Making the most of maths competitions
Maths competitions can be a great way to broaden students’ mathematical horizon – get the dates in the school diary early!
09/07/2019
Not everybody enjoys the challenge of a competition, but some pupils thrive on the opportunity to test their skills in a broader field. The sort of competition appropriate might depend on the personalities and age of your students so here we give an overview.
Material from past competitions is often freely available, which can be great for using with your classes – working collaboratively or competitively, in groups or individually. They often offer something quite different to the sort of questions we are used to using in school maths.
Also look out for local competitions run for school students by universities near you.
In a blog post from 2018, our director, Charlie Stripp, argues that maths competitions can motivate all students, not just the 'brightest'.
We've given details of individual competitions below, including some sample questions. Please check their websites for full, up-to-date details.
Maths competitions on offer 2019/20
Question paper of 20 questions in 45 minutes, starting easy and getting harder
Website
http://www.primarymathschallenge.org.uk/fmc
Organisers
Mathematical Association
Audience
Years 3 and 4
Individual or team
Individual
Marked by
School
Follow-on rounds
No
Description
Question paper of 20 questions in 45 minutes, starting easy and getting harder
When
Any time within a three-week period in June 2020
Where
At your school
Cost
£10 + VAT and postage for ten papers
Availability of past materials
Not yet known – this was a new challenge in 2019
Sample questions
Question paper of 25 questions (10 easy, 20 multiple choice) in 45 minutes
Website
http://www.primarymathschallenge.org.uk/
Organisers
Mathematical Association
Audience
All Year 5 and Year 6 pupils
Individual or team
Individual
Marked by
School
Follow-on rounds
Yes, for high-scorers
Description
Question paper of 25 questions (10 easy, 20 multiple choice) in 45 minutes
When
11–15 November 2019
Where
At your school
Cost
£9.60 for ten papers; order before 11 October for early-bird discount
Availability of past materials
Yes – on the competition website
Sample questions
Website
Junior (JMC): https://www.ukmt.org.uk/individual-competitions/junior-challenge/
Intermediate (IMC): https://www.ukmt.org.uk/individual-competitions/intermediate-challenge/
Senior (SMC): https://www.ukmt.org.uk/individual-competitions/senior-challenge/
Organisers
United Kingdom Mathematics Trust (UKMT)
Audience
JMC: Years 7 and 8; IMC: Years 9–11; SMC: Years 12 and 13
Individual or team
Individual
Marked by
UKMT
Follow-on rounds
Yes
Description
Multiple-choice question papers of 25 questions
When
JMC: 30 April 2020; IMC: 6 February 2020; SMC: 7 November 2019
Where
At your school/college
Cost
£13 per ten entries
Availability of past materials
Yes, plenty, and teachers are encouraged to use them:
Sample questions:
- Junior Maths Challenge (2019)
- Intermediate Maths Challenge (2019)
- Senior Maths Challenge (2018)
Website
https://www.ukmt.org.uk/team-challenges/ and https://www.ukmt.org.uk/team-challenges/senior-team-challenge/
Organisers
Team Challenges: United Kingdom Mathematics Trust (UKMT); Senior Team Challenges: Advanced Mathematics Support Programme (AMSP)
Audience
Team Challenges are for Years 8 and 9; there is also a Senior Team Maths Challenge aimed at A level students
Individual or team
Team
Marked by
Supervising teachers at the event
Follow-on rounds
Materials are provided for schools to run their own Team Challenge. They then enter a team of four for the Regional Finals; National Finals follow
Description
Four rounds of various formats, involving teamwork skills
When
Dates not yet available for 2020
Where
Various locations around the country
Cost
£37 for team entry to Regional Finals (one team per school/college)
Availability of past materials
Website
https://www.maths.manchester.ac.uk/cryptography_competition/
Organisers
University of Manchester School of Mathematics
Audience
Year 7–Year 11
Individual or team
Teams of four (can also join existing teams looking for members)
Marked by
n/a
Follow-on rounds
No
Description
Points can be earned by cracking each code and submitting your answer. The leaderboard keeps track of how well each team is doing
When
Dates not yet available for 2020
Where
At your school
Cost
Free
Availability of past materials
All previous materials on competition website
Sample question
Website
https://amsp.org.uk/events/maths-feast
Organisers
Advanced Mathematics Support Programme
Audience
Year 10 students
Individual or team
Teams of four
Marked by
Marked at event
Follow-on rounds
No
Description
Three-hour challenge. Several rounds, focused on teamwork, communication and problem solving
When
February–May 2020
Where
Venues across England
Cost
Free
Availability of past materials
Previous materials available on the Maths Feast website
Sample questions
- Sample question 1 (2019 Practice Materials Round 1)
- Sample question 2 (2019 Practice Materials Round 1)
Website
https://integralmaths.org/ritangle/
Organisers
MEI
Audience
A level and IB maths students
Individual or team
Teams of any size
Marked by
Final solution submitted by email for marking
Follow-on rounds
No. The winning team is the first to submit completely correct answers
Description
25 questions released over ten weeks in autumn, which give clues to a final multi-part question
When
Starts 7 October 2019
Where
At your school/college
Cost
Free
Availability of past materials
Previous questions available on the @Integral_Maths Twitter account
Sample question
Website
https://www.maths.manchester.ac.uk/mathsbombe/
Organisers
University of Manchester School of Mathematics
Audience
Up to and including Year 13 students
Individual or team
Teams of four (can also join existing teams looking for members)
Marked by
Submitted online
Follow-on rounds
No
Description
Two puzzles are released every two weeks for eight weeks. Answers submitted as the competition proceeds, so you can see your progress
When
Dates not yet available for 2020
Where
At your school
Cost
Free
Availability of past materials
All previous materials on competition website
Sample question
Website
https://www.cipherchallenge.org/
Organisers
University of Southampton School of Mathematical Sciences
Audience
Sixth formers, although earlier rounds are suitable for keen students age 11+ (this can get them hooked for later years!)
Individual or team
Individual or teams of any size
Marked by
Submitted weekly online
Follow-on rounds
No
Description
Ten code-breaking challenges published weekly, with a week to submit solutions
When
19 September – 2 January 2020
Where
At your school/college or at home
Cost
Free
Availability of past materials
PowerPoints on cryptography, and beginner's guide to codebreaking