CARIBOU MATH CONTESTS

The Caribou Mathematics Competition is a worldwide online contest that is held six times throughout the school year. Each of these days, contests are offered for each of the grade levels K/1, 2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, 9/10 and 11/12 in multiple languages.

The goals of this project are to:

• improve students’ problem-solving techniques by providing a wide variety of challenging math activities suitable for all students in grades K-12.
• motivate students to get back to their school math when a question needed a technique or formula which they did not remember.
• show that mathematical puzzles can be fun and that competing in math contests with interactive questions is exciting.

Cash prizes are given out to the top-performing students and schools in the Caribou Cup. Additionally, contest and Caribou Cup certificates can be printed after each test is marked.

Students may not write more than one contest at each offering.

UW CEMC MATH CONTESTS

The University of Waterloo develops and administers many internationally recognized contests to help inspire the next generation of students to develop an interest in and love for mathematics.

Students in lower grades are welcome to write these contests.

UW CEMC COMPUTING CONTESTS

Developed and administered by the University of Waterloo, the Beaver Computing Challenge (BCC) introduces computer science to students. It is designed to get students with little or no previous experience excited about computing.

Students in lower grades are welcome to write these contests.

CANADIAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY CONTESTS

The Canada Lynx Mathematical Competition (CLMC) is open to students in Grades K-12, and suggested for students in Grades 7-12. The contest takes place early in the school year, making it an excellent tool to assess students at the beginning of the school year! It also serves as great practice for students with advanced mathematical skills who wish to participate in the higher-challenge (and written solutions!) Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge (COMC) that takes place later in October.

By participating in the contest, students can earn a chance to win prizes and awards. Moreover, contestants in Canada that obtain a perfect score in the CLMC are invited to write the COMC free of charge.  The COMC, in turn, is the primary gateway to the elite invitation-only tournaments, such as the Canadian Math Olympiad (CMO) and Canada’s team for the International Math Olympiad (IMO).

The Canada Jay Mathematical Competition (CJMC) is the CMS’ newest Canadian math competition open to students in Grades K-8, with questions based primarily on Grade 5-8 curriculum. This competition has been created by mathematicians from across Canada. It was renamed in 2022 from the original name Canadian Mathematical Gray Jay Competition (CMGC) to match the renaming of the Canada Jay bird.

The problems are meant to be a fun fall activity for students and teachers to complement their math curriculum and build students’ problem-solving skills. The CJMC offers engaging problems that allow for discussion after the competition and get students excited about math. The competition has 15 questions which take place over 90 minutes. It consists of 3 blocks of 5 questions with an increasing level of difficulty from beginning to end.

The Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge (COMC) is Canada’s premier national mathematics competition open to any student with an interest in and grasp of high school math. The purpose of the COMC is to encourage students to explore, discover, and learn more about mathematics and problem-solving. The competition serves to provide teachers with a unique student enrichment activity during the fall term. It is the most prestigious math competition in Canada and one of the most prestigious in the Americas. The COMC is the only way to be invited to the CMS’ free, exclusive training camps and compete internationally as part of Math Team Canada!

Depending on their grade level and performance, students participating in the COMC will also have the opportunity to be considered for university scholarships, get invited to math camps, garner awards, and win prizes.

Students in lower grades are welcome to write these contests.

AMERICAN MATHEMATICS COMPETITIONS

Developed by the Mathematical Association of America (MAA), The American Mathematics Competitions are a series of examinations and curriculum materials that build problem-solving skills and mathematical knowledge in middle and high school students. The first contest took place almost 70 years ago and the AMC’s continue to be prestigious contests in the United States. Although the first of a series of tests used to determine the United States team for the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), the AMC’s welcome Canadian participants.

The AMC 8 is a 25-question, 40-minute, multiple choice examination in middle school mathematics. Possible topics include but are not limited to: counting and probability, estimation, proportional reasoning, elementary geometry including the Pythagorean Theorem, spatial visualization, everyday applications, and reading and interpreting graphs and tables. In addition, some of the later questions may involve linear or quadratic functions and equations, coordinate geometry, and other topics traditionally covered in a beginning algebra course.  Students who are in grade 8 or below and under 14.5 years of age on the day of the competition are eligible to participate in the AMC 8.

The AMC 10 and AMC 12 are both 25-question, 75-minute, multiple-choice examinations in high school mathematics designed to promote the development and enhancement of problem-solving skills. The AMC 10 is for students in 10th grade and below, and covers the high school curriculum up to 10th grade. Students in grade 10 or below and under 17.5 years of age on the day of the contest can take the AMC 10. The AMC 12 covers the entire high school curriculum, including trigonometry, advanced algebra, and advanced geometry, but excluding calculus. Students in grade 12 or below and under 19.5 years of age on the day of the contest can take the AMC 12.

Students in lower grades are welcome to write these contests.