Competition Overview

MATHCOUNTS Competitions are organized at four levels — school, local or chapter, state and national.

School competition

In January, after several months of coaching, schools registered for the competition phase of the program administer the school competition to all interested 6th, 7th and 8th grade students. This competition is intended as an aid to the coach in determining team members. Selection of team members is entirely at the discretion of the coach.

Chapter competition

Chapter competitions are held during the month of February. Students compete as members of a four-student team or as individuals. Top chapter winners then progress to the state contest in March. Teachers are informed of the date and location of their Chapter Competition by their Chapter Coordinator. >>The schedule is also posted on this Web site.

State competition

Held in March, the State Competition involves an overnight stay in a hotel, usually in the Twin Cities area. Teams arrive Friday afternoon and the tests are administered Saturday morning. MATHCOUNTS pays for room and meals for participating students and coaches.

Trophies are given to the six highest placing students, the four top teams and the four winners of the Countdown Round.

National competition

The four highest-ranked Mathletes and the top team coach from the State Competition receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the National Competition.

The National Competition is held in early May. Recent competitions have been held in Denver, Dallas and Washington, DC. Scholarships and prizes are awarded to the top 10 individuals and the top three state teams in the national meet.