--- title: "SASMO and APMOPS: Formats, Scoring and Preparation" seo_title: "SASMO and APMOPS in Singapore: Formats and Preparation" description: "SASMO is a 25-question, 90-minute paper; APMOPS Round 1 is 30 questions in 2 hours. Formats, scoring, awards, 2026 dates and a preparation plan." author: "Syafiq" author_url: "https://ancourage.academy/authors/syafiq" publisher: "Ancourage Academy" publisher_legal_name: "Ancourage Academy Pte. Ltd." publisher_uen: "202408404R" published_at: 2026-10-09 modified_at: 2026-10-09 category: "teaching" tags: ["Singapore", "Primary", "Mathematics", "Olympiad", "PSLE", "DSA", "Parents", "Exam Preparation", "SASMO", "APMOPS"] canonical: "https://ancourage.academy/articles/sasmo-apmops-formats-preparation-singapore" source: "https://ancourage.academy/articles/sasmo-apmops-formats-preparation-singapore" language: "en-SG" word_count: 2672 reading_time: "PT14M" cover_image: "https://ancourage.academy/academic-pic/ancourage-academy-primary-maths-decimals-lesson.jpg" reviewed_by: "Min Hui" --- # SASMO and APMOPS: Formats, Scoring and Preparation SASMO is a 25-question, 90-minute paper; APMOPS Round 1 is 30 questions in 2 hours. Formats, scoring, awards, 2026 dates and a preparation plan. **SASMO and APMOPS are optional mathematics competitions with very different shapes: SASMO sets one paper per grade, while APMOPS is an olympiad run by Hwa Chong Institution for Primary 6 students.** SASMO's paper has 25 questions in 90 minutes at each grade from Primary 1 to Grade 12 (K2 sits a shorter 15-question, 60-minute paper). APMOPS Round 1 has 30 answer-only questions in 2 hours (Singapore P5 students may also sit it), and the top 50 P6 scorers in Singapore are invited to a harder Invitation Round. Ancourage Academy teaches the Ministry of Education (MOE) primary syllabus in its [primary Mathematics programmes](https://ancourage.academy/courses/academy/primary/mathematics), not an olympiad programme, and this guide is written for parents deciding whether either contest is worth a place in a P5 or P6 year. Every format detail below comes from the organisers' own pages for the 2026 competitions; where an organiser is silent, this guide says so. Where the two contests sit in the wider competition ladder, from NMOS to the SMO, is covered in our [maths olympiad pathway guide](https://ancourage.academy/articles/maths-olympiad-pathway-nmos-smo-dsa-singapore). **Ancourage Academy's [P4 Mathematics](https://ancourage.academy/courses/academy/primary/p4/mathematics) classes run in small groups of 3 to 6; book a [trial class (usually $18)](https://ancourage.academy/trial-class) to start with a diagnostic of where your child stands.** ## What Are SASMO and APMOPS? **SASMO is the Singapore and Asian Schools Math Olympiad, run by SIMCC since 2006; APMOPS is the Asia-Pacific Mathematical Olympiad for Primary Schools, run by Hwa Chong Institution and descended from SMOPS, first held in 1990.** SASMO's organiser describes it on the [official SASMO page](https://sasmo.simcc.org/) as a contest whose papers "touch on both school and Olympiad maths", and says it is "open to all Kindergarten 2, Pri 1 to 6, Secondary 1 to 4 and JC1/2 students (K2 to grade 12 students)". Our [glossary entry for SASMO](https://ancourage.academy/glossary#sasmo) gives the short definition. APMOPS has a longer history in Singapore. Hwa Chong Institution's [APMOPS page](https://apmops.hci.edu.sg/) states that "The inaugural Singapore Mathematical Olympiad for Primary School (SMOPS) was successfully administered in 1990" and that "In 2002, SMOPS was renamed APMOPS to include overseas centres from Asia-Pacific countries." Neither contest is the [National Mathematical Olympiad of Singapore (NMOS)](https://ancourage.academy/glossary#nmos), which is a separate P5 competition. How the three fit together, and how they relate to the Singapore Mathematical Olympiad, is covered in our [Singapore maths olympiad pathway guide](https://ancourage.academy/articles/maths-olympiad-pathway-nmos-smo-dsa-singapore). ## SASMO and APMOPS Side by Side: The 2026 Cycle (Check the 2027 Dates in January) **The biggest practical difference is who can enter: any child from K2 upward can sit SASMO through school or as a private candidate, while APMOPS Round 1 is for P6 students through their school, plus Singapore P5 students registered by their parents.