
This round evaluates each student’s individual mathematical thinking and accuracy.
Maths Warriors (team-based)
A fast-paced team challenge where students work together to solve problems within a limited time.
Teams must combine speed, strategy, and collaboration to score as many points as possible.
This round highlights teamwork and quick mathematical thinking.
Math Master Mind (team-based)
A strategic collaborative problem solving that tests deeper mathematical reasoning.
Students collaborate to analyse complex problems and decide on the best solutions together.
This round emphasises teamwork, communication, and advanced problem-solving skills.
(Not applicable for Lower Primary Division students)
Forming Teams
After the individual Math Olympiad round, all students will be divided into 4 different divisions, according to their
grade to take part in Maths Warriors and Mind Master Mind.
Lower Primary Division
Grades 1-3 / NZ Years 2-4
Competitions include:
• Math Olympiad
• Maths Warriors Challenge
Lower Secondary Division
Grades 7-8 / NZ Years 8-9
Competitions include:
• Math Olympiad
• Maths Warriors Challenge
• Math Master Mind Challenge
Upper Primary Division
Grades 4-6 / NZ Years 5-7
Competitions include:
• Math Olympiad
• Maths Warriors Challenge
• Math Master Mind Challenge
Upper Secondary Division
Grades 9-12 / NZ Years 10-13
Competitions include:
• Math Olympiad
• Maths Warriors Challenge
• Math Master Mind Challenge
At SIMOC 2026, the students will be grouped into a team of 5 and placed into their division by SIMOC organisers.
Each team will be comprised of a member from a different country and as much as possible a different grade within the same division.
Each student will join 4 partners from different grades and countries to compete in one of 4 divisions
Math Olympiad Contest
MATH OLYMPIAD CONTEST is an individual Paper Contest.
The contest consists of 11 differentiated levels:
Grades 1 to 11/12 (NZ Years 2-13)
The duration of the contest is 90 minutes and every paper consist of 25 questions
Student starts with 15 bonus points and Perfect Score = 85 points.
15 Multiple Choice Questions
2 points for each correct answer
0 point for each unanswered question
1 point deducted for each wrong answer
Section A
10 Open-ended Questions
4 points for each correct answer
No penalty for wrong answers
Section B
Math Olympiad Contest Syllabus
GRADE 1-4 (NZ Years 2-5)
-
Arithmetic and Statistics
-
Geometry and Mensuration
-
Solving word problems using model method (or any other non-algebraic methods)
-
Non-routine problem solving (including number patterns, divisibility tests, spatial visualisation, logic problems and simple cryptarithms)
GRADE 5-6 (NZ Years 6-7)
-
Arithmetic and Statistics
-
Geometry and Mensuration
-
Solving word problems using model method (or any other methods including algebra)
-
Non-routine problem solving (including number patterns, divisibility tests, spatial visualisation, logic problems and cryptarithms)
GRADE 7 (NZ Year 8)
-
Arithmetic and Algebra
-
Geometry, Graphs and Mensuration
-
Statistics
-
Non-routine problem solving (including number patterns, divisibility tests, spatial visualisation, logic problems and cryptarithms)
GRADE 8 (NZ Year 9)
-
Arithmetic and Algebra
-
Geometry, Graphs and Mensuration
-
Pythagoras’ Theorem
-
Statistics
-
Non-routine problem solving (including number patterns, divisibility tests, spatial visualisation, logic problems and cryptarithms)
GRADE 9-12 (NZ Years 10-13)
-
Arithmetic and Algebra
-
Geometry, Graphs and Mensuration
-
Pythagoras’ Theorem and Trigonometry
-
Statistics and Probability
-
Non-routine problem solving (including number patterns, divisibility tests, spatial visualisation, logic problems and cryptarithms)
Maths Warriors Challenge
Maths Warriors Challenge is a game that tests student’s ability to do mental sums as well as strategic thinking.
There is also an element of luck involved which makes the game even more exciting.
