02/04/2025

OBMEP 2025 breaks records for schools and municipalities.

The 20th edition of the Brazilian Mathematics Olympiad for Public Schools (OBMEP) reached a historic milestone in 2025, registering the highest number of participating schools and municipalities. This year, the scientific competition will reach 57,222 schools in 5,566 municipalities – guaranteeing coverage of 99.93% of the country's cities. In total, the competition will bring together 18.6 million students from the Fridays grade of elementary school to the Tuesdays year of high school from public and private institutions.

Promoted by the Institute of Pure and Applied Mathematics (IMPA) , OBMEP's mission is to encourage the study of mathematics and identify talent in the discipline. With each edition, the Olympiad expands its reach and reinforces its impact on valuing education and stimulating logical thinking among young people. "OBMEP is in its 20th edition and continues to break records, demonstrating the vitality of one of the most important public education policies in Brazil," highlights Marcelo Viana, Director-General of IMPA.

The Olympiad exams will be administered in two phases: the first on June Tuesdays and the second on October 2Thursdays. The winners will be announced on December 2Mondays. Students awarded national gold, silver, or bronze medals will secure a place in the Junior Scientific Initiation Program (PIC), which offers advanced mathematics classes and a R$ 300 scholarship from CNPq ( National Council for Scientific and Technological Development) for students from public schools.

In total, OBMEP will distribute 8,450 national medals — 650 gold, 1,950 silver, and 5,850 bronze — in addition to 51,000 certificates of honorable mention. To further encourage student participation, the competition will also award the best state performances, with the awarding of at least 20,500 medals. The state award does not grant access to the PIC (Scientific Initiation Program).

Access to university

OBMEP has also become a gateway to higher education. IMPA Tech (IMPA's Bachelor's degree in Mathematics, Technology and Innovation) reserves 80% of its places for students who have won medals in science olympiads. Other public universities, such as USP ( University of São Paulo) and Unicamp ( State University of Campinas) , have also adopted olympiad-based places for students with good performance in these competitions. "The medals awarded not only recognize the students' talent, but also open doors to higher education, and can be used as an entry criterion in various institutions," says Jorge Vitório, deputy director of IMPA and general coordinator of OBMEP.

About OBMEP

Created in 2005, OBMEP is funded by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) and the Ministry of Education (MEC). In addition to stimulating the learning of mathematics, the Olympiad plays an essential role in identifying young talent and promoting social inclusion through knowledge.