** | Feature | SASMO | APMOPS | | --- | --- | --- | | Organiser | SIMCC (Singapore International Mastery Contests Centre) | Hwa Chong Institution (High School Section) | | Who can enter | K2, Primary 1 to 6, Secondary 1 to 4 and JC1/2 | Round 1: all P6 students or equivalent, and Singapore P5 students only. Invitation Round: P6 only, by invitation | | Levels | A differentiated paper per grade; Grade 5 to 6 = Primary 5 to 6 | One Round 1 paper; one Invitation Round paper | | Format | 25 questions in 2 sections (K2: 15 questions) | Round 1: 30 questions, answers only. Invitation Round: 14 questions | | Duration | 90 minutes (K2: 60 minutes) | Round 1: 2 hours. Invitation Round: 2 hours | | Scoring | Marks per question and any penalty for wrong answers: not stated in the organiser's page text; check its format graphic and the contest instructions | Round 1: 150 marks, no deduction for errors or omissions. Invitation Round: 100 marks | | Awards | Perfect Score, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Honourable Mention, Certificate of Participation | P6: Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, participation. P5: Honourable Mention (top 20%), participation | | When (2026) | Singapore schools: a date each school sets between 9 March and 7 April. Private candidates: 28 and 29 March | Round 1: 16 April (Singapore P6) and 18 April (Singapore P5). Invitation Round: 30 May | | How to register | Through the school, or as a private candidate on SIMCC's Member Development Portal | P6: the school's teacher-in-charge, by 28 February. P5: parents, by 15 February, using details sent by the school | | Fee (2026) | $30 through a Singapore school (inclusive of GST); SGD 57 for private candidates, subject to GST and a processing fee | $20 per student (inclusive of GST) | Sources: SIMCC's SASMO page and [SASMO registration page](https://sasmo.simcc.org/register/), and Hwa Chong Institution's [Online APMOPS Round 1 details](https://apmops.hci.edu.sg/details/online-apmops-round-1) and Invitation Round page. Dates and fees change each year, so check the organisers' pages for the current year before registering. ## How Is SASMO Scored, and What Awards Does It Give? **SASMO gives Perfect Score, Gold, Silver and Bronze awards, plus Honourable Mention and participation e-certificates, but its public page does not state the marks per question or whether wrong answers lose marks.** The organiser states that "Time given for Grade 1 to 12 contest is 90 minutes. Each level has a differentiated paper and contains 25 questions within 2 sections". For a P5 or P6 child, the Grade 5 to 6 syllabus tab lists four strands: - Arithmetic and Statistics - Geometry and Mensuration - Solving word problems using the model method, "or any other methods including algebra" - Non-routine problem solving, "including number patterns, divisibility tests, spatial visualisation, logic problems and cryptarithms" Perfect Scorers receive a personalised medallion and a voucher; Gold, Silver and Bronze winners receive certificates and medals; and "E-certificates are given to participants who qualify for Honourable Mention and Certificate of Participation." The page also says that "Each country enrolling 500 or more students will have the award ratios applied independently", but the ratios themselves are not stated in the page text (as of September 2026); check its award-criteria graphic. Verify any percentage cut-off you see quoted elsewhere against the organiser's current award graphic. ## How Does APMOPS Work, From Round 1 to the Invitation Round? **APMOPS Round 1 is an online, answer-only paper of 30 questions worth 150 marks with no penalty for wrong answers; the top 50 Singapore P6 participants then sit a 14-question, 100-mark Invitation Round in which the last two questions require full working.