FOBISIA Primary Maths Competition 2027
Two campuses, one competition. Everything your team needs to know before you travel.
5–6 March 2027
Co-hosted by British International School Phuket and The British School of Guangzhou
About the competition
The FOBISIA Primary Maths Competition brings together young mathematicians from British international schools across Asia for two days of problem solving, teamwork and friendly rivalry.
In 2027 the competition runs on the same dates at two campuses. Schools attend whichever venue suits their travel, and both sites run the same programme, so every team faces the same challenges.
The weekend
Thursday
4 March
Teams arrive
Friday
5 March
Competition
Saturday
6 March
Competition
Sunday
7 March
Teams depart
Arriving early or staying on
Schools that would like to arrive earlier on the Thursday, or leave later on the Sunday, and explore the host city are very welcome to do so. Contact the organisers and we will happily share ideas and suggestions.
Who competes
One category — Year 5 and Year 6 together
Year 5 and Year 6 students are both invited to compete. All students compete in the same category; there is no separate Year 5 and Year 6 competition.
Team composition is up to you
How you make up your teams is entirely up to your school. Teams made up only of Year 6 students are welcome.
The rounds
Subject to change.
Day one — Friday 5 March
A carousel of five rounds, each lasting one hour, with ten minutes of break and explanation time built in.
- Code breaking
- Maths / Art
- Construction
- Maths trail
- Logic / Computer Science
Round 6 is General Knowledge, played in mixed teams across schools. It does not count towards team points.
Day two — Saturday 6 March
The first three rounds each last an hour and a half, followed by the relay and the arithmetic round.
- 90 minutes
- Mathematical Proof
- 90 minutes
- Statistics
- 90 minutes
- Individual Test
- 60 minutes
- Maths Relay
- 30 minutes
- Mathsmoji Arithmetic
Registration
Mon 14 – Fri 18 Sept 2026
Priority registration
Thailand-based schools may register for the Phuket event. Schools that expressed an interest in Guangzhou may register for Guangzhou.
Mon 21 Sept – Fri 2 Oct 2026
Open registration
All remaining schools may register at the venue of their choice. Places are confirmed subject to capacity at each venue.
After registering
Invoice issued
Once a school has registered, invoices will begin to be issued.
Fri 20 November 2026
Payment deadline
Full payment must be received by this date. Teams should be finalised and team details shared with the organisers by the same date.
If Phuket is oversubscribed
Capacity at BISP is limited and demand is likely to exceed it. Where there is an overflow, places will be allocated according to the results of the poll sent by email. Schools not allocated a Phuket place will have the opportunity to register at Guangzhou.
Scoring
Scoring follows the same system as last year.
Individual competition
Gold
Approximately the top 5%
Silver
The next 6 – 15%
Bronze
The next 15 – 25%
Team rounds
Every round is worth the same number of points. First place scores 50 points, second 49, and so on down to one point for last place. Trophies are awarded for first, second and third.
No live scoreboard
Scoreboards will not be shared at any point during the competition. Results stay under wraps until the awards ceremony, so every team plays for the maths rather than the table.
Before you travel
Packing list What students need to bring, including kit for each day of the event.Travel, visas and insurance
It is the participant's responsibility to arrange travel and any necessary visas in advance of travelling.
Visiting schools are expected to take out adequate travel and trip insurance for all staff and students attending the event.
Travelling parents
During the competition, parents will not be permitted to enter the school grounds to observe the maths events. Attendance at the awards ceremony is also not possible, as it takes place after the gala dinner.
If parents choose to travel to the host city during the competition, it is FOBISIA policy that they do not stay at the same hotel as the children, for safeguarding reasons.
Organisers
British International School Phuket
Sam Lord, Primary Maths Specialist
slord@bisphuket.ac.th
The British School of Guangzhou
Matthew McLaughlin
Matthew.Mclaughlin@bsg.org.cn
FOBISIA Primary Maths Competition 2027
Past papers and resources
Everything your team can use to prepare — papers from previous competitions and practice on MathsMoji.
Past papers
Papers from previous competitions, for teams to practise with. All open as PDFs.
Papers from previous competitions, for teams to practise with. All open as PDFs.
Mathsmoji
A Primary Maths platform built by Sam Lord and Jon Clark, free to use at www.mathsmoji.com. It holds problem-solving quests adapted from competition papers, including past FOBISIA, Kangaroo and SEAMO questions, and themed worlds that children work through, earning progress as they go.
Competing schools will be given unique logins for their students. A FOBISIA Forest world has been built for the 2027 competition and will continually be updated with new questions, so students can practise competition-style problems. After answering, they can review explanation slides that work the problem through step by step.
Students will also be set practice challenges in Mathsmoji that mimic the arithmetic round on Day 2. If they would rather practise on paper, the Fluency Dojo skills sheets further down this page cover every question type they will meet in that round.
Schools will have access to practise on Mathsmoji ahead of the competition. Logins will be provided to each school by Sam Lord.
The arithmetic round
Subject to change.
