What is the Junior Maths Challenge?
The Junior Maths Challenge, or the Junior Mathematical Challenge, is a multiple-choice maths challenge that lasts for 60 minutes.
Its purpose is to encourage mathematical reasoning, precise thinking, and the ability to use basic maths techniques to solve basic problems. These problems are designed to help students think and use their maths knowledge in interesting ways, and they are designed to be accessible yet still challenging.
Who can take the Junior Maths Challenge?
The challenge is for students in Years 8 or below, based in schools and colleges in the UK, though all entries must be made by registered UKMT (United Kingdom Maths Trust) centres.
What form does the Junior Maths Challenge take?
The Junior Maths Challenge takes the form of 25 multiple-choice questions that children will take under examination conditions; they have 1 hour to answer all of the questions.
The first 15 questions are intended to be easier, and every correct answer is worth 5 marks. The next 5 questions are more difficult and so are worth 6 marks. However, every incorrect answer has a penalty of 1 point: this is designed to prevent students from just guessing the answer.
The final 5 questions are the most challenging. They are also worth 6 marks, but the penalty for each incorrect answer is 2 marks. Any unanswered question will neither gain nor lose marks.
The top 40% of students receive certificates of different levels based on how well they performed: either Bronze, Silver, or Gold. As well as these certificates, the highest 1200 scorers are invited to take part in another stage of the Junior Maths Challenge: the Junior Mathematical Olympiad (JMO).
What is the Junior Mathematical Olympiad?
The Junior Mathematical Olympiad is the second stage of the Junior Maths Challenge. It is taken in schools and divided into two different sections: Part A and Part B. Part A contains ten questions, each worth a single mark, and the candidate only needs to give the answer. Part B contains only 6 questions, each of which is marked out of 10.
Rather than to try to rush through the section and answer everything, it is advised that students should fully answer the questions that they can. This is because incomplete answers can only score a maximum of 3 marks.
Everyone who completes the JMO receives a certificate, with those who gained the most points also receiving medals or book prizes.
What is the Junior Kangaroo?
The Junior Kangaroo is a follow-on round to the Junior Maths Challenge, and over 10,000 students are invited to take part.
Like the Junior Mathematical Olympiad, entry to this challenge is by invitation only and based on the score that a student achieved in the Junior Maths Challenge.
The Junior Kangaroo is a 60-minute, multiple-choice competition that consists of 25 problems. After the Kangaroo, each participant will receive a Certificate of Qualification. The quarter of participants who scored the highest will also receive a Certificate of Merit.
When is the Junior Maths Challenge?
The Junior Maths Challenge takes place over 4 days: in 2021, it happens from April 26th to April 29th. There are two different deadlines depending on whether students are submitting a paper entry or an online entry. The paper entry deadline is April 9th, while the online entry deadline is April 16th.
What is a good way to prepare for the Junior Maths Challenge?
One great way for students to prepare for Challenge is to look at questions and papers from previous Junior Maths Challenges. This is one way for teachers to help their students to think in a more mathematical fashion, getting them in the right frame of mind to solve the Challenge’s questions.
Here’s a video of some maths challenges to get your brain in the right gear for more: try these out now!