Hong Kong Mathematics Olympiad (HKMO, Chinese: 香港數學競賽) is a mathematics competition held in Hong Kong every year, jointly organized by the Education University of Hong Kong and Education Bureau. At present, more than 250 secondary schools send teams of 4-6 students of or below Form 5 to enter the competition. It is made up of a Heat Event and a Final Event, which both forbid the usage of calculators and calculation assisting equipments (e.g. printed mathematical table). Though it bears the term Mathematics Olympiad, it has no relationship with the International Mathematical Olympiad.
History The predecessor of HKMO is the Inter-school Mathematics Olympiad initiated by the Mathematics Society of Northcote College of Education in 1974, which had attracted 20 secondary schools to participate. Since 1983, the competition is jointly conducted by the Mathematics Department of Northcote College of Education and the Mathematics Section of the Advisory Inspectorate Division of the Education Department. Also in 1983, the competition is formally renamed as Hong Kong Mathematics Olympiad.
Format and scoring
Heat Event The Heat Event is usually held in four venues, for contestants from schools on Hong Kong Island, and in Kowloon, New Territories East and New Territories West respectively. It comprises an individual event and a group event. Each team sends 4 contestants among 4–6 team members for each event. For the individual event, 1 mark and 2 marks will be given to each correct answer in Part A and Part B respectively. The maximum score for a team should be 80. For the group event, 2 marks will be given to each correct answer. The maximum score for a team should be 20. For the geometric construction event, the maximum score for a team should be 20 (all working, including construction work, must be clearly shown). In other words, a contesting school may earn 120 marks at most in the Heat Event. The top 50 may enter the Final Event.
Final Event The Final Event is usually held at the Education University of Hong Kong in Tai Po. It comprises 4 individual events and 4 group events. Before the real events begin, there is a mock event which carries no marks. Each team may send any 4 students for the individual events, and any 4 students for the group events. For every event, only answers are required. There are 4 questions in each Final Individual Event. The questions have to be solved by alternate contestants independently, and no discussions are allowed. For each event, the questions are interrelated, i.e. to solve the second question, the answer of the first question is needed, and to solve the third, the answer from the second is needed, etc.. There are also 4 questions in each Final Group Event, which may be interrelated or not. The four contestants shall complete each event together, and discussion is allowed. For each event, 5 minutes are given. There are timekeepers to report the time taken used for each team in each event. The detailed scoring method is: (A) Score for Accuracy
(B) Multiplying Factor for Speed
(C) Bonus Score If all answers from a team in an event are correct, 20 marks are given as a bonus. The score for an event is equal to (A)×(B)+(C). The honour of Champion, 1st Runner-up and 2nd Runner-up are given according to the total score earned in eight events.
Past champions 1984: Hong Kong Sze Yap Commercial & Industrial Association Wong Tai Shan Memorial School 1985: Methodist College 1986: Ying Wa College 1987: King's College 1988: Ying Wa College 1989: King's College 1990: Clementi Secondary School 1991: Queen's College 1992: New Territories Heung Yee Kuk Yuen Long District Secondary School 1993: Clementi Secondary School 1994: Queen's College 1995: Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen Yiu Memorial School 1996: Mongkok Workers' Children School (Secondary Section) 1997: Queen's College 1998: Diocesan Boys' School 1999: SKH Bishop Baker Secondary School 2000: La Salle College 2001: Yuen Long Merchants Association Secondary School 2002: King's College 2003: La Salle College 2004: Bishop Hall Jubilee School 2005: La Salle College 2006: Cheung Chuk Shan College 2007: La Salle College 2008: La Salle College 2009: La Salle College 2010: St. Paul's Co-educational College 2011: St. Paul's Co-educational College 2012: La Salle College 2013: La Salle College 2014: La Salle College 2015: La Salle College 2016: La Salle College 2017: Pui Ching Middle School 2018: Pui Ching Middle School 2019: La Salle College 2020: (Cancelled) 2021: St. Paul's Co-educational College 2022: Diocesan Boys' School 2023: Diocesan Boys' School 2024: Diocesan Boys' School 2025: St. Paul's Co-educational College
See also List of mathematics competitions Education in Hong Kong Hong Kong Institute of Education Hong Kong Mathematical High Achievers Selection Contest International Mathematics Olympiad
References 吳銳堅, 潘建強 &梁興強 (2003). 香港數學競賽必備手冊 (1st ed.). 香港數學競賽簡介, pp. vi-viii. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Educational Publishing Co. ISBN 962-948-779-9.
External links Official Website with past papers