SMC 2025-2026 Registration is Now Live!
Discovering the next generation of Mathematicians.
The first round will take place online on Saturday, 17 January 2026. And the deadline to register is January 10, 2026. The top scoring girls from Nigeria will be selected to represent Nigeria at EGMO 2027 in Croatia. Visit our YouTube channel to view video solutions to last years' problems.
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Special Maths Academy
Raising future mathematicians
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Registration and The First Round
Any student between the ages 12-20 who is not enrolled in any university or higher education system is eligible to take part in SMC. To register, all you need to do is to create an account on the participant portal. The first round of the examination will happen on Saturday, 17 January 2026. The exam will take place at 14:00 WAT for all participants. A laptop or desktop computer with a webcam is required for this examination. For more detailed information, review the SMC Guidelines Document.
Timeline
Preliminaries
You will be tasked with solving 25 multiple-choice questions in two hours. These questions will extensively cover Geometry, Number Theory, Combinatorics, and Algebra topics. You will need a laptop or desktop computer with a webcam for this round of the contest. You may visit our YouTube channel to view video solutions to last year's problems.
The Finale
We will invite top participants in the preliminaries to take part in the Finale. This year, the final round will be a hybrid event. The Finale is a five-day event,with the exam scheduled to take place on the 28 February, 2026 and the exam will consist of four Olympiad essay problems. Qualifiers from outside Nigeria will complete the final round virtually.
Prizes
First Place: 450 US Dollars
Second Place: 300 US Dollars
Third Place: 200 US Dollars
The top three students in Nigeria and the highest-scoring female participant in Nigeria will receive cash prizes and laptops. Their teachers will also receive cash prizes, with a special award for the best performing teacher.
See the SMC guidelines for more details on SMC prizes and award distribution.
Highlight from the Last Edition
Below is a video of the in-person closing ceremony of the last edition of the Special Maths Contest.
About Special Maths Contest
Special Maths Contest (SMC) is an initiative of Special Maths Academy(SMA), an olympiad training organization that trains young minds to be competitive in the world's most challenging math contests. The Special Maths Contest is organized to identify and reward these young minds.
Frequently Asked Questions
We open the group daily for registered participants to ask questions from 9:00AM – 5:00PM WAT daily.
Mathematics only.
First Round: 25 multiple choice questions (Online)
Second Round: 4 Essay questions (Physical)
It is going to be Olympiad Style mathematics.
The contest consists of two rounds.
First Round: 25 multiple choice questions
Second Round: 4 Essay questions
Official announcement will be made soon regarding the use of phone devices.
Official announcement coming soon regarding the use of smartphone devices.
Two hours.
The age limit is between 12 – 20 years.
Both male and female students are eligible.
It is for secondary school students and students who have not started higher institution within the age bracket (12-20 years).
No.
Yes, but they must be within the age limit of 12 – 20 years.
Special Maths Contest is open to Nigerian students and diaspora students.
Please note that the exam cannot be taken on any iOS device (such as an iPad). Only Android phones and Android tablets are acceptable.
Participants can start the exam once they sign into the exam portal with their registration email and password at: exam.specialmathscontest.com
Click on "Forgot Password" to reset your password.
No, every student must register with their own email address.
No.
Only the outstanding students from the 1st round will be shortlisted for 2nd round.
About 50 – 70 participants will be shortlisted for the second round.
This depends on the overall performance of the students participating during the first round.
Nile University of Nigeria, FCT-Abuja (only for Nigerian participants).
Diaspora participants will write their second round online.
There is a subsidized/fully covered transportation fare only for the students, while the teachers/guardians cover their own transportation cost.
Note: There will be free accommodation and feeding throughout the program.
No.
No.
No.
No.
It is only one category and Olympiad style, no junior or senior category.
The exam will be proctored for all candidates with the software embedded in the portal. We get direct reports in real time as students write the exam. Any breach of rules as stipulated in our rules and regulations, or any malpractice detected based on our data, will result in the student being disqualified.
Yes.
Only shortlisted participants for round two will receive certificate of participation/medals.
Yes.
Yes, you can access our past questions at: Past Problems
Yes, you can access solution guides on our YouTube channel: Special Maths Academy YouTube Channel
European Girl's Mathematical Olympiad.