Math Kangaroo 2027 Registration Begins September 15; Last Date December 31

The competition marks 30 years in the United States, with participation rising to 60,504 students in 2026. Students in Grades K to 12 can register at mathkangaroo.org. The fee rises from $20 to $35 after December 31, 2026.

Math Kangaroo USA has announced that registration for the 2027 competition will open on September 15, 2026, on its official website, mathkangaroo.org. The competition will be held on Thursday, March 18, 2027.

The 2027 edition marks 30 years of the competition in the United States. Math Kangaroo has said that every student who takes part in the anniversary year will receive a special commemorative gift, in addition to the participation ribbon and mathematical gift given to all participants each year. The announcement follows the competition's strongest year yet. Math Kangaroo USA reported 60,504 participants in 2026, up from 53,562 the previous year, a growth of roughly 13 percent in a single season. The 2026 competition ran at 1,682 centers across all 50 states, U.S. territories, and 12 grade levels.

Math Kangaroo Registration 2027: Important Dates

The competition follows a fixed annual calendar. It is always held on the third Thursday of March, which is why the 2027 date has already been confirmed.

Thirty Years of the Competition in the US

The Kangaroo competition began in France in 1991 and takes its name from its Australian origins. It has since spread to more than 80 countries, with over 6 million students taking part worldwide each year.

In the United States, it was started in 1998 by Maria Omelanczuk, a trained mathematician and educator, at the Sobieski School in Chicago. As participation grew, Omelanczuk formed a not-for-profit organization, Math Kangaroo in USA NFP Inc., together with Izabela Szpiech and Joanna Lasek. The charity has run the competition since 2003.

"Parents enroll their children not only to compete but also to learn."

— Maria Omelanczuk, founder, Math Kangaroo Bulletin (Fall 2019)

Joanna Matthiesen, who co-founded the organization, now serves as its President and Chief Executive Officer. Writing in the organization's bulletin when she took over the role, she described the work of the charity in plain terms.

"Indeed, we are making a difference in students' lives!"

— Joanna Matthiesen, President and CEO, Math Kangaroo Bulletin (Fall 2021)

The organization states its mission as helping students love math nationwide.

How to Register for Math Kangaroo 2027?

Students cannot register directly with the organization. Registration is done through a center. The process is as follows.

1. Step 1: Visit the official website, mathkangaroo.org, on or after September 15, 2026.
2. Step 2: Go to the Registration page and use the center search tool to find a center in your state.
3. Step 3: If your child's school is already enrolled, ask the school for its Center Invitation Code.
4. Step 4: If the school is not enrolled, select a public center that accepts students from any school.
5. Step 5: Create an account, select the competition, center, and grade level, and pay online.

Ways to Take the Test

Math Kangaroo offers five participation options, and the differences matter.

Four of them (in-person on paper, online proctored at a center, online managed by a center from home, and remote direct-to-home) are proctored and produce an official score and ranking. All four include the mathematical gift and participation ribbon.

The fifth, the virtual self-proctored option, works differently. Math Kangaroo describes it as being for students who want to test their skills independently, without formal competition or proctoring. Students can take it from any location with internet access, and students anywhere in the US may register. A real test score is provided, and a ranking range is shared for comparison with proctored students, but no official ranking is issued, and no gifts or awards are given.

Only centers that test in a physical classroom may offer open, public registration. Families aiming for national or state recognition should choose a proctored option. Registration for all 2026 arrangements is now closed; 2027 options open on September 15.

Exam Pattern and Marking Scheme

The paper is entirely multiple-choice. The number of questions depends on the student's grade.

Questions are divided into three equal groups carrying 3, 4, and 5 points each. Calculators are not permitted. Rulers are allowed.

An international committee, the Association Kangourou sans Frontieres, selects the questions. Students in the United States attempt the same paper as students in every other participating country, on the same day.

No Negative Marking in the US Competition

Math Kangaroo USA states clearly that it does not deduct points for an incorrect answer. A wrong answer earns zero. It does not earn less than zero.

Several online guides written for American families describe a different system, in which a mark is deducted for each wrong answer, and students begin with a cushion of points so that no total falls below zero. That system does exist, but it is used in other countries. It does not apply to the competition in the United States.

Also on September 15!

September 15 carries a second deadline. On the same day that 2027 individual registration opens, regular registration for the 2026 Team Competition closes. The two are separate events and are easily confused.

Math Kangaroo is also running online classes for Grades 1 to 8 and webinars for Grades 1 to 6 this autumn, both with early-bird discounts listed on its website.

Sources

All dates, figures, and quotations in this report are taken from the official Math Kangaroo USA website and its published bulletins.

• Math Kangaroo USA — official site
• How to start a Math Kangaroo center
• Math Kangaroo registration page
• Math Kangaroo logistics
• Math Kangaroo Bulletin, Fall 2019
• Math Kangaroo Bulletin, Fall 2021

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