Math Warriors Challenge was designed in 2002 by Henry Ong, the Founder of SASMO to help students weak in math to
develop faster mental sums skills and master the Times Table. It is used by many Singapore Primary
schools to improve mental math processing, strategy and thinking skills.
The first National Primary Schools Maths Warriors Challenge was launched in 2004 and hosted by Nan Hua Secondary School.
It was introduced as an event in the inaugural Singapore International Math Olympiad Challenge
and has been very well received.
Maths Warriors Rules
The competition will consist of 2 rounds.
During each round, teams will compete against another team in their group.
In each team match-up, every student will face one opponent from the opposing team in 3 individual games.
Example Match-Up Structure:
Group consists of 4 teams: Team A, Team B, Team C, and Team D.
Round 1:
Team A vs Team B
Team C vs Team D
Round 2:
Team A vs Team C
Team B vs Team D
Maths Warriors Objectives
This competition will encourage pupils to play math more often. It is an excellent opportunity for them to improve their mental math as well as increase their skills in fractions, percentages, probability and definitely strategy.
Our objectives are to help students:
-
develop positive attitudes towards Mathematics including confidence, enjoyment andperseverance
-
use mathematical language to communicate mathematical ideas and arguments precisely,concisely and logically
-
encourage and stimulate students to play more often with maths games so that they develop alife-long love for math
-
have pupils enjoy our activities while learning in a group (cooperative learning)
-
learn new math strategies from other players
-
get them to realize their multiple intelligence potential
Maths Warriors COMPETITION RULES
1. Each player must have one of each of the following dice:
2. Total competition time is 90 minutes
The estimated time allocation for the Math Warrior Challenge is as follows:
a. 15 minutes for team members to practice among themselves.
b. Each player will participate in 3 games per round, with each game lasting 10 minutes.
Therefore, Round 1 will take 30 minutes, and Round 2 will take another 30 minutes.
In total, the challenge will span 75 minutes—60 minutes for gameplay and 15 minutes for invigilators to conduct checks and complete administrative scoring.
3. During the team round, each team of 5 players will compete against an opposing team at their respective tables. Each player will play a total of 3 games per round, with 1 point awarded for each game won.
Over 2 rounds, a player can earn a maximum of 6 points (3 games × 2 rounds). Collectively, a team can score up to 30 points (6 points × 5 players) across both rounds.
4. During each match, contestants must state the operation(s) and attack (Strength or Mind) that they are using to capture their opponent’s die. For any attacking team/player who does not do so, his opponent can raise his hands to call a Judge to ensure compliance and the judge could disqualify the offending team.
5. Once the die/dice used in the attack, the player/team must re-roll their dice. If any player’s die/dice is accidentally moved, and both players can agree to the numbers on the die/dice previously, putting them back in the proper number is allowed. If there is any disagreement, then the die/dice affected should be re-rolled. In case of further disagreements, raise your hands to call a Judge in to ensure compliance and the judge could disqualify the offending team.
6. At the end of each game, players must record the outcome by shading the appropriate circle on the score sheet. For example, if a player from Team A wins Game 1, they should shade the "Win" circle for Game 1, while their opponent should shade the "Lose" circle for the same game.
This process must be repeated for all 3 games in both Round 1 and Round 2. After all results are shaded, the invigilator must verify the entries and sign the score sheet for each round.
7. If the time runs out and no winner has emerged, the game will be considered a draw, and no points will be awarded.
Maths Warriors Instructions
ROLL, ATTACK, CAPTURE!
1. Both players roll their dice and player with the lowest die starts first.
2. The student who initiates the first attack must hold the penalty chip.
3. If both players have the same lowest die, keep comparing the dice for the next higher number which MUST be lower than vour opponent. If both players have all the same numbers, they must re-roll all their dice.
4. Capture your opponent's die either by:
a. Strength attack-your chosen die is greater than or equal to your opponent's die which you are attacking.
b. Mind attack-any combination of your dice, using all the allowed operations(+,-,×,-) to get exactly the same sum. When playing with young opponents below 8 years old, ONLY + or - operations are allowed.