** Hwa Chong Institution sets out the Round 1 marks as: Questions 1 to 10 at 4 marks each, Questions 11 to 20 at 5 marks each, and Questions 21 to 30 at 6 marks each. It states that "There will be no deduction of marks for error or omissions." Calculators are not allowed. In 2026, Singapore P6 students sat it at school and Singapore P5 students at home, with a video-recording app. Round 1 awards for Singapore P6 students are defined by rank. The organiser states that the Platinum Award goes to "the top 1.5% participants or the top 50 participants whichever is lower", Gold to "the next 2.5% or the next 70 participants of the field whichever is lower", Silver to "the next 6% of the field", and Bronze to "the subsequent 10% of the field". Singapore P5 students compete only for Honourable Mention, given to the top 20%. The [APMOPS Invitation Round page](https://apmops.hci.edu.sg/details/apmops-invitation-round) gives a different structure: Questions 1 to 4 at 4 marks, 5 to 8 at 5 marks, 9 to 12 at 6 marks, and Questions 13 and 14 at 20 marks each. For those last two, "all working must be clearly shown. Omission of essential steps will result in loss of marks." ## What Do SASMO and APMOPS Questions Look Like? **Both contests reward spotting structure quickly: divisibility, patterns, systematic counting and geometry facts that hold wherever a point sits.** The six problems below are original Ancourage Academy practice problems written in the style of each competition. They are not past questions from either contest. Official samples are on the [APMOPS sample questions page](https://apmops.hci.edu.sg/sample). ### SASMO-style practice problem 1 (divisibility) What is the smallest four-digit number that leaves a remainder of 1 when divided by 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6? _Solution._ A number that leaves remainder 1 on division by each of 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 is 1 more than a common multiple of all five. The lowest common multiple of 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 is 60, so the number has the form 60 × k + 1. k = 16 gives 961 (three digits); k = 17 gives 1021. **Answer: 1021.** ### SASMO-style practice problem 2 (cryptarithm) A and B are different digits, and A is greater than B. The two-digit numbers AB and BA add up to 121. List every possible value of AB. _Solution._ AB means 10 × A + B, and BA means 10 × B + A. Their sum is 11 × A + 11 × B = 11 × (A + B). So 11 × (A + B) = 121, which gives A + B = 11. With A greater than B, the digit pairs are 9 and 2, 8 and 3, 7 and 4, and 6 and 5. **Answer: 92, 83, 74 and 65.** ### SASMO-style practice problem 3 (number pattern) Figure 1 is one square made of 4 matchsticks. Each new figure adds one more square to the right of the row, sharing a side with the square before it. How many matchsticks are in Figure 50? _Solution._ The first square needs 4 matchsticks. Every additional square shares one side, so it needs only 3 more. Figure 50 has 1 square plus 49 additional squares: 4 + 49 × 3 = 151. **Answer: 151.** ### APMOPS-style practice problem 1 (counting) How many whole numbers from 1 to 200 are divisible by 3 or by 5, but not by both? _Solution._ From 1 to 200 there are 66 multiples of 3, 40 multiples of 5 and 13 multiples of 15, since 15 × 13 = 195. Numbers divisible by 3 or 5 total 66 + 40 − 13 = 93. Removing the 13 that are divisible by both leaves 93 − 13 = 80. **Answer: 80.** ### APMOPS-style practice problem 2 (systematic list) How many three-digit numbers have digits that add up to 5? _Solution._ The hundreds digit must be at least 1. List by hundreds digit. If it is 1, the other two digits add to 4: five ways (04, 13, 22, 31, 40). Hundreds digits 2, 3, 4 and 5 give four, three, two and one ways. Total: 5 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 15. **Answer: 15.** ### APMOPS-style practice problem 3 (geometry) ABCD is a rectangle with AB = 12 cm and BC = 8 cm. P is any point on side AB. Find the area of triangle PCD. _Solution._ Take CD as the base of the triangle. CD = AB = 12 cm. Wherever P sits on AB, its perpendicular distance from CD equals the width of the rectangle, 8 cm. Area = ½ × 12 × 8 = 48 cm². **Answer: 48 cm².