Canada · Math Kangaroo · Grades 1 to 12

Math Kangaroo Canada preparation, Grades 1 to 12

Math Kangaroo is the Canadian branch of an international multiple-choice contest that began in France in 1991 and now runs in dozens of countries. In Canada it is organized by the Canadian Math Kangaroo Contest, a volunteer-run, not-for-profit body, and written in more than 50 cities by children from Grade 1 to Grade 12, each on a version for their own pair of grades. It is one of the few contests in Canada that a parent, not only a school, can enter a child for. This guide sets out what we could verify from primary sources on 22 October 2026, says plainly what we could not, and then does what a preparation page should: a method for young problem solvers, eight practice problems of ours across the six versions, and a plan for the weeks before the contest.

Live online since 2020 · 10,000+ students · the practice problems here are written by our teachers

In a few lines

Math Kangaroo Canada is a multiple-choice math contest for Grades 1 to 12, held yearly in more than 50 Canadian cities, with versions of 18 questions in 45 minutes (Grades 1 and 2), 24 in 60 (Grades 3 and 4) and 30 in 75 (Grades 5 to 12). Parents or teachers can register students. Modern Age Coders prepares children for it live online, in a batch or one to one.

Courses for Kangaroo preparation

Where our Math Kangaroo preparation happens

The competitions course carries the contest practice for Grades 5 to 8. The elementary course builds the number sense the youngest versions rely on. The problem-solving course teaches the habit of picturing a problem before computing.

The contest

Math Kangaroo in Canada: what the sources say

The national website could not be read as text on 22 October 2026, so the facts below come from a university host-centre page and from the international Kangaroo association. Each row names its source.

Math Kangaroo in Canada, from primary sources read on 22 October 2026
QuestionWhat the source saysSource
What is it?"Math Kangaroo Canada is nationally ranked multiple choice contest"University of the Fraser Valley host-centre page
Who is it for?Its purpose "is to introduce students from grade 1 to grade 12 to math challenges in a fun and enjoyable way"Same page
Where?"The competition is held yearly in more than 50 Canadian cities."Same page
What kind of math?Problems "in alignment with provincial curricula" that "require creativity, logical thinking or a different perspective"Same page
Who runs it?The Canadian Math Kangaroo Contest (CMKC), "a volunteer-run, not-for-profit organization" administered by mathematicians and teachers of mathematicsSame page
Who can register a child?"Parents or teachers can register students in the contest."Same page
International linkCanada is listed as a member country, with the Canadian Math Kangaroo Contest as its organizerKangourou sans Frontières, countries list

The international family

Kangourou sans Frontières describes itself as "an international association founded in France" whose main activity "is designing the annual Kangaroo Mathematics Competition". It says the questions "are not standard textbook problems".

Its history page records that the first Kangaroo challenge took place on 15 May 1991 in France, and that participation worldwide stayed "rather stable around 6 million" through the 2010s.

Each country runs its own

The association also says that "The organisation of the competition in the individual countries is up to the members". That is why rules, dates and fees in Canada can differ from those in the United States or elsewhere.

For that reason we do not borrow any scoring rule from another country's Kangaroo for this page. Families should take Canadian rules from the Canadian organizer.

Sources: University of the Fraser Valley, Canadian Math Kangaroo Fraser Valley, Kangourou sans Frontières and its countries and history pages, read 22 October 2026. Modern Age Coders has no connection with the Canadian Math Kangaroo Contest or with any host centre.

Six versions

The six grade versions and how long each one is

There are different versions for Grades 1 and 2, 3 and 4, 5 and 6, 7 and 8, 9 and 10, and 11 and 12. The host-centre page gives three formats across them, all multiple choice and all "arranged in increasing difficulty".

Math Kangaroo Canada formats, from the University of the Fraser Valley host-centre page (read 22 October 2026), with our minutes-per-question arithmetic
VersionQuestionsTimeMinutes per question (our arithmetic)
Grades 1 and 21845 minutes2.5
Grades 3 and 42460 minutes2.5
Grades 5 and 63075 minutes2.5
Grades 7 and 83075 minutes2.5
Grades 9 and 103075 minutes2.5
Grades 11 and 123075 minutes2.5

Our observation from the arithmetic: every version gives an average of two and a half minutes a question. Because the questions get harder as the paper goes on, that average is misleading in a useful way. The first third of a paper should take well under two and a half minutes a question, which banks time for the last third, where a single question can easily take five. A child who spends the same time on every question will run out of time exactly where the questions become interesting.

Our time plan for each format (ours, not the organizer's)
FormatFirst thirdMiddle thirdLast thirdCheck
18 questions, 45 minQuestions 1 to 6 in 10 min7 to 12 in 15 min13 to 18 in 17 min3 min
24 questions, 60 minQuestions 1 to 8 in 13 min9 to 16 in 20 min17 to 24 in 23 min4 min
30 questions, 75 minQuestions 1 to 10 in 15 min11 to 20 in 25 min21 to 30 in 30 min5 min

Dates for 2027

Math Kangaroo Canada 2027: what is known and what is not

Parents searching for the 2027 date deserve a straight answer, including where the answer runs out. This is what we could and could not confirm from primary sources on 22 October 2026.

What could be verified for 2027 (read 22 October 2026)
QuestionWhat we foundStatus
A 2027 contest date anywhere in CanadaOne host centre says: "The Fraser Valley Contest will take place on Sunday, March 21, 2027 at the Abbotsford Campus of the University of the Fraser Valley."Verified for that one centre only
A single national 2027 dateNot readable: the national site loads its content by JavaScript and showed no text to our fetchNot verified
2027 registrationThe host-centre page says the 2027 registration form and instructions are on the national siteLocation verified; details not read
2027 feesThe host-centre page still shows 2026 fees and 2026 deadlinesNot verified for 2027, so not printed
Scoring rules in CanadaNot published on any page we could readNot verified, so not described

Our reading, and only that: Canada has many host centres in many cities, and each can set its own local arrangements, so the Fraser Valley date should not be assumed for Toronto, Calgary or Halifax. A family should find its nearest centre through the national organizer and confirm the date, the venue and the fee there. We will not quote a national date until we can read one at the source.

How entry compares

Kangaroo, CEMC and COMC: who can enter a child

One feature makes Math Kangaroo different from the other well-known contests in Canada. The rows below come from each organizer's own pages, read on 22 October 2026.

Who can register a student, by contest (read 22 October 2026)
ContestWho registersSource
Math Kangaroo Canada"Parents or teachers can register students in the contest."University of the Fraser Valley host-centre page
CEMC contests (Gauss, Pascal and the rest)Schools only; students take part through their school, or join another local school that will have themCEMC, How contests work
COMC (Canadian Mathematical Society)Normally teachers; limited Open Writing Centre places for students whose school is not participatingCMS, COMC FAQ for Students

For a family whose school runs no contests, that difference matters. A Grade 3 child is younger than any CEMC contest is designed for, since CEMC says its contests are made for Grades 5 to 12, but can write Math Kangaroo. For older students, Math Kangaroo sits well alongside the school-based contests: our Gauss page covers Grades 7 and 8, and our CEMC Waterloo contests page covers the whole Waterloo year.

Draw it first

The habit we teach first: turn the words into a picture

Kangaroo problems ask for creativity and a different perspective, in the host-centre page's words. For children, the most reliable way to find a different perspective is to draw the problem before doing any arithmetic. Here is one of our problems, worked the way we teach it.

Problem 6 · our Grade 5 and 6 problem, solved by drawingtext
Problem 6 (ours, Grades 5 and 6). A rectangle 6 squares wide and
4 squares tall is drawn on squared paper. A straight line is drawn
from one corner to the opposite corner. How many of the small
squares does the line pass through (not just touch at a corner)?
(A) 6   (B) 7   (C) 8   (D) 10   (E) 12

Draw it first.
  The diagonal goes 6 across and 4 up. Both share the factor 2,
  so the line passes exactly through one grid corner in the middle,
  at 3 across and 2 up. That splits it into two equal halves,
  each a 3 by 2 rectangle's diagonal.

Count one half on the drawing.
  In a 3 by 2 rectangle the diagonal crosses 2 vertical lines
  and 1 horizontal line inside it, never at a corner, so it
  enters a new square 3 times after the first one:
  1 + 2 + 1 = 4 squares.

Both halves: 4 + 4 = 8.  Answer (C).

Check with the drawing: shade the squares the line passes through
and count them. A child who shades 10 has included the two squares
that the line only touches at the middle corner.

The drawing does two jobs. It finds the answer, and it checks the answer: shading the squares on paper catches the most common wrong count. A formula for this exists, but a child who has drawn ten of these understands why it works.

Our four drawing moves for young problem solvers (ours)
MoveWhen to use itExample on this page
Draw the objectsA story with people or thingsProblem 3, the line of children
Draw a number line or a calendarDays, positions, stepsProblem 2, the day of the week
Draw a diagram with overlapsGroups that share membersProblem 5, the two clubs
Draw the shape, then add one lineGeometryProblem 7, the square in the circle

Why drawing beats speed

Young children often lose marks on Kangaroo-style questions not because the math is hard but because they read a word problem quickly and compute with the wrong numbers. A drawing slows the reading down just enough.

Over a term, the drawings get smaller and quicker, and eventually they move into the child's head. That is the goal, but it cannot be skipped.

Teaching to think, not to copy

We never hand a child a list of tricks for "question types". A child who understands why a picture works can face a problem nobody has shown them, which is what Kangaroo papers are full of.

Our teachers ask "what does it look like?" far more often than "what is the formula?".

Eight practice problems

Original practice problems for every version, with solutions

All eight are our practice problems, written by our teachers. None is a Math Kangaroo problem, and none is copied or adapted from a past paper. They run from the Grades 1 and 2 version to the Grades 11 and 12 version, and every answer was checked in Python.

Problem 1 (Grades 1 and 2). Our practice problem, not a Math Kangaroo problem. Mia has 3 more stickers than Leo. Together they have 15 stickers. How many stickers does Mia have? (A) 6  (B) 8  (C) 9  (D) 12  (E) 18

Solution. Draw two rows of stickers, Mia's row 3 longer than Leo's. Take away Mia's 3 extra: 12 are left, shared equally, 6 each. So Leo has 6 and Mia has 6 + 3 = 9. Answer (C). Checking: 9 + 6 = 15.

Problem 2 (Grades 3 and 4). Our practice problem, not a Math Kangaroo problem. Today is Wednesday. What day of the week will it be 100 days from today? (A) Monday  (B) Wednesday  (C) Thursday  (D) Friday  (E) Saturday

Solution. Every 7 days it is Wednesday again. 98 = 7 x 14, so 98 days from today is a Wednesday. Two more days: Thursday, then Friday. Answer (D). Drawing a week as a circle of seven days makes the "two more" step easy to see.

Problem 3 (Grades 3 and 4). Our practice problem, not a Math Kangaroo problem. Sam is standing in a line. Sam is 7th from the front and 9th from the back. How many children are in the line? (A) 14  (B) 15  (C) 16  (D) 17  (E) 63

Solution. Draw Sam as a dot. There are 6 children in front of Sam and 8 behind. With Sam: 6 + 1 + 8 = 15. Answer (B). Answer (C) counts Sam twice, which the drawing prevents.

Problem 4 (Grades 5 and 6). Our practice problem, not a Math Kangaroo problem. The digits 1, 2, 3 and 4 are each used once to make two 2-digit numbers. What is the largest possible sum of the two numbers? (A) 64  (B) 68  (C) 73  (D) 75  (E) 77

Solution. Tens digits are worth ten times as much, so the two largest digits, 4 and 3, go in the tens places. The sum is then (4 + 3) x 10 + (2 + 1) = 73, for example 42 + 31 or 41 + 32. Answer (C).

Problem 5 (Grades 7 and 8). Our practice problem, not a Math Kangaroo problem. In a class of 30 students, 18 are in the chess club, 15 are in the puzzle club and 5 are in neither. How many are in both clubs? (A) 3  (B) 5  (C) 8  (D) 10  (E) 13

Solution. Draw two overlapping circles. Students in at least one club: 30 - 5 = 25. Adding the two clubs, 18 + 15 = 33, counts the overlap twice, so the overlap is 33 - 25 = 8. Answer (C).

Problem 6 (Grades 5 and 6). Our practice problem, not a Math Kangaroo problem. The diagonal of a 6 by 4 rectangle on squared paper: see the worked drawing in the section above. Answer (C), 8.

Problem 7 (Grades 9 and 10). Our practice problem, not a Math Kangaroo problem. A circle fits exactly inside a square of side 10, touching all four sides. A smaller square is drawn inside the circle with all four corners on the circle. What is the area of the smaller square? (A) 25  (B) 40  (C) 50  (D) 64  (E) 75

Solution. Draw it, then add one line: the diagonal of the small square. That diagonal is a diameter of the circle, which equals the side of the big square, 10. A square with diagonal 10 has area 10 x 10 / 2 = 50. Answer (C). The small square has exactly half the area of the big one, a fact worth remembering.

Problem 8 (Grades 11 and 12). Our practice problem, not a Math Kangaroo problem. In how many different orders can the eight letters of the word KANGAROO be arranged? (A) 5040  (B) 10080  (C) 20160  (D) 40320  (E) 80640

Solution. If all eight letters were different there would be 8! = 40320 orders. But the two As can swap without changing the word, and so can the two Os, so each word has been counted 2 x 2 = 4 times. The answer is 40320 / 4 = 10080. Answer (B). Answer (D) forgets the repeated letters.

Using these at home

Give your child the problem for their own version and one from the version below, with paper for drawing and no calculator. Ask them to explain their drawing to you before saying the answer.

If the answer is wrong, the drawing usually shows where. That conversation is worth more than the right letter.

The wrong answers matter

Every wrong option in our problems is a real mistake children make: counting someone twice, forgetting a repeat, mixing up the tens. Spotting why an option is wrong is as useful as finding the right one.

In class we spend time on the wrong options on purpose, so that children learn to check rather than guess.

Eight weeks

An eight-week plan before a spring contest

Our plan for a child preparing for a Kangaroo contest in the spring, counted back from the date their own host centre confirms. It assumes two live classes a week; it is ours, not the organizer's.

  1. Weeks 1 and 2: drawing. The four drawing moves, one problem at a time, with no clock. The goal is a picture for every problem, even easy ones.
  2. Weeks 3 and 4: the grade's own math. Any gap in the child's school math for their grade, found in week 1, gets fixed here, because the contest problems are aligned with provincial curricula.
  3. Weeks 5 and 6: the clock. Half-length papers of our own problems, timed with our three-part time plan, so the easy first third is done quickly.
  4. Week 7: a full rehearsal. One full-length timed paper of our problems for the child's version, then every wrong answer reviewed by redrawing it.
  5. Week 8: rest and confidence. Short, enjoyable sessions only, and nothing new in the last few days. A relaxed child reads more carefully.

Grades 1 and 2

Shorter sessions, more drawing, a parent nearby. The 45-minute paper is long for a six-year-old, so we build stamina gently.

Grades 3 to 8

The full plan. These versions reward careful reading most, and the drawing habit pays off quickly.

Grades 9 to 12

Less drawing practice, more algebra and counting, and links to the CEMC and COMC contests the same students often write.

Getting started

How a family in Canada gets a child into the contest

Based on what the host-centre page says, the steps for a family look like this. Confirm each one with the organizer, since we cannot read the national site's current instructions.

  1. Find the organizer. The Canadian Math Kangaroo Contest is listed by the international association as Canada's organizer, at mathkangaroo.ca.
  2. Find your nearest host centre. The contest is held in more than 50 Canadian cities; the date and venue are those of your centre.
  3. Register. The host-centre page says parents or teachers can register students, using the 2027 registration form on the national site.
  4. Check the version. Make sure your child is entered for their own pair of grades: 1 and 2, 3 and 4, 5 and 6, 7 and 8, 9 and 10, or 11 and 12.
  5. Prepare without pressure. The organizer's stated purpose is to introduce children to math challenges "in a fun and enjoyable way". Preparation should feel the same.

We are a teaching company. We do not run a host centre, register students or supervise the contest, and we have no link with the Canadian Math Kangaroo Contest. What we offer is the teaching: live classes where children learn to think through unfamiliar problems, which is what this contest, like every good contest, actually tests.

Where children start

Four stages of a young problem solver

Our stages, used in the first class to place a child.

From quick guesser to careful thinker (ours)
StageWhat we see
1. Quick guesserAnswers fast, often with the wrong numbers from the story
2. DrawerDraws the problem when asked and gets more right
3. CheckerDraws without being asked and checks answers against the picture
4. ExplorerTries the hard last-third problems and explains an approach even when unsure

For parents

Most bright young children start at stage 1, because quick answers are praised at school. Moving to stage 3 takes a few months of patient practice and is worth far more than any contest result.

Math Kangaroo is a good first contest because it is meant to be enjoyable. Keep it that way at home.

For children

Draw it before you work it out.

If two answers look right, check them both against your drawing.

More courses

Nine courses for young mathematicians in Canada

All live and online, with a teacher who gets to know the child, in a batch of fifteen to twenty or one to one, from any province.

I

Grades 1 to 4

The first versions

MKCP / YOUNG / 01

Early math foundations

Playful, hands-on math for the youngest.

Open the syllabus

MKCP / YOUNG / 02

Mental math for kids

Number sense rather than tricks.

Open the syllabus

MKCP / YOUNG / 03

Scratch coding

Logic and patterns through simple games.

Open the syllabus
II

Grades 5 to 8

The middle versions

MKCP / MID / 01

Middle school math

Ratio, geometry and early algebra in depth.

Open the syllabus

MKCP / MID / 02

Waterloo Math Contests

The Gauss Contest from Grade 7.

Open the syllabus

MKCP / MID / 03

Math through coding

Python used to explore patterns.

Open the syllabus
III

Grades 9 to 12

The senior versions

MKCP / SEN / 01

High school math

Algebra to calculus, Grades 9 to 12.

Open the syllabus

MKCP / SEN / 02

Competition mathematics

For students moving on to olympiads.

Open the syllabus

MKCP / SEN / 03

Statistics and probability

Counting and chance in depth.

Open the syllabus

How classes run

Live Kangaroo classes for children across Canada

Weekdays or weekends, flexible: choose your batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at your convenience, weekend mornings or weekdays.

Weekdays

After-school classes, set in Eastern time and shown on your own clock.

Weekends

Morning sessions that suit younger children best.

1-on-1

A private plan for a child who needs a gentler pace.

Drawing first

Every problem starts with a picture.

Our own problems

Original sets for each grade version.

Short sessions

Sized for young attention spans.

Wrong answers used

Each wrong option discussed, not skipped.

Any province

The same class from Newfoundland to British Columbia.

Class size

Groups of fifteen to twenty, or one teacher for one child.

Student work

What our young students make in code

Many of our younger math students also take a coding class. Some of what they have made is shown below, and the student labs page has more.

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Misti

A chatbot that answers mathematics and programming questions, built and deployed by a student.

by Harshit · Open it

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GuardianX

An assistant that helps a young person recognise unsafe situations online.

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Web app

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A weather forecasting site with live conditions for any location.

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Fees

Fees

Any contest fee is paid to the organizer or host centre, not to us. Our monthly fee covers live teaching only, and you can stop after the contest with nothing more to pay.

Free first class

Free

no card required

  • A free first class
  • Two of our problems, drawn and solved together
  • No card needed
Book it

Group batch

$100 USD

a month, eight live classes

  • A batch of fifteen to twenty
  • Grouped by grade version
  • Choose your batch
  • Monthly, cancel any time
Start here

One to one

$150 USD

a month, eight live classes

  • One teacher, one child
  • Paced to your host centre's date
  • Built around your child's drawings
Enquire

What families say

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Parents ask

Math Kangaroo Canada: frequently asked questions

What is Math Kangaroo Canada?

It is the Canadian edition of the international Kangaroo math contest, run by the Canadian Math Kangaroo Contest, a volunteer-run, not-for-profit organization. It is a multiple-choice contest for Grades 1 to 12, held yearly in more than 50 Canadian cities.

When is Math Kangaroo Canada in 2027?

We could not read a national 2027 date from the organizer on 22 October 2026. One host centre, in the Fraser Valley, lists Sunday, March 21, 2027. Check the date with your own nearest centre.

How long is the contest?

According to a host-centre page, Grades 1 and 2 answer 18 questions in 45 minutes, Grades 3 and 4 answer 24 in 60 minutes, and Grades 5 to 12 answer 30 in 75 minutes. Questions get harder as the paper goes on.

Which version should my child write?

The one for their own grade. There are versions for Grades 1 and 2, 3 and 4, 5 and 6, 7 and 8, 9 and 10, and 11 and 12.

Can I register my child myself?

Yes. The host-centre page says parents or teachers can register students, using the registration form on the national site. That is different from CEMC contests, which only schools can order.

How is Math Kangaroo scored in Canada?

We could not find the Canadian scoring rules on any page we could read, so we do not describe them. Rules can differ between countries, because each national organizer runs its own contest.

Is Math Kangaroo Canada the same as Math Kangaroo USA?

They belong to the same international family, but the international association says each country organizes its own competition. Dates, fees and rules can differ, so take Canadian details from the Canadian organizer.

What kind of math is on the paper?

A host-centre page says the problems align with provincial curricula but require creativity, logical thinking or a different perspective. In our experience that means careful reading and picturing a problem matter as much as arithmetic.

Do you guarantee a result?

No. We teach children to think through problems, and we make no promise of any score, rank or award.

When are your classes?

Weekdays or weekends, flexible: choose your batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at your convenience, weekend mornings or weekdays. Times are confirmed in your own province's time zone.

Keep reading

Related pages

Other pages for families in Canada looking at math contests and classes.

Gauss Contest

CEMC's contest for Grades 7 and 8.

CEMC Waterloo contests

The University of Waterloo contest year.

Middle school math competitions (US page)

Written for American families, but the contest habits carry over.

Math Kangaroo USA (US page)

The separate American edition, for families in the United States.

Online math tutor, Canada

School math help across the provinces.

Olympiad classes

For older students moving beyond Kangaroo.

Coding classes in Canada

Where our Canada pages start.

How we teach thinking

Pictures and reasons before answers.

Start here

Book a free first class

In the first class your child solves two of our Kangaroo-style problems with a teacher, drawing each one first. You see how your child reads a problem, which of the four stages fits, and how the weeks before your host centre's date could be spent.

Would you like to read more first? How we teach shows a real class, and the course list describes every course.

WhatsApp us · +91 91233 66161 · connect@modernagecoders.com

Our teachers teach from India, live on video, so children join from home in any province. WhatsApp is the quickest way to ask a question.

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