UKMT Primary Kangaroo
A new UKMT competition for ages 9-11, launching in 2026.
The Primary Kangaroo is a brand new maths competition from the UK Mathematics Trust (UKMT), aimed at students in Years 5 and 6. It’s run in association with Kangourou sans Frontieres, which organises one of the largest maths competitions in the world.
The competition was piloted in 2025, when nearly 3,000 students from 68 schools took part. In 2026 it’s being rolled out more widely, with a competition window of 19-26 March.
What’s the format?
- Questions: 20 multiple choice
- Time: 45 minutes
- How: Paper-based, sat in school
- Who can enter: UK schools only (Years 5/6 in England and Wales, P6/P7 in Scotland and Northern Ireland)
- Cost: £10 per pack of 10 entries (schools enter students directly)
- See all information at the official UKMT website here
Past Papers
How does it relate to the Primary Maths Challenge?
If your child has done the Primary Maths Challenge (PMC), the Primary Kangaroo is at a similar level. Think of it as sitting alongside the PMC Bonus Round: the same age group, the same kind of problem-solving.
The problems are designed to be fun and accessible, with enough challenge to stretch the strongest young mathematicians.
Mathsaurus preparation for this age group
We don’t have dedicated Primary Kangaroo content yet (it’s brand new!), but the skills involved are exactly what we cover in our existing courses for this age group:
Prepare for the Primary Maths Challenge and the Bonus Round
Get ready for the Primary Maths Challenge or the PMC Bonus Round with our free preparation courses. Learn what makes PMC problems unique, practise the most common topics, and build strategies for solving multiple choice questions under timed conditions.
11+ Maths Course
Our self-paced course for ages 9-11 covers the full range of mathematical reasoning and problem-solving skills that come up in selective school entrance exams. Many of these skills overlap directly with what’s tested in the Primary Kangaroo.
Want to know when we add Primary Kangaroo content?
We’ll be keeping an eye on this competition as it grows. If you’d like to be the first to know when we release new content for the Primary Kangaroo, join our mailing list.