** Several of these rely on heuristics your child already meets in school, such as making a systematic list and looking for patterns. Our [PSLE Maths heuristics guide](https://ancourage.academy/articles/psle-maths-heuristics-problem-solving-guide-singapore) sets out all twelve, and the [glossary entry on heuristics](https://ancourage.academy/glossary#heuristics) summarises the MOE list. ## How Are SASMO and APMOPS Different From PSLE Maths? **PSLE Mathematics rewards secure, accurate work on the MOE syllabus, with marks for method; SASMO sets non-routine problems that touch on both school and olympiad maths, and APMOPS Round 1 gives marks for the final answer only and reaches beyond the syllabus into number theory and combinatorics.** SEAB's [PSLE Mathematics (0008) syllabus for 2026](https://isomer-user-content.by.gov.sg/334/fe51f29b-04ae-4fcb-a907-8db04c028510/0008_y26_sy.pdf) sets 45 questions worth 100 marks across two papers totalling 2 h 30 min. Calculators are not allowed in Paper 1 but are allowed in Paper 2, and for structured and long-answer questions candidates must show their method of solution. | Feature | PSLE Mathematics (0008) | SASMO (Grade 5 to 6) | APMOPS Round 1 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Who sits it | Every P6 candidate taking Standard Mathematics | Opt-in | Opt-in | | Questions and marks | 45 questions, 100 marks | 25 questions; marks not stated in the page text | 30 questions, 150 marks | | Time | 2 h 30 min over two papers | 90 minutes | 2 hours | | Calculator | Paper 2 only | Not stated on the organiser's page | Not allowed | | Working | Method must be shown in structured and long-answer questions | Not stated | Final answer only | | Content | The MOE primary syllabus | School topics plus non-routine problems | Includes number theory, combinatorics and logic | Transfer runs one way. A student with shaky [problem sums](https://ancourage.academy/glossary#problem-sums) will not fix them by attempting olympiad questions; a student who is secure on the syllabus may find that contest problems sharpen reasoning. The bar model still matters in both settings, which our [bar model guide](https://ancourage.academy/articles/psle-maths-model-bar-method-guide-singapore) explains. ## A Term-by-Term Preparation Plan for P5 and P6 **School syllabus mastery comes first: a child who is not yet secure on the current year's MOE topics gains more from consolidating them than from contest practice.** Ancourage Academy runs primary Mathematics classes that follow the school syllabus, including [P5 Mathematics](https://ancourage.academy/courses/academy/primary/p5/mathematics) and [P6 Mathematics](https://ancourage.academy/courses/academy/primary/p6/mathematics); it does not run an olympiad programme. With that settled, the 2026 dates suggest this shape: 1. **December holidays before the contest year.** Fix gaps in the previous year's topics, especially fractions and model drawing, and decide which contest, if any, suits your child; APMOPS registration closed in February in 2026. 2. **Term 1.** Ask the school whether it registers for SASMO and APMOPS; for P5 APMOPS, parents register directly by the February deadline using details from the school. Add one short set of non-routine problems a week alongside schoolwork. SASMO's Singapore school window opened on 9 March 2026. 3. **Term 2.** APMOPS Round 1 was held in mid-April 2026, with results released by 1 May and the Invitation Round on 30 May for the 50 invited P6 students. 4. **Terms 3 and 4.** For P6, this is PSLE preparation and nothing else; contest work stops. For P5, consolidate the year's topics and try a few past contest problems only if schoolwork is secure. Our [P4 Mathematics](https://ancourage.academy/courses/academy/primary/p4/mathematics) programme builds the fractions and whole-number foundations that P5 and P6 contest problems assume, and the [P6 algebra guide](https://ancourage.academy/articles/p6-maths-2026-new-syllabus-algebra-singapore) covers where algebra enters the primary syllabus. Ancourage Academy does not run olympiad or competition classes; its primary Mathematics classes teach the MOE syllabus and the heuristics the PSLE assesses, and a [trial class (usually $18)](https://ancourage.academy/trial-class) at Bishan or Woodlands shows how your child approaches non-routine problems. ## Do SASMO or APMOPS Results Help With DSA? **Neither organiser's page describes a link to Direct School Admission, and Mathematics as a named DSA-Sec talent area is uncommon.