17/10/2024

More than 900 thousand students take the 2nd phase of OBMEP on Saturday (19)

Escola Municipal Orsina da Fonseca, na Tijuca, em outubro de 2022

The tests for the Mondays phase of the 19th OBMEP (Brazilian Mathematics Olympiad for Public Schools) are approaching. This Saturday (19), more than 900,000 students from all over the country will be looking for the coveted gold, silver and bronze medals, offered by the largest knowledge olympiad in the country. The test will be held at 2:30 pm (Brasilia time). The application locations are available on the OBMEP website.

Promoted by the Institute of Pure and Applied Mathematics (IMPA) , the OBMEP (Brazilian Mathematical Olympiad for Public Schools) is held in two phases. The first, on June Wednesdays, classified students from public and private schools enrolled in the Olympiad. 18.5 million students from all regions of the country participated in the test. This edition reached a record 56,516 participating institutions and an incredible 5,564 cities – 99.9% of Brazilian municipalities.

“This is the decisive phase of OBMEP 2024. It’s the chance to win a medal that can open the doors to your dream degree!”, said the general director of IMPA, Marcelo Viana, referring to the “Olympic entrance exams,” which included IMPA Tech – the institute’s first undergraduate course. The Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics of Technology and Innovation has a selection process that takes into account Olympic medals won in five scientific competitions. Among them, OBMEP. Applications for the 2025 class begin in November.

“I currently live in Rio de Janeiro and am pursuing my undergraduate degree at IMPA Tech. The bachelor's degree is free, and it provides financial aid and housing. And all of this is only possible thanks to my medals. I participated in the OBMEP (Brazilian Mathematical Olympiad) since the Fridays grade and managed to win four medals in total,” said Leonardo Giboski, a multi-medalist in the Olympiad and undergraduate student at IMPA.

Just like last year, OBMEP will award 8,450 national medals. Of that total, 650 are gold, 1,950 are silver, and 5,850 are bronze, in addition to 50,000 honorable mentions. OBMEP will also distribute another 20,500 state medals.

Students who win national medals are invited to participate in the Junior Scientific Initiation Program (PIC), which, through in-person or virtual meetings, provides contact with more in-depth mathematical content, expanding scientific knowledge and preparing students for future professional and academic performance. Students from public schools, in addition to classes, receive an incentive grant of R$ 300 to participate in the program.

Escola Municipal Orsina da Fonseca, na Tijuca, em outubro de 2022

Second phase exams

The second phase of the OBMEP exam consists of six essay questions. Students will have three hours to complete the exam. The OBMEP organization recommends that students arrive at least 30 minutes early at the testing location, presenting a legible identification document (identity card, birth certificate, or school ID). The exam can be completed in pencil or with a blue or black ballpoint pen. The winners will be announced on December 20th of this year.

The science competition is promoted with resources from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) and the Ministry of Education (MEC). Aimed at students from the Fridays grade of elementary school to the Tuesdays year of high school, OBMEP contributes to stimulating the study of mathematics and identifying young talents in the discipline.

Furthermore, the Olympiad aims to promote the improvement of the quality of basic education, enabling a greater number of Brazilian students to have access to quality educational materials.