MATHCOUNTS

MathCounts is a large national mathematics competition and mathematics coaching program that has served millions of middle school students since 1984. Sponsored by the CNA Foundation, National Society of Professional Engineers, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and others, the focus of MathCounts is on mathematical problem solving. Students are eligible for up to three years, but cannot compete beyond their eighth grade year.

MathCounts Curriculum

MathCounts curriculum includes arithmetic, algebra, counting, geometry, number theory, probability, and statistics. The focus of MathCounts curriculum is in developing mathematical problem solving skills.

MathCounts Competition Structure

Sprint Round

30 problems in 40 minutes.

Target Round

8 problems given 2 at a time.

Team Round

10 problems in 20 minutes for a team of 4 students.

Countdown Round

High scoring individuals compete head-to-head until a champion is crowned.

Masters Round

Top students give in-depth explanations to highly challenging problems.

Scoring and Ranking

An individual's score is their total number of correct sprint round answers plus 2 times their total number of correct target round answers. This total is out of a maximum of 30 + 2(8) = 46 points.

A teams score is the average of the individual scores of its four members plus 2 points for every correct team round answer.

MathCounts Competition Levels

School Competition

Students vie for the chance to make their school teams. Problems at this level require the least depth of curriculum.

Chapter Competition

Chapter competitions serve as a selection filter for state competitions. A few states don't need to host chapter competitions due to population size.

State Competition

The top 4 students in each state form the state team for the national competition. The coach of the top school team at the state level is invited to coach the state team at the national competition.

National Competition

Nation Competition Sites

For many years, the National MathCounts competition was held in Washington, D.C. More recently, the competition has changed venues.

• The 2007 competition will be held in Fort Worth, Texas.
• The 2006 competition was held in Arlington, Virginia.
• The 2005 competition was held in Detroit, Michigan.
• The 2004 competition was held in Washington, D.C.
• The 2002 and 2003 competitions were held in Chicago, Illinois.

MathCounts Resources

MathCounts Books

• MathCounts books at the AoPS Bookstore
• Art of Problem Solving's Introductory subject textbooks are ideal for students preparing for MathCounts.

MathCounts Classes

• Art of Problem Solving hosts MathCounts preparation classes.
• Art of Problem Solving hosts many free MathCounts Math Jams. Math Jam Schedule. Math Jam Transcript Archive.

MathCounts Online

• MathCounts Homepage
• Art of Problem Solving hosts a large MathCounts Forum as well as a private MathCounts Coaches Forum.
• Elias Saab's MathCounts Preparation Homepage
• The MathCounts Bible According to Mr. Diaz
• Building a Successful MathCounts Program by Jeff Boyd, who coached the 2005 National Champion Texas MathCounts team.

States, territories, and other teams for National MathCounts

• Alabama MathCounts
• Alaska MathCounts

What comes after MathCounts?

Give the following competitions a try:

• American Mathematics Competitions (AMC)
• American Regions Mathematics League (ARML)
• Mandelbrot Competition
• Mu Alpha Theta

See also

• Mathematics competition resources