- Grades1 to 8
- CostFree to $30
Math competitions for middle school students
Math competitions that accept students in grades 6 to 8. Middle school is the best time to start competing, because the fields are smaller, the entry barriers are lower, and the habits you build here carry straight into the high school versions of the same competitions.
RecommendedGrades 6 to 8
FormatIndividual
WhereIn person
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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- Grades4 to 8
- CostNot confirmed
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereIn person
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
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
MATHCOUNTS
The national middle school math league, from your classroom to a televised countdown round.
Math
Purple Comet! Math Meet
A free, online, team-based maths contest open to any school or club in the world.
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- Grades6 to 8
- Cost$42 to $80
- FormatEither
- WhereIn person
Check site
- Grades6 to 12
- CostFree
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereOnline
Math
AMC 10 and AMC 12
The 75-minute exam that opens the door to the US math olympiad ladder.
187 days left
- Grades1 to 12
- CostFree to $70
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatIndividual
WhereIn person
Math
AIME
Fifteen problems, three hours, integer answers only. Invitation required.
36 days left
- Grades1 to 12
- CostUp to $25
PreparationA qualifying score on AMC 10 or AMC 12
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
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
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
PUMaC
A team math tournament at Princeton with a live power round and a strong international field.
11 days left
- Grades6 to 12
- Cost$20 to $100
PreparationExperience with proof-based problems
FormatTeam
WhereIn person
Check site
Questions people ask about this
Can a middle school student enter high school competitions?
Sometimes. Many competitions set an upper grade limit but no lower one, so a younger student is eligible. Every listing on this site states the exact grade and age rules, and several also set an age limit on the competition day that catches people out.