CML vs MOEMS Math Olympiad: Which Contest Fits Your Child?

CML (the Continental Mathematics League, often called Continental Math League) and MOEMS are both school-run contest series that run through the school year, with 30 minutes per sitting. CML gives six questions per meet to grades 2–9, puts no cap on how many students take part, and lets a child enter alone as a “Home School” for $25. MOEMS gives five non-routine problems per contest to grades 4–8, on teams of up to 35. If you searched for “math olympiad” for a child in grades 4–8, you probably meant MOEMS: its full name is Math Olympiads for Elementary and Middle Schools.

CML vs MOEMS side by side

Time per problem is our arithmetic from each contest’s official length and question count.

How CML works

• Grades 2 and 3 each have their own test, with no divisions, and run three meets, January to March.
• Grades 4 to 9 run five meets, November to March, in two divisions. CML describes the Euclidean division as calling on “average reading comprehension and analytical reasoning” and the Pythagorean division as “above-average.” A student can’t be in both. Our Euclidean vs Pythagorean guide helps you choose.
• The school runs everything. It downloads a PDF of the questions and solutions, gives the meet on the scheduled day or the nearest possible day, grades it with CML’s answer key, and enters scores on CML’s website. Results go online after each meet.
• Every child can take part. There is no limit on students, and only the top 6 scores count toward the team, so a school can let the whole class try.
• Children may play up. CML expects each student to take part at or above their grade level; its example is a 5th grader on the grade 6 team.
• Answers are short. CML’s official sample tests give each question a line in an answer column, and every meet comes with step-by-step solutions.

More detail: our CML parent guide.

How MOEMS works

• Two divisions. Division E is for grades 4–6 and Division M for grades 6–8, so grade 6 appears in both. A team with any 7th or 8th grader must be in Division M.
• Five contests of five problems. Each contest is “five non routine problems that must be completed in 30 minutes.” Students work alone and score 1 point per correct answer, so a season score runs from 0 to 25. Calculators, rulers and graph paper are not allowed.
• A coordinator picks the day. MOEMS sets a window of three to four weeks for each contest, and the PICO (Person In Charge of Olympiads) chooses the date. Everyone on the team takes it on the same day at the same time, on paper or online.
• Team score comes at the end. After Contest 5, the ten highest student totals are added (0–250). Teams hold up to 35 students; there is no minimum.
• Awards are tied to percentages. Every student gets a certificate. Patches go to the top 50%, silver pins to the top 3–10%, gold pins to the top 2%, and the George Lenchner Medallion to a perfect score. Top teams get plaques or certificates.
• It is large. MOEMS says more than 120,000 students take part each year.

More detail: our MOEMS parent guide.

Entering without a school team

CML: register as a “Home School,” which to CML means any student whose school doesn’t take part. In CML’s words, “the fee is reduced to $25 per child for each League/Contest,” so one child’s season of math meets costs $25. Create an account on cmleague.com, buy nothing, then email support@cmleague.com so they can set your account to Home School pricing. A child can’t be on a school team and a Home School team at the same time.

MOEMS: homeschools can enroll as a team, paying the same per-team fee as a school, and there is no minimum team size. MOEMS also lists individuals “with restrictions,” without spelling them out, so email office@moems.org before you plan on it.

Our take: for one child, CML’s Home School route is the simpler and cheaper start. For a homeschool group or co-op with several children in grades 4–8, a MOEMS team makes sense.

Which one fits your child

Can your child do both?

Yes. Each sitting is 30 minutes, and a child can sit both. Check the calendar, though: CML’s January, February and March meet days fall inside MOEMS contest windows 3, 4 and 5 (our reading of the two official calendars). If both run at the same school, ask the PICO to choose a different day from the CML meet in those months.

How to prepare for each

For CML:

• Read every question twice before solving. Both divisions are described by reading level first.
• Twice a week, do 3 word problems untimed; once a week, do a set of 6 in 30 minutes.
• Work through CML’s free sample tests (one per grade and division, with solutions, on each product page at cmleague.com) and our free CML practice problems by grade.
• Full plan: how to prepare for Continental Math League.

For MOEMS:

• Practice strategies more than speed: work backwards, make an organized list, draw a picture, look for a pattern.
• Once a week, do 5 problems in 30 minutes with no calculator, then have your child explain one solution out loud.
• Use MOEMS’s free sample contests and Problem of the Week, plus our free MOEMS practice problems for Division E and Division M.

Dates and deadlines

As of October 2026. Confirm on cmleague.com and moems.org before you register.

Sources: cmleague.com (contest table and FAQ), moems.org (Dates, Deadlines & Fees).

This guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by Continental Mathematics League. “Continental Mathematics League” is a trademark of its respective owners. This guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by Math Olympiads for Elementary and Middle Schools (MOEMS®). “MOEMS” is a trademark of its respective owners.

Where to go from here

Try a free set first: CML practice problems for grades 2–8 and MOEMS practice problems for Divisions E and M, each with worked solutions. When you’re ready for a full plan, our prep guides cover CML Grade 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, and MOEMS Division E and Division M. Weighing MOEMS against other elementary contests too? See our three-way MOEMS comparison.