Fluency Dojo, turned into a competition round
Day two · 4:00 – 4:30
Fluency Dojo is Mathsmoji's mental arithmetic belt system. In the competition round, students are set timed questions drawn from right across the belts — from Pink Belt 1st Dan up to Black Belt 3rd Dan — answered on a simple on-screen number pad.
Every student takes part, working through the belts as far as they can. The practice sheets further down this page cover every question type that appears.
Fluency Dojo practice sheets
Printable arithmetic sheets from Mathsmoji, one for each belt and Dan. Thirty questions on the first page, the answer key on the second. Each belt below lists the skills it practises, so students can work at the right level and target the ones they find hardest.
Each belt has three Dans. On the coloured belts the first Dan is standard questions, the second adds missing-number problems, and the third adds balance and equivalence equations.
Three-digit column addition, times tables and the matching division facts, halves and quarters of amounts, multiplying and dividing by 10, and rounding to the nearest 10.
Times tables to 12 and the matching division facts, multiplying by multiples of 10, rounding to the nearest 10 and 100, and tenths written as both fractions and decimals.
Multiplying and dividing by 10, 100 and 1000, three-digit addition, adding decimals to one place, adding fractions with the same denominator, percentages of amounts, and square numbers.
Multiplying and dividing by 10, 100 and 1000, percentages of amounts, adding decimals that cross the tenth, square numbers and missing squares, equivalent fractions, and three-digit addition.
Adding and subtracting negative numbers, adding and subtracting decimals to two places, times tables and division facts, and percentages of amounts.
Simple equations with an unknown, fractions of amounts, simplifying and scaling ratios, decimals to two places, percentages of amounts, negative numbers, and order of operations.
The Black Belt Dans each take a topic in turn rather than adding a layer of difficulty to the same questions. Dan 1 covers decimals, negative numbers, fractions of amounts and converting between fractions, decimals and percentages. Dan 2 is percentages of amounts, finding the whole from a percentage, and discounts. Dan 3 is ratio: simplifying, scaling, sharing an amount, and unit cost problems.
What the arithmetic round covers
The arithmetic round runs from Pink Belt through to Black Belt Dan 3. Nothing below Pink Belt appears in the competition, so these twenty-one sheets are the full range your students need.
British International School Phuket
Welcome to Phuket
5–6 March 2027. Everything your group needs for the trip — accommodation, schedule, travel and contacts.
- Competition
- 5–6 March 2027
- Teams arrive
- Thu 4 March
- Teams depart
- Sun 7 March
- Nearest airport
- Phuket (HKT)
Welcome to the FOBISIA Primary Maths Competition 2027!
Having had the privilege of accompanying students to six previous FOBISIA Primary Maths competitions, I can confidently say this event is always an absolute highlight of the academic calendar.
British International School Phuket feel honoured to serve as your hosts this year. Beyond the thrill of competition, our hope is that this gathering offers a wonderful opportunity for both students and teachers to connect with like-minded peers, build lasting friendships, and celebrate a shared passion for mathematics.
Our team is working tirelessly to ensure a seamless, inspiring, and fantastic experience for every school participating. We cannot wait to welcome talented young mathematicians from across the region to our campus for an unforgettable celebration of collaboration, critical thinking, and mathematical discovery!
Cost
Fees for schools attending the BISP event, staying at NH Boat Lagoon Phuket.
120,000 THB
Two teams
8 students + 2 adults
80,000 THB
One team
4 students + 2 adults
The fee covers
- The event
- Accommodation
- All food
- All transport
- Gala dinner
- Friday evening activity
A lower-cost option
Teams staying at The Oceanic Sportel pay 108,000 THB for two teams or 72,000 THB for one team. Everything else in the package is unchanged.
British International School Phuket
Accommodation
Accommodation is included in your team fee. Two hotels are available, both a short drive from campus.
NH Boat Lagoon Phuket
Main hotel for visiting schools
A beautiful resort set around a lagoon marina, with large pools and plenty of space for teams. A five-minute drive from BISP, so travel time to and from the event is minimal.
120,000 THB for two teams · 80,000 THB for one team.
The Oceanic Sportel
Second hotel — reduced team fee
A modern sports hotel, also a short drive from BISP. Teams staying here pay a lower overall fee; everything else in the package is unchanged.
108,000 THB for two teams · 72,000 THB for one team.
Included in your team fee
You do not book separately. Accommodation, all food and all transport between the hotel and campus are part of the fee your school pays.
British International School Phuket
Schedule
Timings for Friday 5 and Saturday 6 March 2027, subject to change. Both host schools run the same programme. We will confirm the final version closer to the competition.
Subject to change.
Day one Friday 5 March 2027
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 7:45 – 8:20 | Welcome and safety briefing |
| 8:30 – 9:30 | Round 1 |
| 9:40 – 10:40 | Round 2 |
| 10:40 – 11:00 | Break and snack |
| 11:10 – 12:10 | Round 3 |
| 12:20 – 1:20 | Round 4 |
| 1:20 – 2:10 | Lunch |
| 2:20 – 3:20 | Round 5 |
| 3:30 – 4:30 | Round 6 — General Knowledge |
| 4:30 – 5:00 | Return to hotel |
| 6:30 – 8:00 | Evening activity |
Rounds 1 to 5 are the carousel: code breaking, maths and art, construction, the maths trail, and logic and computer science. Round 6 is played in mixed teams across schools and does not count towards team points.
