MATHCOUNTS is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization for middle school students in grades 6-8 in all 50 US states and territories with more than 250 million students participating. The organization offers 3 math programs that cater to students of all levels (MATHCOUNTS Competition Series, The National Math Club and Math Video Challenge) but today we will focus on the MATHCOUNTS Competition Series
The MATHCOUNTS competition is typically divided into 4 sections: school, chapter, state and national. However, for the 2020 - 2021 competition season, there will be 4 levels of official competition, chapter, chapter invitational, state and national, as well as 4 unofficial online competitions. Each competition series will have 4 rounds as follows:
Sprint Round: Requires students to complete 30 questions in 40 minutes calculator-free. Hence the name, the round focuses on completing as many questions correctly as quickly as possible.
Target Round: Solve 4 pairs of problems in 6 minutes with no calculator. This round highlights a student’s problem-solving skills.
Team Round: Four students from a school compete to solve 10 problems in 20 minutes as a team. For the 2020-2021 year, the Team Round will only occur at the National level.
Countdown Round: The top 12 students from the Spirit and Target rounds are paired against each other to answer 3 questions per round in 45 seconds with no calculator. It will also only be held at the national level this year. A question is read aloud, and a student hits the buzzer to answer. If answered correctly they receive a point. If they answer incorrectly, the other student can answer in the time remaining. The student with the highest scores moves to the next round until there are 4 final match ups. The first to answer the 3 questions correctly is crowned the winner of the National Championship.
Typically, a student must register with their school. Any school can register to participate, including homeschools; however, additional paperwork is required.
However, for this year only, if a student's school will not register for the competition and there is no other alternative, the student may register to participate as a non-school competitor (NSC). Parents must contact the school directly to confirm the child is unable to register as a competitor through the school. Parents can register 1 student as an NSC. If a parent has multiple children in one household who qualify to register as an NSC, they must submit a separate registration form & fee for each child. Students can participate in MATHCOUNTS competitions for a maximum of 3 years.
Registration is $30 for a student competing on their school’s behalf and $60 for a non-school competitor. (The increased fee is due to the additional time required to register an NSC student). Some students attending qualifying schools with reduced or free lunch will receive a 50% registration fee discount.
A school can register up to 15 students to represent them in the Chapter Competition held online. Even though they represent the school as a team, all students will register individually for competition. In addition to registering the 15 students for the competition, the registration fee also allows up to 50 additional students from the school to participate in 3 online competitions held on an affiliated platform.
After registration, students can take four practice exams from October to January of the following year. Although not required, practice tests are a good idea because it will allow your students to become familiar with the testing platform before the competition. The practice tests are made up of problems from previous MATHCOUNT competitions and will be completed through a partner platform.
Following the practice tests, the first MATHCOUNTS competition, the Chapter Competition, is held February 5-6, 2021. The competition consists of the Sprint and Target Rounds online. High-performing students will be recognized, with the top 20% in each chapter and the highest-ranking school competitors, advancing to the Chapter Invitational Competition. Non-school competitors must be in the top 20% to advance.
The Chapter Invitational Competition involves the Sprint & Target Rounds and takes place online on February 25th. The top 5 performers in each chapter will move on to the State Competition. The ten-highest ranking competitors will also move on to the State Competition, which is held March 25th online. The State Competition is also comprised of the Sprint & Target Rounds. The 4-highest ranked competitors for each state advance to the National Competition to compete as a team.
The MATHCOUNTS National Competition will be held in Washington DC on May 9-10, 2021. For now, competition is scheduled to take place in-person and all 4 rounds will be held. All competitors will receive a participation plaque, and winning teams will earn college scholarships, along with medals & trophies.
If your child is interested in math competitions and is looking to improve their math skills, contact us at Mathnasium for all your math needs for students in grades 2-12.
(720) 474-1878
