The Philippines is stepping up its game in the global academic arena after all of its six delegates bagged awards in the 2022 International Mathematical Olympiads (IMO) in Oslo, Norway. The country prides itself on its big jump in ranking from 43rd in 2020 to 23rd in 2022, proving that Filipinos are nowhere left out when it comes to the field of Mathematics.
Filipino students are fairly exposed to math competitions, especially to the Philippine Mathematical Olympiad, “the oldest and most prestigious nationwide mathematics competition among secondary school students.” The amount of prestige and learnings that this experience comes with prompts many parents to aspire their children to be part of this competition, and somehow step into the global arena as well to carry the name of the Philippines.
Philippine Mathematical Olympiad (PMO)
The PMO is not only made to find the country’s representative for the IMO. This is also part of an advocacy by the Mathematical Society of the Philippines (MSP) to ignite the young generation’s interest in Math.
This competition, joined by high school students, is comprised of a series of advanced tests divided into three stages. The qualifying stage with 30 questions and the area stage with 23 questions are conducted at the regional level to filter the best competitors. After this, the top 20 participants advance to the last stage, or the national stage where they undergo two-part examinations. The first part is a written test consisting of four questions, while the second part is an oral exam that requires them to answer one math equation under a specific given time.
Philippine Math Olympiad Questions with solutions
If you are looking for materials to prepare your child for the Math Olympiads, here we are compiling the best Philippine Math Olympiad questions with solutions that you can give to them.
The Philippine Mathematical Olympiad (PMO) website has a complete list of downloadable files of the exact materials used in the past competitions from the 10th PMO to the latest 24th PMO that happened last year, 2022. It includes the souvenir programs, 25 questions under the qualifying stage, and another 7 under the national stage. For other years, area stage questions are also included. All these files come with complete solutions and explanations that will surely guide your child to master the type of questions used for the competition. They are all free of charge, can be accessed and downloaded by only visiting the page.
After this year’s qualifying stage ended on January 14, 2023, the PMO immediately uploaded on their Facebook page the 25th PMO’s qualifying stage questionnaires with complete answers. Part 1, comprised of 15 questions is in multiple-choice form while Part 2, with 10 questions is open-ended. This file already comes with an answer key. The PMO encourages students to come up with their own solutions while the organization is still finalizing the official solutions and explanations for all items.
Aside from this, PMO also uploads a series of Youtube videos where PMO finalists and winners tackle relevant topics in Math to engage students in fun learning and visualized lessons. They also hold seminars on Math topics with real-life applications.
Edugain is an online platform that’s goal is to help students understand basic concepts in Mathematics. Unlike the first two, Edugain’s materials are suited to students in grades 1 to 10, which is the perfect time for early preparation to join PMO. They offer printable worksheets, online practice, and online tests on different topics. Each grade level comprises 8-12 lessons arranged with increasing levels of difficulty. To access them, you are required to sign up on their website.
Mathematics Teacher’s Association of the Philippines (MTAP) conducts an annual math competition for students from grade 1 to grade 12 to kindle their interest in the Math subject. As such, this website provides past MTAP questions over the years with complete answer keys to serve as students’ reviewers. These materials are a good supplement to the PMO materials above. The number of questions varied for each year, but are unified as open-ended questions. The latest materials posted are from the 2019 MTAP competition. Although old, they are still very helpful to practice your child’s skills in mathematical problem-solving. They are also free to be accessed and downloaded.
Mathizen is a website that offers practical tests, skill tests, and proficiency games to its registered students. They claim their questions to be like those used among top math competitions in different countries including the Philippines. These materials are only available upon subscription that costs ₱175 per month or ₱2,000 per year. Answers and explanations are given after finishing a test session. They also offer 10 free daily questions upon signing up to their website.
Brilliant is an online platform and application that offers engaging questions to ignite your child’s interest in the field of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). They offer Foundational Mathematics for grade school students who looks for early preparation for the Philippine Mathematical Olympiad. They also have High School Mathematics designed to make Grade 9-11 students master more complex topics.
Aside from these two basic courses, Brilliant also provides Contest Math I, a course specifically meant to review students on the foundations of Mathematics. This is comprised of questionnaires and solutions covering Algebra, Geometry, Combinatorics, and Number Theory. Upon finishing this course, students can move to Contest Math II, which comprises complicated and Olympiad-level problems that will surely practice your child’s ability to encounter questions of such extreme difficulty.
More complex topics of Calculus fundamentals like Continuity, Extrema, Newton’s Method, The Chain Rule, Derivatives, Limits, etc. are also available on the platform.
Brilliant values self-learning and pacing. Instead of passive videos, their resources are heavier on mathematical practices with solutions that students can refer to when they want to self-check. Through this, students can personally point out their mistakes and remember them upon encountering similar equations afterward.
Unlike the other five options, Brilliant provides updated questions so all possible topics for the Math Olympiad will be covered by this platform. Since Brilliant courses are done purely online, parents would not need to worry about the safety of their children and can directly monitor and adjust their study habits to maximize their productivity.
For a low price of ₱560, your child can already access all of Brilliant’s amazing courses for a whole month. This can go lower to ₱390 per month if you subscribe to their annual plan. To determine whether or not this is the right platform for your child, you can also avail of their 7-day free trial upon signing up to their website.
That is all that we have on Philippine Math Olympiad questions with solutions that are available on the internet. We hope you’ll have a good look at each of them and determine which materials and way of learning would suit your child the most. The ideal material would not impose unhealthy pressure on their studies but would motivate them towards vigorous study habits so learning becomes fun and natural for them. May your child be the next Math Olympiad delegate of the Philippines!