** How schools read competition results, and which of the 17 schools in our directory list Mathematics at all, is covered in our [maths olympiad pathway guide](https://ancourage.academy/articles/maths-olympiad-pathway-nmos-smo-dsa-singapore) and [DSA-Sec talent areas directory](https://ancourage.academy/articles/dsa-sec-talent-areas-schools-directory-singapore); a result never guarantees an offer, and a DSA offer still needs a qualifying [PSLE](https://ancourage.academy/glossary#psle) Score. ## Common Questions About SASMO and APMOPS ### Can a Primary 5 child take APMOPS? Yes, in Round 1 only. Hwa Chong Institution opens Round 1 to Singapore P5 students, who in 2026 sat it at home on 18 April with a video-recording app. Parents register using details sent by the school. P5 students can earn Honourable Mention (top 20%), but the Invitation Round is for P6 students only. ### Can my child sit SASMO if the school does not register? Yes. SIMCC offers a private candidate route. In 2026, private candidates sat SASMO on 28 and 29 March, online or on paper, and registered through SIMCC's Member Development Portal. The fee was SGD 57, subject to 9% GST and a 4% payment processing fee. Check the registration page for the current year. ### Is there negative marking in SASMO or APMOPS? For APMOPS Round 1, no: the organiser states there is no deduction of marks for errors or omissions, so a child should answer every question. SASMO's public page does not state how questions are marked or whether wrong answers lose marks, so read the instructions on the paper itself. ### Which should my child try first, SASMO or APMOPS? For most P5 families, SASMO is the easier starting point: it is open to every grade, it has a private route, and its organiser says the papers touch on both school and olympiad maths. APMOPS is aimed at P6 and goes further beyond the syllabus. Either way, keep the school syllabus secure first. ## Related Courses - [P4 Mathematics](https://ancourage.academy/courses/academy/primary/p4/mathematics) — Fractions and whole-number foundations for upper primary problem solving - [P5 Mathematics](https://ancourage.academy/courses/academy/primary/p5/mathematics) — MOE-syllabus problem sums, heuristics and model drawing - [P6 Mathematics](https://ancourage.academy/courses/academy/primary/p6/mathematics) — PSLE Mathematics preparation across both papers - [Sec 1 Mathematics](https://ancourage.academy/courses/academy/secondary/s1/mathematics) — Bridging from primary heuristics to secondary algebra - [Trial Class (Usually $18)](https://ancourage.academy/trial-class) — See how your child approaches non-routine Mathematics problems - [Primary Mathematics](https://ancourage.academy/courses/academy/primary/mathematics) — Heuristics and problem solving from P1 to the PSLE ## Sources - [SASMO: Singapore & Asian Schools Math Olympiad (sasmo.simcc.org)](https://sasmo.simcc.org/) — SIMCC (Singapore International Mastery Contests Centre) - [SASMO: Register for Competition (sasmo.simcc.org)](https://sasmo.simcc.org/register/) — SIMCC (Singapore International Mastery Contests Centre) - [Asia-Pacific Mathematical Olympiad for Primary Schools (apmops.hci.edu.sg)](https://apmops.hci.edu.sg/) — Hwa Chong Institution - [Competition details for Online APMOPS Round 1 (apmops.hci.edu.sg)](https://apmops.hci.edu.sg/details/online-apmops-round-1) — Hwa Chong Institution - [Competition details for APMOPS 2026 Invitation Round (apmops.hci.edu.sg)](https://apmops.hci.edu.sg/details/apmops-invitation-round) — Hwa Chong Institution - [PSLE Mathematics (0008) Syllabus, for Examination from 2026](https://isomer-user-content.by.gov.sg/334/fe51f29b-04ae-4fcb-a907-8db04c028510/0008_y26_sy.pdf) — Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board - [APMOPS Sample Questions (apmops.hci.edu.sg)](https://apmops.hci.edu.sg/sample) — Hwa Chong Institution