5. Take the captured die out of play.
6. The die (dice) used to capture must be re-rolled.
7. The next player continues from step 3.
8. You may not pass unless you cannot make any attack.
9. When both players pass, the round is over.
10. During the final attack, if the attacker is holding the penalty chip and has only one die remaining, an equal attack will be considered a loss for the attacker. This means the attacker cannot win using an equal value.
Example: If both players roll a 5, the attacker loses the round.
STRATEGIES:
1. Capture the most sided die first.
2. Try to use your low number die (dice) to capture so you have a chance to re-roll to a higher number (look at the probabilities).
3. Look ahead to figure your opponent's possible moves.
Math Master Mind
a team-based mathematics competition created in 2021 as a
successor to the Math Warrior Challenge
The main objective of this challenge is to assess and enhance students’ mental computation abilities and strategic thinking skills. It is designed to encourage participants to perform rapid mental calculations while making thoughtful decisions under time pressure.
The challenge was conceptualized and developed by Mr. Henry Ong, Founder of SASMO, with the aim of helping students cultivate quicker and more effective mental arithmetic techniques.
Math Master Mind Instructions
HOW THE COMPETITION IS CONDUCTED
Each student will be assigned to a team of five members by the SIMOC Organizing Committee.
Teams are formed with students from different countries and, as much as possible, from different grades within the same division.
The competition is divided into three divisions based on grade level:
-
Upper Primary Division: Grades 4 to 6
-
Lower Secondary Division: Grades 7 to 8
-
Upper Secondary Division: Grades 9 to 12
The Math Master Mind Challenge comprises two competitive rounds:
-
Round 1: Each student selects one set of Math Master Mind (MMM) questions, based on a team discussion and their personal strengths. They then attempt to solve the selected set and record their answers on the MMM score sheet.
-
Students are given 5 minutes to discuss and decide how the question sets will be exchanged among team members for Round 2.
-
Round 2: Students exchange their question sets with a teammate. In this round, they are only permitted to answer the questions that were left blank in Round 1. Any answers already filled in by their teammate in the previous round must not be changed.
This format not only promotes mental arithmetic and problem-solving but also emphasizes teamwork, communication, and mutual trust among team members.
Math Master Mind Rules
1. Each student in the team must have one unique set of Math Master Mind questions at the start of the competition. No two students within the same team should attempt the same set during Round 1.
2. For the Math Master Mind (MMM) challenge, there are 5 sets of questions, each containing 4 questions with increasing levels of difficulty.
Set 1 represents Difficulty Level 1 and contains the easiest questions.
Set 2 is more challenging than Set 1, and so on, up to Set 5, which contains the most difficult questions.
3. Scoring is based on the difficulty level of each set:
Set 1: 1 point per correct answer
Set 2: 2 points per correct answer
Set 3: 3 points per correct answer
Set 4: 4 points per correct answer
Set 5: 5 points per correct answer
Players are awarded points according to the difficulty of each question they solve correctly.
Maths Master Mind Competition Duration and Time Allocation
The Math Master Mind Challenge has a total duration of 90 minutes, including gameplay and administrative procedures. The estimated time breakdown is as follows:
15 minutes – Team members are given time to practice and familiarize themselves with the challenge format. During this period, they will also discuss and decide which member will attempt each specific set of questions in Round 1.
20 minutes – Round 1: Each student works individually on their assigned set of questions.
5 minutes – Team discussion to decide how question sets will be exchanged among team members for Round 2.
10 minutes – Round 2: Each student attempts to solve only the remaining unanswered questions from their teammate’s set.
40 minutes – Administrative time for invigilators, including distribution and collection of contest booklets, identity verification, and briefing.
This structure ensures that students have sufficient time to collaborate, think strategically, and complete the challenge in a fair and organized manner.
Maths Master Mind
Each question will present five numbers: one in the centre and four at the four corners,as shown in the example
The team will have to use the surrounding four numbers and the four operations (+,-, x, ÷) to form an equation equating to the middle number. For example, the following equation can be from the question in the above example:
(5+3)x2 =16
or
(5+3)+4x2 = 16
or
(5-3)x4x2 = 16
