Competitions

The American Mathematics Competition (AMC) is organised by the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) in the United States. AMC is recognised by college admissions around the world.  It's an opportunity that every math enthusiast should undoubtedly explore, as it presents one of the most challenging tests of mathematical prowess. Quantum Education is the exclusive official authorised organisation for registration and examination for MAA AMC in Australia. This year marks the fifth year that Quantum Education has organised the American Mathematics Competition (AMC) in Australia. In previous years' competitions, several Australian students have been invited to the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME) through the AMC 10 or 12, achieving remarkable results.  Students in grade 10 or below and under 17.5 years of age on the day of the competition are eligible to participate in the AMC 10.  Students in grade 12 or below and under 19.5 years of age on the day of the competition are eligible to participate in the AMC 12.

The AMC 8 is a 25-question, 40-minute, multiple-choice examination in middle school mathematics designed to promote the development of problem-solving skills. The AMC 8 provides an opportunity for middle school students to develop positive attitudes towards analytical thinking and mathematics that can assist in future careers.  The material covered on the AMC 8 includes topics from a typical middle school mathematics curriculum. Possible topics include but are not limited to: counting and probability, estimation, proportional reasoning, elementary geometry including the Pythagorean Theorem, spatial visualization, everyday applications, and reading and interpreting graphs and tables. In addition, some of the later questions may involve linear or quadratic functions and equations, coordinate geometry, and other topics traditionally covered in a beginning algebra course. ​ Students who are in grade 8 or below and under 14.5 years of age on the day of the competition are eligible to participate in the AMC 8.

The American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME) is a challenging competition offered for those who excelled on the AMC 10 and/or AMC 12. The AIME is a 15-question, 3-hour examination, in which each answer is an integer number between 0 to 999. The questions on the AIME are much more difficult than those on the AMC 10 and AMC 12. Top-scoring participants on the AIME are invited to take the USAMO or USAJMO.

In 1991, two French teachers inspired by the Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC) decided to start a similar online competition in France. They called it the ‘Kangaroo’ to pay tribute to their Australian friends.  In Australia, Kangourou sans Frontières (KSF) is an online only, multiple-choice competition for years 3–12.  Y3-4: 24 Questions, 60 Minutes Y5-6: 30 Questions, 60 Minutes Y7-12: 30 Questions, 75 Minutes ​Exam Date: Tuesday, 26th March 2024 Exam time: Session1 starts at 4.30pm Session2 starts at 6.00pm

Bebras is a fun and engaging computational thinking challenge for students in Years 3 to 12. It is an international challenge that involves over 2.9 million students from 60 countries. Coding skills are not required to complete the Bebras Challenge. The challenge is open twice a year for three weeks and each round has different questions. Students can participate individually or in teams of up to four. There will be two round of challenge with similiar difficulties. ​ROUND 1: 23 April - 9 May, 2024 ROUND 2: 8-24 October, 2024

The Computational and Algorithmic Thinking (CAT) competition is a one-hour problem-solving competition designed to encourage student curiosity and promote multiple modes of thinking. The competition is an ideal activity to encourage students to solve real-world problems.  The competition has a mixture of multiple-choice and integer answers and incorporates unique ‘three-stage tasks’ that encourage students to develop informal algorithms and apply them to test data of increasing size or complexity. The original problems are designed to be quick to solve and highly approachable, and range in difficulty from very easy to challenging. Some questions test the ability to perform procedures, others require logical thought, while the more challenging problems require the identification and application of algorithms. The CAT has four divisions: Upper Primary (years 5–6), Junior (years 7–8), Intermediate (years 9–10) and Senior (years 11–12).

The Big Science Competition is one of the biggest international science competitions hosted by Australian Science Innovations. It is an easy way to challenge students from Years 7 to 10 and track their performance against state or national averages. Competition questions are aligned with the Australian Curriculum – Science. A 50-minute, multiple choice competition testing science knowledge, critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. Questions are set in real-life, contemporary contexts, making them relatable (and interesting)!

The Oxford University Computing Challenge (OUCC) is a two-round online competition held in term 2. The first round (26 May) is open to all students in years 5–12 and the second round (9 June) is an invitational for the top 20 students in each division from the first round. Detailed information can be found on AMT website: https://www.amt.edu.au/computational-thinking/oxford-university-computing-challenge

Students write short computer programs to solve six problems that vary in difficulty. The competition does not test computer literacy or knowledge but is focused on problem solving through programming skills.The AIO challenges these students, identifies talent and can open the door to deeper engagement with problems in computer science.Intermediate for students up to year 10; Senior for students up to year 12

The AMC, organized by Australian Maths Trust, is an engaging 30-problem competition that demonstrates the importance and relevance of mathematics in students’ everyday lives; it is open to students in years 3 to 12. Australia’s leading educators and academics, with a deep understanding of our national curriculum standards, actively design the unique AMC problems each year.The AMC has five divisions: Middle Primary (years 3–4), Upper Primary (years 5–6), Junior (years 7–8), Intermediate (years 9–10) and Senior (years 11–12). Entrants in years 3–6 are asked to solve 30 problems in 60 minutes, while those in years 7–12 have 75 minutes to solve more complex problems.

The AIMO gives talented students an opportunity to be recognised and to participate in activities which will enhance their enjoyment and knowledge of mathematics. This four-hour contest is designed to stretch talented students. It is suited to years 7 to 10 level and particularly for those who are high achievers in the Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC) and have acquired knowledge in Olympiad problem solving.

The competition has been in existence since 1972. It is wholly organised and run by staff member of the School of Mathematics and Statistics at The University of Melbourne. The competition is of a demanding standard, designed to identify real mathematical talent. Between 3000 and 5000 students enter, and some 150 are awarded prizes. The nature of the problems is different from that encountered in school mathematics syllabi, being less mechanical and requiring a higher level of mathematical insight and creativity. As such, participation is likely to be rewarding only to those students who have a real love for, and ability in, mathematics. The competition is separated into three divisions: Junior Division - Students in years 7 and 8 sit a two hour exam Intermediate Division - Students in years 9 and 10 sit a three hour exam Senior Division - Students in years 11 and 12 sit a three hour exam