PAMO is the Pan-African Mathematics Olympiad, a prestigious annual mathematics competition for African youth. Each year it is hosted by a different African country. In 2023, it will be hosted by Rwanda.

The languages of PAMO are English or French. All team members need a working knowledge of at least one of these. The paper is available in English or French. And solutions need to be written in English or French.

There will be 2 days of exams, 17th & 18th of May. All contestants will sit these exams, each of 4.5 hours length. The exams require problem solving skills, and the questions are very difficult. Each question is worth 7 marks, and each day there are 3 questions. The total number of points is thus 42. 

Gold, Silver and Bronze medals are awarded in a ratio of 1:2:3, such that approximately 50% of contestants will receive a medal. Contestants who get 1 question perfectly correct without achieving a medal will be awarded an Honourable Mention.

PAMO is a chance for countries to showcase the mathematical talent of their students. For contestants, it motivates them to improve, and doing well at PAMO is a well recognised achievement that will help them to apply to universities etc. 

In addition, attending an international competition will expand their horizons, and foster a strong sense of Pan-Africanism, one of the core values of AIMS.

Mathematical Olympiads are like the Olympics for mathematics, and many countries have intensive training programs in order to do well. Taking part in PAMO can be the first step towards taking part in the International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO), the most prestigious mathematics competition in the world. 

As a trial, PAMO2023 will have an option for countries to attend PAMO online. This is for countries who can not raise the funds to cover flights. There are strict guidelines on how to set up and run a national exam centre, where the contestants of that country will sit the exam. 

You must show that you have tried to find money to cover flights, and give a plan on how you intend to find the funding for 2024. 

The exam will be monitored by an in person PAMO-Commissioner and also via webcam by the invigilators in Rwanda. Student papers will be uploaded to the coordinators, and marked. The closing ceremony will be streamed online, and countries attending remotely will arrange for the team to watch the stream together. Any medals awarded will be shipped to the country. 

Each problem at PAMO is brand new, never seen before. Each country submits 6 new questions, made by mathematicians in their country. There is a Problem Selection Committee who then shortlists the questions. The Team Leaders arriving on 13th of May, will spend several days trying the shortlisted questions, and will vote on the problems to select what appears on the final exam. This process is strictly confidential, and Team Leaders stay at a different venue to the contestants, and no contact should be made between Team Leaders and Contestants. 

The students’ scripts are marked by 2 people: their team leader, and a coordinator responsible for that problem. Once both parties have marked the script (according to the marking scheme), they meet and discuss/compare their proposed marks. Usually both parties propose the same mark. Sometimes they propose different marks, and after comparing the script and the marking scheme, they may come to a better agreement. Occasionally they do not agree, and the matter is brought to the mediator, who has the final say. 

For new countries, we will assign you an experienced marker who will support you.

Rwanda encourages all visitors to take the covid vaccination, but it is not a requirement for entry. However, if you are travelling from a country where Yellow Fever is endemic, you may be asked to show your yellow fever vaccine pass. See Visit Rwanda for more info: https://www.visitrwanda.com/facts/health/