Stellar students in IMONST 1 are invited to take part in IMONST 2. Since IMONST 2 is a selection round for the Malaysian IMO team, only Malaysian citizens under 20 years old in July next year will be invited.
If you are a Stellar student for IMONST 1 but not eligible for IMO 2027, you are more than welcome to take IMONST 2 if you still wish to take the test. Medals will be distributed to the top students in IMONST 2.
Please refer to your IMONST 1 results to check if you qualify.
Also, you may refer to this letter of invitation (first batch and second batch) for IMONST 2 2026.
What to do now?
IMPORTANT! If you qualify:
- Please read this page carefully, from beginning to end. This page explains the whole process of IMONST 2.
- Please fill in the IMONST 2 Registration Form in your IMONST results letter.
Registration must be done individually, preferably by the participants (not by a teacher).
Details of IMONST 2
(Full instructions for the IMONST 2 day will be uploaded and downloadable by 22 October 2026.)
Date: Saturday, 24th October 2026 (Senior 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM & Pioneer 02:00 – 04:00 PM).
Sunday, 25th October 2026 (Junior 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM & Beginner 02:00 – 04:00 PM)
Venue: School of Mathematical Sciences
Sunway University
5, Jalan Universiti
Bandar Sunway
47500 Petaling Jaya
Selangor
Registration Time: 8:30 AM (Junior & Senior), 01:00 PM (Beginner & Pioneer)
Contest Time:
Beginner 02:00 – 04:00 PM
Pioneer 02:00 – 04:00 PM
Junior 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Senior 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Equipment: The minimum needed is writing tools and geometric tools. Papers will be provided on the day of the exam.
Clothing: Participants may wear any attire as long as it is decent and appropriate. Shorts, singlets, or any revealing clothing are not permitted.
Format:
- The IMONST 2 contains 6 essay-type problems, similar to the IMO (but much easier :)).
- There are different papers for Beginner, Pioneer, Junior, and Senior.
- Each problem is worth 7 points. Integer partial scores are possible.
- Participants write their solutions on blank A4 paper.
- Please use a blue pen or a black pen to write the solutions.
Honor Code: Participants must do all the work themselves without any help from others. Please be warned that it is easy to catch students cheating or copying others’ work in an essay-type format. Do not even think of doing it.
Awards: All participants will receive a certificate. Medals will be distributed to the top students in each category with a ratio of Gold : Silver: Bronze = 1: 2 : 3. The total number of medals shall not exceed 100. All medalists will qualify for Bengkel IMO (see details below).
Special Request: We will not accommodate any request for postponement if IMONST clashes with another activity, whether organized by your school or otherwise.
The only exception is an academic examination (school or national) that cannot be rescheduled. Please contact us at contact@imo-malaysia.org with your request.
Preparation
We have compiled reading material to help contestants prepare for the competition. The reading material can be downloaded here:
For further material, we recommend these notes to prepare for IMONST 2:
- Methods of Proof in Problem Solving, by K. Pilch
- Geometry Problem Solving, by K. Pilch
- Number Theory in Problem Solving, by K. Pilch
Of course, you may prepare using whatever texts you’re familiar with (there are literally hundreds of online resources for various math olympiad topics).
However, you can solve some of the problems in IMONST 2 with the materials covered in the three notes above.
You may also try the papers from IMONST 2 from previous years. You may find them here:
| YEAR | BEGINNER | PIONEER | JUNIOR | SENIOR |
| 2020 | Paper | Paper | Paper | |
| 2021 | Paper | Paper | Paper | |
| 2022 | Paper | Paper | Paper | |
| 2023 | Paper | Paper | Paper | |
| 2024 | Paper | Paper | Paper | |
| 2025 | Paper | Paper | Paper | Paper |
| 2026 Sample Paper 1 | Paper | Paper | Paper | Paper |
| 2026 Sample Paper 2 (in progress) | Paper | Paper | Paper | Paper |
The solutions for IMONST 2 2020-2025 are compiled here (credit to Tan Chin Peng):
What’s Next?
All medalists from IMONST 2 (around 80 students) will be shortlisted for Bengkel IMO. This is a rigorous program involving lectures, problem-solving sessions, homework assignments, and participation in various international competitions (organized by genuine, respectable organizations).
Any questions? Please contact us at contact@imo-malaysia.org.
