PUMaC
Princeton University Mathematics Competition
A team math tournament at Princeton with a live power round and a strong international field.
Run by Princeton University students
Key facts
- Eligible grades
-
Not confirmed. Check the organiser's rules before entering.PUMaC does not define eligibility by grade. Its rules require that a team member must not have been enrolled full-time in a post-secondary institution before the competition date, as reported by third-party listings citing the official rules page; the rules page itself was not reachable for this check.
- Recommended preparation
-
Experience with proof-based problems
Why: The competition includes a proof-based Power Round alongside short-answer rounds, and from 2025 answers are not necessarily integers.Based on the published exam or entry format.This is Compete's reading of the competition's documented content, not a requirement stated by the organiser. You may enter without it.
- Compete guidance, not an eligibility restriction. Students outside this are still eligible if the official eligibility above allows them.
- Eligible ages
-
Not confirmed. This organiser may set eligibility by grade rather than age. We do not convert one into the other.A rule that members must not have reached their 20th birthday before the competition date is reported by third parties; not confirmed on the official pages checked.
- Individual or team
- Team · Teams consist of exactly 8 students. Since 2017 PUMaC no longer accepts half-team applications, but it does accept individual applicants for the Main Competition. Teams need not be from a single high school and can be regional or home-schooled teams, but must come from a well-defined geographical region.
- Where it runs
- In person · United States, International
- Entry cost
- A per-student registration fee plus travelNot stated on the official pages checked. A third-party listing reports the Power-Round-only competition at $5 per student ($40 per team); the Main Competition fee was not found.
- Registration deadline
- Set locally, not published as a single national date 2026 registration dates not published. The 2025 deadline was 7 October 2025.
- Competition dates
- The 2026-27 edition's date has not been published. For reference, PUMaC 2025 was held Saturday 22 November 2025, with the Power Round due Thursday 20 November.
- Difficulty
- EliteSelection is measured in the top fraction of a percent nationally. Typically reached by qualifying through a lower round rather than entered directly.
- Prizes
- Trophies and medalsAwards for individuals and teams; no cash schedule found.
What PUMaC is
PUMaC is an annual team mathematics competition hosted at Princeton University, run by undergraduates. Teams of up to eight compete in individual subject rounds, a team round, and a power round of proof-based problems worked collaboratively. It draws a strong international field and its problems sit around AIME difficulty and above.
How the competition works
Two distinct competitions: the Power Competition, in which teams take only the proof-based Power Round, and the Main Competition at Princeton, of which the Power Round is one portion. Teams may register for at most one. The Power Round is released about a week before the competition and is due before competition day. Teams choose between an A Division for experienced teams and a B Division recommended for newer teams. From 2025 answers are not necessarily integers.
Eligibility notes
Teams register through a school or club. Places are limited and allocated on a competitive or first-come basis depending on the year.
Is PUMaC right for you?
- Experience needed
- AIME level. Students without AIME experience will find the individual rounds very hard.
- Time commitment
- A season of olympiad problem solving.
- What you actually do
- A day of rounds on campus, including a proof-based power round your team writes up together.
A good fit if
- You are working at AIME level or above
- You want proof-writing practice in a team setting
- You can travel to Princeton
Probably not for you if
- Students new to competition mathematics
Common mistakes
- Neglecting the power round, which is proof-based and heavily weighted, and which most teams practise least.
- Assigning subject rounds by preference rather than by measured strength.
How to register
- Register your team during the autumn window; places fill.
- Choose individual subject rounds for each team member based on strengths.
- Practise the power round format, which requires written proofs rather than numeric answers.
- Work through the free past problem archive.
What skills you need
- AIME-level and above problem solving
- Proof writing for the power round
- Team collaboration
- Subject specialisation
Recommended resources
-
PUMaC official site
Registration, rules, and a free archive of past problems and solutions.
Past problems and materials
Only materials the organiser or an authorised archive publishes openly are listed here.
- PUMaC past problems and solutions
Published free by the organisers.
Frequently asked questions
What is the power round?
A set of linked proof-based problems that your team works on collaboratively and submits as written mathematics. It is marked on the reasoning, not just the conclusions, and it is the round most teams under-prepare.
Reviews, tips and resources from other students
Posts are public. Do not share your full name, school, address or contact details.
Something out of date?
If a deadline, fee or eligibility rule on this page no longer matches the official site, flag it and it goes into the review queue.
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