2026 Contest Information

Post-Contest Updates

Thanks to everyone who joined us for our 2026 Math Contest on January 31, and to everyone behind the scenes who helped to make it happen!
Some details are below...

• 277 schools were represented from 24 states (USA) and 11 countries!
  • 1077 students took 1461 exams, and 234 students participated in The SmackDown.
  • Check out our 2026 Contest Map as well as the list of participation from USA states!
• Tentative Contest Results!
  We will be reaching out to teachers soon as part of our verification process before making a final determination of results. (This process often takes at least 2-3 weeks.)
• Distribution of Prizes, Certificates, and Trophies:
  • Certificates of Participation will be emailed to students in approximately 2-4 weeks.
  • Amazon Gift Cards are emailed to verified contest winners approximately 4-6 weeks after the contest.
  • Winners Certificates are emailed to verified contest winners approximately 4 weeks after the contest.
  • School trophies are delivered or mailed to to the top three schools approximately 6 weeks after the contest.
  • Individual contest scores will be made available approximately 2-3 weeks after the contest. (Students will be able to access each of their individual exam scores through CASA --> Courses tab --> subject page --> Gradebook link. Teachers will be able to view all of their students' scores in the Codes tab of the teacher/sponsor's Courseware account).

Information from Contest Day

The 2026 Math Contest will be held ONLINE on Saturday, January 31, 2026. The contest is FREE and is open to all high school and middle school students. Students are permitted to take the contest exams at home on their own computers.

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• 2026 Contest Schedule
• Contest Zoom Room
  Visit the Contest Zoom Room to interface with the organizers between 8:00 am and Noon Central Time. This same room is also used to view and participate in the SmackDown at 12:15 p.m., and for the awards ceremony at 2:00 p.m.
• Registration Help Page
  Registration remains open until the last contest begins on January 31. ONE teacher per school should register. This page contains detailed registration instructions as well as help videos for teachers and students.
• Exam Instructions page
  Read this in detail! This page contains a wealth of important information that will not necessarily be presented on contest day.
• Taking Your Contest Exams
  To take an exam, sign into your Courseware account, select the Courses tab, select the desired subject, and look at the top of the course homepage for an exam link that is individual to you.
  • For all courses except SmackDown, you MUST refresh that individualized link within 5 minutes of the exam, or you could miss all or part of the exam.
  • For SmackDown (and SmackDown only), you also need to have the Contest Zoom Room open to view the SmackDown questions. You access your SmackDown answer sheet through your Courseware account.
• Calculator and Technology Policy
  Students should read the Calculator & Technology Policy for clarification about the types of tools that are and are not permitted to be used during contest exams. AI technology such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Llama, and other LLMs (large language models) are NOT permitted to be used on any portion of the UH Contest exams. Also prohibited are similar math-specific tools including, but not limited to: Mathway, Photomath, MathPapa, QuickMath, and Math Solver – which either give step-by-step instructions or step-by-step solutions, or give an immediate answer when multiple steps are being computed in the background of the tool. Wolfram Alpha is also NOT permitted.
• The Rounding Instructions have been updated to state that for multiple-choice questions, students should simply choose the best answer and then type 1 for A, 2 for B, 3 for C, 4 for D, 5 for E, or 6 for F. (No rounding rules are needed for multiple-choice questions unless indicated in the problem.) The rounding rules apply for questions which are not multiple choice.
• Check out the contest demonstration video and the practice contest to familiarize yourself with the exam format:
  
  • Contest Demonstration Video
  • Practice Contest
    The practice contest can be taken every 30 minutes, according to the following schedule.
    
• Click on the additional links below and at the left to learn more about our FREE annual contest.
  Contest Schedule
  Contest Prizes
  Contest Enrollment Rules
  Calculator & Technology Policy
  Rounding Instructions
  Exam Content Information
  The Contest Point System
  
  The Smackdown (Exciting Elimination Round). Also check out a recording of our 2024 SmackDown, courtesy of first-place winner Eric Li of Elkins High School!