Maths olympiad questions for Class 1, 2 and 3, with answers
Olympiad season for primary classes runs from about October to February, and the questions look different from school maths: more patterns, puzzles and reasoning, fewer straight sums.
Here are 30 original practice questions, ten per class, with answers and short explanations, plus a four-week plan. They are written in the style of common olympiad papers, not copied from any of them.
On this page
1. What olympiad maths tests
Most primary olympiads have two parts: a logical reasoning section (patterns, odd one out, directions, counting shapes) and a mathematical reasoning section (numbers, addition, subtraction, money, time, measurement). Many papers also end with a few harder “achiever” questions. Speed matters, but understanding matters more.
2. Class 1 questions
- What comes next? 2, 4, 6, 8, __
- Which number is the odd one out? 3, 5, 8, 7, 9
- Riya has 6 balloons. 2 fly away. How many are left?
- How many sides does a triangle have?
- Which is greater: 47 or 74?
- What comes next? ▲ ● ▲ ● ▲ __
- A week has how many days?
- 10 + __ = 18
- Aman is taller than Ben. Ben is taller than Chetan. Who is the shortest?
- How many ₹2 coins make ₹10?
3. Class 2 questions
- What comes next? 5, 10, 20, 40, __
- What is the smallest 3-digit number?
- A pencil costs ₹7. How much do 4 pencils cost?
- It is 3 o’clock. What time will it be after 2 hours?
- Which month comes just after August?
- 56 − 29 = __
- If today is Monday, what day will it be after 3 days?
- How many corners does a cube have?
- Find the missing number: 3, 6, __, 12, 15
- Meena faces north and turns right. Which direction is she facing now?
Want 760+ sums, 6 timed drills and 20 speed tricks with a full answer key? See the Mental Maths & Vedic Tricks Book (Class 1-5) →4. Class 3 questions
- What comes next? 1, 4, 9, 16, __
- Round 347 to the nearest ten.
- A box has 6 rows of 8 eggs. How many eggs are there?
- What is half of 150?
- How many minutes are there in 2 hours?
- What is the place value of 6 in 4,682?
- Rahul had ₹100. He spent ₹45 on a book and ₹28 on a pen. How much is left?
- Which fraction is bigger: 1/2 or 1/4?
- If CAT is written as DBU (each letter moved one step forward), how is DOG written?
- A square has a side of 5 cm. What is its perimeter?
5. Answers with explanations
| Q | Answer | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | Add 2 each time |
| 2 | 8 | The only even number |
| 3 | 4 | 6 − 2 |
| 4 | 3 | Tri means three |
| 5 | 74 | 7 tens beats 4 tens |
| 6 | ● | Triangle and circle repeat |
| 7 | 7 | Monday to Sunday |
| 8 | 8 | 18 − 10 |
| 9 | Chetan | Aman > Ben > Chetan |
| 10 | 5 | 5 × 2 = 10 |
| 11 | 80 | Double each time |
| 12 | 100 | 99 is the largest 2-digit number |
| 13 | ₹28 | 7 × 4 |
| 14 | 5 o’clock | 3 + 2 |
| 15 | September | — |
| 16 | 27 | 56 − 30 + 1 |
| 17 | Thursday | Tue, Wed, Thu |
| 18 | 8 | 4 on top, 4 at the bottom |
| 19 | 9 | Add 3 each time |
| 20 | East | Right of north is east |
| 21 | 25 | Square numbers: 1×1, 2×2 … 5×5 |
| 22 | 350 | Ones digit 7 rounds up |
| 23 | 48 | 6 × 8 |
| 24 | 75 | 150 ÷ 2 |
| 25 | 120 | 60 × 2 |
| 26 | 600 | 6 is in the hundreds place |
| 27 | ₹27 | 100 − 45 − 28 |
| 28 | 1/2 | One of 2 parts is bigger than one of 4 |
| 29 | EPH | D→E, O→P, G→H |
| 30 | 20 cm | 4 sides × 5 cm |
6. 4-week preparation plan
| Week | Focus (20 minutes a day) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Number patterns and odd one out; revise tables (see how to learn tables fast) |
| 2 | Money, time, calendar and measurement word problems |
| 3 | Shapes, counting figures, directions and coding-decoding |
| 4 | Two timed practice papers a week; go over every wrong answer |
Questions parents ask
How do I prepare my child for a maths olympiad in Class 1?
20 minutes a day on patterns, simple word problems, shapes and money, plus one timed practice set a week. Keep it playful.
Is the maths olympiad syllabus different from school?
It mostly covers the school syllabus, but adds a logical reasoning section and trickier, thinking-style questions.
Which is harder, logical reasoning or maths?
Children who are new to olympiads usually find logical reasoning harder because it is not taught in school. Practise patterns and odd-one-out questions.
Do mental maths tricks help in olympiads?
Yes. Faster calculation leaves more time for the reasoning questions. See our 15 mental maths tricks for kids.
Mental Maths & Vedic Tricks Book (Class 1–5)
71 printable pages · Class 1 to 5
- 20 speed tricks incl. Vedic maths, one per page
- Tables 2–20, 6 timed drills, fractions, money, time
- 760+ sums, puzzles and a full answer key
Print as many times as you like · Buy any 2 packs together and get 10% off