IOQM is the first level of real Math Olympiads in India. Students in Class 8 or above are eligible to participate in it. Here are the three levels of Math Olympiads in India:
As of 2023, the nation-wide success rate in IOQM is less than 4%.
How did Cheenta students prepare?
In the same year, Cheenta's success rate in IOQM is 21.55%.
In 2023 around 116 Cheenta students participated in IOQM. 25 of them were successful in achieving certification or qualification in RMO. This makes the success rate of Cheenta around 21.55%. Various factors contributed to this extraordinary performance. In this post we will describe them.
Most of the successful students at Cheenta, participated in the 'Everyday Non-Routine Mathematics'. This is known as 5-days-a-week Problem Solving class. Students and faculty members discuss 4 to 5 interesting problems every day. This amounts to around 1000 - 1200 in-class problems. It is extremely important to put yourself in this regime of problem solving to achieve extraordinary problem solving skills.
Several successful students regularly participated in the Math Circle process. This is a unique flipped classroom experience that is available exclusively to Cheenta students. In this process, Cheenta students lead problem solving sessions with other kids (usually from rural schools). These are small groups of 5-6 kids which meet every week. They solve exciting problems together. In order to lead the problem solving classes, Cheenta students sometimes 'make problems'. They are also motivated to work extra hard to make these sessions a success.
Cheenta faculty team has been created over the last 13 years. They are dedicated mathematicians who love solving non-routine problems. They have taken the route of this sort of mathematics out sheer passion for the subject. This has a high impact on the students.
The first step is to choose great books and problem sets. IOQM - RMO - INMO preparation should not be bundled with engineering entrance preparations as these two goals require different psychological attitude.
We suggest the following books to start your preparation for IOQM.
The goal is not to 'memorise' a lot of formulae and theorems. Instead focus on sharpening your mind by exposing yourself to a variety of non-routine problems every day.
Your bag of theorems won't help your mind to 'click' at the right time.
It is extremely important to practice non-routine problems every day. This can either happen in the 5-days-a-week problem solving classes (if you are a student of Cheenta) or you may try on your own. Here are a few sets of problems that are useful for the preparation of IOQM.
What if you are stuck in a problem?
Ask your teacher. Ask your peers. Do not read solutions.
It is extremely important to have a right peer group of students and teachers who will support your journey in this exciting world of mathematics. No one has ever learnt mathematics by 'reading solutions'. Instead discuss with your peers and ask your teachers for a hint.
As a rule of thumb, you should be exposing yourself to 3000 non-routine problems in a calendar year. If you are an internal student at Cheenta you will be seeing 1000 of these problems inside class. Rest of the 2000 problems should be done at home.
In 2026, the following Cheenta students have been successful for Indian Statistical Institute's M.Stat Entrance. They ranked within the first 50 in the entire country in these entrances. I.S.I. M.Stat Entrance
In 2026, the following Cheenta students have been successful for Indian Statistical Institute's B.Stat Entrance and Chennai Mathematical Institute's B.Sc. Math Entrance. They ranked within the first 200 in the entire country in these entrances. Most of these students attended the problem solving workshops regularly, which happen 5 days every week. CMI B.Sc. Math Entrance […]
In 2025, 8 students from Cheenta Academy cracked the prestigious Regional Math Olympiad. In this post, we will share some of their success stories and learning strategies. The Regional Mathematics Olympiad (RMO) and the Indian National Mathematics Olympiad (INMO) are two most important mathematics contests in India.These two contests are for the students who are […]
Cheenta Academy proudly celebrates the success of 27 current and former students who qualified for the Indian Olympiad Qualifier in Mathematics (IOQM) 2025, advancing to the next stage — RMO. This accomplishment highlights their perseverance and Cheenta’s ongoing mission to nurture mathematical excellence and research-oriented learning.
My daughter wants to join in your class after her Board Exam. on Feb'2024. She wants to prepare for ISI entrances also.