A FUN WAY TO BUILD MATH SKILLS? YEP. SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT.
Welcome! We're happy you're interested in MATHCOUNTS!
Learn more below about the MATHCOUNTS Competition Series, plus our free National Math Club program and skill-building resources.
Click the buttons below to register or to sign up to get more info from Allie and Amanda from our outreach team.
You also can email us directly.
Click through buttons about how we build skills
One big reason: our programs and resources build truly outstanding problem-solving skills.
MATHCOUNTS isn't just about competing...it's about what students get out of working through interesting, challenging problems and discussing solutions with their teammates. Our resources and program experiences are designed to make students see problems as fun puzzles to solve.
Click through the buttons to learn more about how we approach math differently.
What Students Say
In a 2017 independent study, 87% of students said participation in MATHCOUNTS increased their confidence in math/STEM.
MATHCOUNTS "gave me confidence in my ability to solve difficult problems...I attribute my love for math to these MATHCOUNTS competitions that showed me math is so much more than just numbers on a piece of paper."
-Braden, alumnus from WI
What Teachers Say
In a 2017 independent study, 97% of coaches said after MATHCOUNTS, their students could successfully tackle and answer math problems they had never seen before.
"Students who participate in MATHCOUNTS almost always have a better understanding of what we cover in the regular math class. Working with challenging problems through MATHCOUNTS helps them apply reasoning skills more adeptly to any problem encountered."
-Coach (anonymous survey)
Basic Problems
Even basic problems are made more complex and interesting with MATHCOUNTS, which builds skills.
Let's take a basic algebra problem. Here's one you may find in a typical math textbook:
And here's one of ours:
Why apples? Because students likely haven't encountered something like this before, which adds a layer of complexity...it forces them to pause for a moment and think. (It's also more fun!)
Complex Problems
Our problems are known for requiring multiple skills at once. Students would tackle the problem below after 3-6 months of practice:
Think of how many skills students must use to solve this! Calculating area, calculating percentages, even reading comprehension and general problem solving, as students figure out how to use the info they're given.
Problems like these make kids great problem solvers, and discussing solutions with peers deepens their thinking even further. Any state test would be a breeze to students who could think this way!
Concept-Specific Resources
MATHCOUNTS gives coaches numerous resources to use: from a handbook of practice problems and a Problem of the Week, to mini lessons and pre-done practice plans. We want our resources to work well for all kids, so we give lots of flexibility for the teachers using them.
Although our competitions and practice sets contain a mix of math concepts and skills to build problem-solving skills, MATHCOUNTS practice resources are categorized by math concept and can be filtered by difficulty level. This gives teachers the tools they need to hone in on a specific skill or math concept with their students.
TEAM MEETINGS LED BY A COACH
September - February
(typically 2-4 times per month)
A coach is often a math teacher, and we provide ready-made materials to make coaching a light-lift. These practices are a big part of what sets us apart. Students work together on problem sets and math explorations and discuss how they approached the problem. However many students are interested may participate in team meetings, and we'll mail you a kit of materials and give you online access to resources.
SCHOOL COMPETITION HOSTED BY A COACH
November - February
(but typically December or January)
However many students are interested may take the School Competition. Coaches can decide how to host this event. Many use the test material provided by MATHCOUNTS to determine which students from their school will compete at the chapter level, but if a coach already knows which kids will attend, it's also a great practice resource.
CHAPTER COMPETITION...AND BEYOND!
February
(typically a 4-hour event during a weekend)
In February, students from every registered school get to compete at one of 500 in-person chapter competitions across the country. From there, students can advance to the state level (March), and then national level (May), based on their scores. Your school's registration cost is based on the number of competitors you want to send to your local Chapter Competition (up to 12).
JUST-FOR-FUN MEETINGS AND FREE PROGRAMS
Year-round, especially January-May
(meet as often as you'd like!)
No matter how your school does at the Chapter Competition, your school's MATHCOUNTS program can last the entire year! Your students could work on a group club project to earn extra recognition through the National Math Club. Our 2 programs work well together or separately...make it your own!
As soon as you register
We will email the coach instructions for how to access the online Coach Dashboard for info about the chapter competition and math materials so they can get started right away with team practices.
Within 2 weeks
The coach will receive a mailed School Competition Kit with a copy of the MATHCOUNTS School Handbook, certificates and ribbons, pencils and a math poster.
Each month
We'll email every month to highlight resources and provide ideas for recruiting and supporting students. New coaches will hear from us every week. Coaches host team practices at the time/frequency that works best for them.
In mid-December
We'll partner with Art of Problem Solving to host an online practice competition for registered schools. This is optional (but recommended!), and we'll reach out by early December with more details.
By early January
The coordinator for your chapter will reach out to you with details about your in-person Chapter Competition. Chapter and state coordinators are the incredible volunteers—often engineers affiliated with NSPE—who run MATHCOUNTS events in their communities.
In February
Your students (1-12, depending on how many you registered) will participate in the Chapter Competition. From here, they can advance to the State Competition in March or even the 2024 RTX MATHCOUNTS National Competition in May!
Register Starting August 15!
We recommend registering as soon as possible so you can access all the incredible practice materials available to you and so your students have as much practice time as possible.
Get $60 off your school's max registration!
(limited time offer)
Pay just $30 per chapter competitor when you register by November 1. Register the max (12 competitors) and save $60!
Schools in underserved communities get an additional 50% discount. If your school is a public or charter school that receives School-wide Title I funding or has at least 40% of the students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, the cost is $15 per competitor ($180 max) if you register by November 1.
Still have questions? We're here to help!
Learn more about the Competition Series at the Rules & FAQ page or email Allie and Amanda from the MATHCOUNTS outreach team. We're eager for your students to participate in our programs, and are happy to answer any questions you may have!