Southeast Asian maths Olympiad to debut in India

Kolkata, May 5 : The Southeast Asian Mathematical Olympiad (SEAMO) will be conducted in India for the first time, an official said here on Friday.

The test date for SEAMO is August 6 this year.

Terry Chew, Associate Executive Director and programme manager at the Singapore-headquartered SEAMO, said: "Students from class 5 to class 12 are eligible for the Olympiad. The exam will provide Indian students an opportunity to identify and discover their mathematical talents through creative challenges."

Elaborating on the benefits, he said students gain from a national and international ranking.

"Since the question paper will be prepared at the same time for India as for other countries, the level of difficulty of both exams will remain same. So this Olympiad will set a clear benchmark for Indian students about their performance as compared to international students," Chew said.

He said "top 0.025 per cent of participating students will win a gold plated medal and a certificate of participation and the next one per cent will receive a silver plated medal and certificate while the next two per cent will get a bronze plated medal and a certificate".

Chew said the multiple-choice question examination will take place across 64 test centres in India.

SEAMO has a presence in 11 Asian countries including Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia.