Mathematics competitions preparation book grade 1-2: Practice tests inspired by the style of kangaroo grade 1-2 (unofficial guide) Paperback – July 11, 2025

This book consists of the author-created practice tests with author-prepared solutions. The book includes 96 problems, 4 mock practice contest tests. Disclaimer: This book is designed to help students strengthen their mathematical reasoning and problem-solving skills through practice problems inspired by the style of questions seen in grade 1-2 mathematics competitions such as [1]. This book is an independent publication and is not affiliated with, authorized by, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Math Kangaroo USA, NFP, Kangourou sans Frontieres (KSF), or any related organization or individual in any way. All trademarks and brand names mentioned are the property of their respective owners, and are used here (if any) for descriptive purposes only. About the authors: Hayk Sedrakyan has been an IMO medal winner and a professional mathematical Olympiad coach in the Greater Boston area, USA. He has served as the dean (and one of the main developers) of one of the largest math competition preparation programs in the United States. He holds a PhD in mathematics (optimal control and game theory) from Sorbonne University (UPMC), Paris, France. He is a Doctor of Mathematical Sciences in the USA, France, and Armenia, and holds three master’s degrees in mathematics from institutions in Germany, Austria, and Armenia. He also spent part of his PhD studies in Italy. He has worked as a scientific researcher for the European Commission sponsored SADCO project, served as a team leader at the Harvard–MIT Mathematics Tournament (HMMT), and was an invited speaker at Imperial College London. He participated in the International Mathematical Olympiads (IMO) in the United Kingdom, Japan, and Greece. He was elected President of the General Assembly and a member of the Management Board of the Cit ́e Internationale Universitaire de Paris (around 10,000 students from 162 nationalities), and in the same year the institution was nominated for the Nobel Prize. He is the son and former student of Nairi Sedrakyan. Nairi Sedrakyan has been involved in international Mathematical Olympiads, serving as President of the Armenian Math Olympiads and as a member of the IMO Problem Selection Committee. He is the recipient of the Erdös Award 2022 (one of the highest international awards in mathematics) for playing a significant role in the development of mathematical challenges at the national or international level and which have been a stimulus for the enrichment of mathematics learning. On average, roughly one person per year receives this award globally. To the best of our knowledge, he is one of only three people from the former USSR to ever win the Erd ̋os Award; the other two are the professor of Grigori Perelman (the only person in the world who coached two Fields Medal winners) and Nikolay Konstantinov (founder of the Tournament of the Towns). Nairi Sedrakyan is the author of one of the most difficult problems ever proposed in the history of the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) — Problem 5 of the 37th IMO. This problem is considered one of the hardest ever because none of the strongest teams (China, USA, Russia) solved it correctly, and China’s national team (traditionally the strongest) scored a cumulative total of zero points and finished 6th instead of its usual 1st or 2nd place. The British 2014 film X+Y (released in the USA as A Brilliant Young Mind), inspired by Beautiful Young Minds, also refers to this problem as the hardest ever proposed in IMO history (minutes 9:40–10:30). Nairi Sedrakyan’s students have won around 20 medals at the International Mathematical Olympiad, including gold and silver medals. The authors make no representations or warranties of any kind. Read more