The sixth round of the Caribou Contest is approaching! If you’re looking for a way to help your child improve their math skills while having fun, the Caribou Contest is a great option. It’s an online math challenge that offers interesting and engaging problems to pique students’ interest in math, and is suitable for students from Kindergarten to grade 12.
What is the Caribou Contest?
The Caribou Mathematics Contest, or Caribou Cup, is an international online mathematics competition sponsored by Canadian math professor Thomas Wolf and backed by the Canadian Mathematical Society.
The contest is held six times per year, and is open to students from Kindergarten to grade 12. It offers engaging and thought-provoking problems to boost math skills. It is an excellent chance for young math lovers to compete with other students worldwide.
Why is Caribou Contest suitable for beginners?
Caribou Contest is a good choice for young math lovers for the following reasons:
- Welcoming to All Skill Levels: The contest is designed to cater to a wide range of abilities, which means that students just starting out with math competitions can find questions suited to their level.
- