Junior Kangaroo Past Papers & Solutions
UKMT Junior Kangaroo
Free Junior Kangaroo past papers from 2015 to 2026 with direct PDF links to every question paper and solutions booklet, plus the JMC invitation route and Merit boundaries.
- Eligibility
- Year 8 and below (invitation from the JMC)
- Format
- 25 multiple-choice questions
- Duration
- 60 minutes
- Scoring
- 5 marks for Q1–15, 6 marks for Q16–25, no penalty marks
The Junior Kangaroo is the follow-on round for the strongest Junior Mathematical Challenge candidates who fall just short of a JMO invitation. It keeps the multiple-choice format but drops the penalty marking, so every question is worth attempting, and the problems lean harder on multi-step reasoning than on speed. Each year below links to the official UKMT question paper and solutions PDF so a student can sit a full paper timed and mark it the same evening.
Junior Kangaroo past papers and solutions by year
Every link below opens the official UKMT PDF directly. Sit the paper timed, mark it against the solutions, then read the extended solutions once you have written up your own attempt.
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Other official Junior Kangaroo resources
What the paper tests
Multi-step arithmetic
Geometry & dissection
Counting & casework
Number puzzles
Pacing without penalties
Where it leads: Invitation comes from a high Junior Mathematical Challenge score, just below the JMO threshold. See our coaching programme.
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Frequently asked questions
- Where can I download Junior Kangaroo past papers?
- UKMT publishes the Junior Kangaroo question paper and solutions for each year as free PDFs, and every year listed on this page links straight to the official file.
- How do you qualify for the Junior Kangaroo?
- There is no separate entry. Students are invited on the strength of their Junior Mathematical Challenge score — typically the band just below the Junior Mathematical Olympiad cut-off.
- Is there a penalty for wrong answers in the Junior Kangaroo?
- No. Unlike the JMC, the Junior Kangaroo has no negative marking, so every question should be answered even if you have to narrow it down and choose.
- How is the Junior Kangaroo different from the JMC?
- Same length and multiple-choice format, but the problems require more sustained multi-step reasoning, the field is far stronger, and the marking has no penalties. Certificates of Merit go to roughly the top 25% of the invited cohort.
- Which Junior Kangaroo years are available here?
- Papers and solutions are linked for 2015 to 2026. There was no Junior Kangaroo sitting in 2020, so that year is not listed.
Related paper libraries
Preparing beyond past papers? See our 1-to-1 Maths Olympiad tutoring hub for the full UKMT, BMO, AMC and AIME pathway with verified expert mentors.