Canadian Mathematical Olympiad

The Canadian Mathematical Olympiad is Canada's top mathematical problem-solving competition. It is run by the Canadian Mathematical Society. The Olympiad plays several roles in Canadian mathematics competitions, most notably being Canada's main team selection process for the International Mathematical Olympiad.

Qualification

Approximately 70–80 people qualify for and are invited to write the CMO each year. Students must not have written the Putnam Competition and must meet age, full-time school enrollment, and Canadian Citizenship requirements. Students do not have to be living in Canada, as long as they are Canadian citizens.
Participants are invited to write the CMO usually because of excellent results at the Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge (COMC). Approximately the top 50 students from the COMC earn invitations to the CMO. A Qualifying Repêchage is offered as a "second chance" for the next highest 50–75 students from the COMC. Approximately 20–25 students are chosen from the Repêchage and are then invited to the CMO.
Top students in certain other top Canadian competitions may also be considered for invitations. The organizing committee may also invite participants based on their earlier CMO experience or their performance at APMO or USAMO competitions.

Competition Layout

The competition is three hours long.
There are five questions on the CMO, each worth seven marks, for a total of 35 points. Each problem is graded the same way as it is on the IMO.
From 1969 to 1972, the CMO was ten questions long. In the 1970s, the exam length changed a number of times before finally stabilizing to five questions in 1979.
The CMS does not formally disclose its marking procedure, however in the past the following model was used:

Awards

There are several different types of rewards for doing well on the CMO:

Six to eight of the top CMO participants are selected each year for Math Team Canada They are trained and sent to represent Canada at the International Mathematical Olympiad, the pinnacle of high school mathematical competition.
For students who write in Canada, cash prizes are awarded to the top performers. If there are no "ties", then $2000 goes to 1st place, $1500 to 2nd, $1000 to 3rd, and $500 for Honourable Mention. When there are ties, prize money is pooled upwards.
The top student in Canada is recognized as the CMO Champion and his or her name is engraved on the CMO Championship Cup.
Top students are identified on the official web site to certify their high performance