Day two Saturday 6 March 2027
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 8:30 – 10:00 | Mathematical Proof round |
| 10:00 – 10:30 | Morning break |
| 10:30 – 12:00 | Statistics round |
| 12:00 – 1:00 | Lunch |
| 1:00 – 2:30 | Individual test |
| 2:30 – 3:00 | Break |
| 3:00 – 4:00 | Maths relay round |
| 4:00 – 4:30 | Mathsmoji arithmetic round |
| 4:30 – 5:00 | Return to hotel |
| 6:00 pm | Awards and gala dinner |
All students will take part in the arithmetic part of the competition.
What to wear
Friday — comfortable shorts or trousers with the FOBISIA Primary Maths 2027 t-shirt, which is provided.
Saturday, during the day — your school PE kit.
Gala dinner — full school uniform.
The British School of Guangzhou
Welcome to Guangzhou
5–6 March 2027. Everything your group needs for the trip — accommodation, schedule, travel and contacts.
- Competition
- 5–6 March 2027
- Teams arrive
- Thu 4 March
- Teams depart
- Sun 7 March
- Nearest airport
- Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN)
The British School of Guangzhou is delighted to host the FOBISIA Primary Maths Competition 2027.
As one of the leading international schools in South China, we are proud to welcome talented young mathematicians from across the FOBISIA network to Guangzhou for a celebration of problem solving, teamwork, creativity and mathematical thinking.
The competition provides students with an exciting opportunity to apply their mathematical knowledge in a variety of engaging and challenging activities. Beyond the competition itself, the event encourages collaboration, resilience, communication and a genuine love of mathematics.
Our students, staff and wider school community are excited to share our campus, showcase the vibrant city of Guangzhou, and create an unforgettable experience for all participating schools. We look forward to welcoming students, teachers and supporters for a fantastic event filled with learning, friendship and mathematical discovery.
We can't wait to see you in Guangzhou in March 2027!
Cost
Fees for schools attending the BSG event.
24,000 RMB
Two teams
8 students + 2 adults
16,000 RMB
One team
4 students + 2 adults
The fee covers
- The event
- Accommodation
- All food
- All transport
- Gala dinner
- Friday evening activity
Contact
Matthew McLaughlin, Primary Mathematics Lead
Matthew.Mclaughlin@bsg.org.cn
Visas
Visas are the responsibility of visiting schools. Both BISP and BSG are happy to help if letters of invitation are needed.
The British School of Guangzhou
Accommodation
Accommodation is included in your team fee. Visiting teams stay together at one hotel, a short drive from campus.
Holiday Inn
Main hotel for visiting schools
A modern, comfortable hotel in the Baiyun district, offering spacious rooms and excellent facilities for visiting teams. A five-minute drive from BSG, so travel time to and from the event is minimal.
Everyone in one place
A second option is available as a backup, but the Holiday Inn has assured us it can accommodate all of our guests.
The British School of Guangzhou
Schedule
Timings for Friday 5 and Saturday 6 March 2027, subject to change. Both host schools run the same programme. We will confirm the final version closer to the competition.
Subject to change.
Day one Friday 5 March 2027
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 7:45 – 8:20 | Welcome and safety briefing |
| 8:30 – 9:30 | Round 1 |
| 9:40 – 10:40 | Round 2 |
| 10:40 – 11:00 | Break and snack |
| 11:10 – 12:10 | Round 3 |
| 12:20 – 1:20 | Round 4 |
| 1:20 – 2:10 | Lunch |
| 2:20 – 3:20 | Round 5 |
| 3:30 – 4:30 | Round 6 — General Knowledge |
| 4:30 – 5:00 | Return to hotel |
| 6:30 – 8:00 | Evening activity |
Rounds 1 to 5 are the carousel: code breaking, maths and art, construction, the maths trail, and logic and computer science. Round 6 is played in mixed teams across schools and does not count towards team points.
Day two Saturday 6 March 2027
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 8:30 – 10:00 | Mathematical Proof round |
| 10:00 – 10:30 | Morning break |
| 10:30 – 12:00 | Statistics round |
| 12:00 – 1:00 | Lunch |
| 1:00 – 2:30 | Individual test |
| 2:30 – 3:00 | Break |
| 3:00 – 4:00 | Maths relay round |
| 4:00 – 4:30 | Mathsmoji arithmetic round |
| 4:30 – 5:00 | Return to hotel |
| 6:00 pm | Awards and gala dinner |
All students will take part in the arithmetic part of the competition.
What to wear
Friday — comfortable shorts or trousers with the FOBISIA Primary Maths 2027 t-shirt, which is provided.
Saturday, during the day — your school PE kit.
Gala dinner — full school uniform.