Editorial · Pathway · Results · Preparation
News & Updates — Editorial Coverage of the UKMT Competition Year
Editorial articles on the British Mathematical Olympiad and the UKMT competition year, written for international students preparing for the senior pathway. Articles are typically 1,500 to 2,500 words and are filed against four standing categories.
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BMO1 vs BMO2: What Really Changes Between Six Questions and Four Problems (2026)
BMO1 and BMO2 run the same 3.5 hours, but the jump from six questions to four problems changes what the paper rewards. A head-to-head for international students. Read article
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How Your SMC Score Gets You Into BMO1: The Invitation Gateway, Discretionary Entry and What It Means from China (2026)
Nobody sits BMO1 by signing up. Here is how the SMC qualifying score and discretionary entry actually decide who is invited, and what that means for China-based students. Read article
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Beyond BMO2: The IMO Selection Funnel, Trinity Training Camps, and Why Reaching Round 2 Is the Real Admissions Signal (2026)
What happens after BMO2: the narrowing funnel toward the UK IMO team of six, and why reaching Round 2 already carries the admissions weight that matters. Read article
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Reading Your BMO1 Score Out of 60: What the Marks Mean, Where the Prize Line Sits, and How to Set a Realistic Target (2026)
BMO1 is marked out of 60. Here is how to read your score, where prizes and BMO2 invitations sit, and how to set an honest first-year target. Read article
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How to Actually Sit the BMO from China: Registered Centres, Test-Day Logistics and the British International School Rule (2026)
A step-by-step logistics guide for China-based students: who can host the BMO, how your school becomes a registered UKMT centre, and what test day looks like. Read article
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Senior Kangaroo vs BMO1: Which SMC Follow-On Should an International Student Target?
The SMC leads to two different follow-on rounds on the same day: the Senior Kangaroo and BMO1. Here is how they differ in format, difficulty and signal value for overseas students. Read article
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How the BMO Marking Scheme Works: Why a Half-Finished Proof Scores Closer to Zero Than 5/10
How BMO marking really works: 6 questions at 10 marks each, the all-or-nothing olympiad scheme, why partial attempts score low, and what Distinction and Merit require. Read article
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BMO Past Papers (BMO1 & BMO2): The Complete Pack and How to Use It (2026)
The complete BMO past-paper pack — BMO1 and BMO2, organised by round and year, with worked solutions for many of them — free, plus a proven four-step method to raise your score. Read article
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The 2025-26 UKMT Senior Maths Season Timeline: A Planning Calendar for International Students
A month-by-month planning calendar for the UKMT senior pathway: SMC, Senior Kangaroo, BMO1 and BMO2 dates, qualification gates and registration logistics for China-based students. Read article
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Can International Students Take BMO? Eligibility Reality Check for 2026 (China Focus)
Yes, international students can sit the British Mathematical Olympiad — but the rules separate two distinct questions: who can have their BMO paper marked, and who can be selected for the UK IMO team. This guide walks through the actual eligibility rules, how the discretionary entry path works for schools outside the UK, the China-specific… Read article