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Original poster

Junior maths challenge 2025

476 replies

scisso · 07/05/2025 12:29

Does anyone know when the results and boundaries get announced? How was this year’s paper in comparison to previous years?

DD sat it and thought some of them were quite hard so had to guess them, but she hasn’t done much of the past papers so doesn’t have much to compare against.

any insights would be very much appreciated.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
12
user149799568 · 12/05/2025 10:02

Justabitawkward · 10/05/2025 09:29

My daughter did the JMC last year in Year 5 and got a Gold + Kangaroo and then got a Gold in the follow on Kangaroo. She is hoping for an Olympiad this year. She got two wrong (she remembered her answers when checking against the solutions...the last one and then a careless mistake in one of the early questions). She is very good at maths and did do some past paper practice.

You definitely cannot get partial marks for the questions. Multi choice with only one correct answer receives full Mark's.

Edited

They didn't give Gold / Silver / Bronze for the Junior Kangaroo last year, only Merit.

OP posts:
Justabitawkward · 12/05/2025 12:56

My daughter missed out of an Olympiad by 1 mark. So sad! Basically, needed to get only one question wrong, or two from the earlier 5 mark questions.

Original poster
scisso · 12/05/2025 12:57

Below are the cut off scores for 2025:

JMO 125
Kangaroo 100
Gold 91
Silver 73
Bronze 54

Well done to all those who took part!

OP posts:
clueless1974 · 12/05/2025 12:58

No idea when/how my sons school give results. I guess time will tell.

wandsworth25 · 12/05/2025 13:33

Wow these cut-offs are even higher than last year. it seems like at the top end there are more and more well prepared candidates (perhaps thanks to all the excellent online resources). DD got Kangaroo when she sat in y6, I am not sure she will manage this year (y7) but we will soon find out.

DuckBushCityLimit · 12/05/2025 13:43

DD thinks she got just over 100, based on the answers she could remember. Looks like she might have made it into the Kangaroo. She didn't even get a bronze last year so that will be a big boost for her maths confidence!

Foxhasbigsocks · 12/05/2025 13:53

Nervous for my ds’s results. He is good at maths but hard on himself so I hope he does ok. Last year he did well but I have told him not to expect any particular grade this year as each year is different.

NewTaupeBeaker · 12/05/2025 13:55

Justabitawkward · 12/05/2025 12:56

My daughter missed out of an Olympiad by 1 mark. So sad! Basically, needed to get only one question wrong, or two from the earlier 5 mark questions.

You can still enter on a discretionary basis. They have removed section A of the Olympiad paper this year, and it’s now just section B where the emphasis is on proving mathematical concepts, so this won’t be a good experience for all - particularly younger kids who are good at answering questions fast.

Statistico · 12/05/2025 13:56

Y7 son thinks he got 119 with two rushed early errors but only one hard question wrong. He was hoping for Olympiad this year having got Kangaroo in y6 but alas not.
Now this may seem harsh from me, but
(1) One cannot expect top section making two daft errors. I believe Olympiad level ought to be about two wrong - as in 'I've made one unforced error AND I've got one hard question wrong'.
Reaching Olympiad was maybe a bit too attainable in past I would say.
(2) Section A of Olympiad is 10 questions, worth 10marks where you just give answer but section B (50 marks!) requires full written solutions to 5 questions to gain full marks. Very different and y still quite intuitive son ain't ready for that, he's be lucky to score half marks on that paper.
(3) I guess he now has another chance to reach Junior Olympiad in y8 but somewhat sadly it will be about improving exam technique..plenty of time to sharpen the knife in y10&y11 etc when proper exams loom...

Hope he's not disappointed

NewTaupeBeaker · 12/05/2025 13:58

wandsworth25 · 12/05/2025 13:33

Wow these cut-offs are even higher than last year. it seems like at the top end there are more and more well prepared candidates (perhaps thanks to all the excellent online resources). DD got Kangaroo when she sat in y6, I am not sure she will manage this year (y7) but we will soon find out.

Yes, a bit annoying really - it looks like it’s becoming like the 11 plus in our area (Bucks) where an arms race has developed for tutoring. I wonder how many of the very top marks are also scored by gifted overseas students (who can qualify for the Olympiad, but not the kangaroo). Good luck for anyone awaiting results.

roses2 · 12/05/2025 14:02

Does this mean the kids will get the results any day now?

Justabitawkward · 12/05/2025 14:30

We are overseas and will pay for the olympiad as only one mark off for my daughter. She has been doing the olympiad practice papers for the part B and can get most of them so definitely worth paying for. I think the last question was really easy to guess correctly (8 corners so 8 triangles) even though it was 8 as the answer but a lot more complicated to arrive at that answer. So think it was a bad question that may have skewed the results as lots would have had no idea but guessed correctly.

Summerma · 12/05/2025 14:59

Hope all your kiddos are happy with their results (guessing they’ll get them soon). My DS thinks he got either 112 or 118, having reviewed the solutions. He did the Kangaroo last year in year 6 but no merit. Looks like there’s good, silver etc certificates now which appears to be a positive change (he got a certificate of participation previously) much to his embarrassment a wonder kid n year 5 got a merit in the kangaroo but he’s just on another level.

I’m just glad DS didn’t predict his score as being 124 as that would be gutting! Though he isn’t the type of kid who is interested in preparing so Olympiad might be a bit of a stretch - he’s far too busy rushing his homework and playing football. Ha!

Summerma · 12/05/2025 15:05

That should be *gold, silver etc…

Foxhasbigsocks · 12/05/2025 15:52

@Statistico i think they’ve abolished the first section of the Olympiad for this year. Only the harder section is left!

clueless1974 · 12/05/2025 16:15

The state school my son goes only told them 3 days before and they did no prep whatsoever. Will be interesting to see how they all did. My son got a couple of marks off full marks in his 11+ and full marks in his maths SAT but said this was completely different to anything he had done before. Well done to everyone :)

Statistico · 12/05/2025 17:48

Foxhasbigsocks · 12/05/2025 15:52

@Statistico i think they’ve abolished the first section of the Olympiad for this year. Only the harder section is left!

TBH that makes sense as section A is worth so disproportionately little like 17% of potential marks, but may I ask how you know this when Junior Olympiad is not for some time. Not doubting just wanting to know your better source! Tks

Foxhasbigsocks · 12/05/2025 17:53

They Have announced it to help those preparing. Will link later @Statistico

OP posts:
Foxhasbigsocks · 12/05/2025 19:04

Still no result here! I guess our school hasn’t got them yet or is waiting to hand out.

SuperSue77 · 12/05/2025 20:08

My son has maths tomorrow - wondering oif they'll find out then, though only a few of the class did it, so maybe not.

Surfer1978 · 13/05/2025 09:43

Just saw head teacher at school gate and discovered DS9 got Gold in the JMC and has made it through to the Olympiad (he scored 130).

Bit of a victory moment for us as the school knows he’s a bit of a maths whizz but for years have been intimating he’s not as good as we think he is.

Foxhasbigsocks · 13/05/2025 15:40

Got the results at school today apparently! Ds got 107 and is through to Kangeroo, which I’m hoping will go ok for him. In a way it’s good having all these new certificates for kangaroo, but he didn’t get a merit last time so I don’t know if he will get one!

Foxhasbigsocks · 13/05/2025 15:42

@Surfer1978 sounds incredible to me to be able to do that at 9. I’m impressed!!