- Grades1 to 12
- CostUp to $25
Math competitions for students under 18
Math competitions are the most structured pathway a young student can enter. Most run as a ladder: an open entry exam that anyone can sit, then invitational rounds for high scorers, then a national or international team. Almost all of them are cheap or free, and the past papers are public, which makes math the easiest category to start preparing for on your own.
PreparationA qualifying score on AMC 10 or AMC 12
FormatIndividual
WhereIn person
Math
AMC 10 and AMC 12
The 75-minute exam that opens the door to the US math olympiad ladder.
Check site
- Grades1 to 12
- CostFree to $70
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatIndividual
WhereIn person
Math
AMC 8
A 40-minute, 25-question exam for middle schoolers and the natural first step into contest maths.
36 days left
- Grades1 to 8
- CostFree to $30
RecommendedGrades 6 to 8
FormatIndividual
WhereIn person
Math
ARML
Fifteen-student regional teams competing in relays and a power round over one intense weekend.
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- Grades1 to 12
- Cost$100 to $800
PreparationComfort with olympiad-style problems, and a place on a regional team
FormatTeam
WhereIn person
Math
CEMC Contests
Canada's national contest ladder, from grade 7 puzzles to the Canadian Computing Olympiad.
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- Grades7 to 12
- CostUp to $20
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatIndividual
WhereIn person
Math
HMMT
One of the hardest and best-run student math tournaments in the world, held twice a year in Boston.
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- Grades6 to 12
- Cost$20 to $100
PreparationRegular practice on olympiad-level problems
FormatEither
WhereIn person
Math
IM²C
A team modelling challenge with national rounds worldwide feeding an international judging round.
11 days left
- Grades9 to 12
- CostFree
PreparationA strong result in COMAP's HiMCM or MidMCM
FormatTeam
WhereOnline
Math
Math Kangaroo
A friendly international puzzle contest that starts in grade 1.
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- Grades1 to 12
- Cost$21 to $30
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatIndividual
WhereIn person
Math
Math Prize for Girls
The largest cash prize in pre-college mathematics, open to girls and non-binary students.
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- Grades1 to 12
- CostFree
PreparationAn AMC 10 or AMC 12 score above the year's cutoff
FormatIndividual
WhereIn person
Math
MATHCOUNTS
The national middle school math league, from your classroom to a televised countdown round.
Math
MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge
Fourteen hours, one open-ended real-world problem, and a written mathematical model. Free, with six figures in scholarships.
Math
Modeling the Future Challenge
Analyse a real dataset, quantify a risk, and make a recommendation, mentored by a working actuary.
Math
MOEMS
Five short contests across the school year, designed as a first taste of olympiad problem solving from grade 4.
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- Grades6 to 8
- Cost$42 to $80
- FormatEither
- WhereIn person
Check site
- Grades11 to 12
- CostFree
- FormatTeam
- WhereOnline
Check site
- Grades11 to 12
- CostFree
- FormatTeam
- WhereOnline
Check site
- Grades4 to 8
- CostNot confirmed
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereIn person
Math
PUMaC
A team math tournament at Princeton with a live power round and a strong international field.
Check site
- Grades6 to 12
- Cost$20 to $100
PreparationExperience with proof-based problems
FormatTeam
WhereIn person
Math
Purple Comet! Math Meet
A free, online, team-based maths contest open to any school or club in the world.
Check site
- Grades6 to 12
- CostFree
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereOnline
187 days left
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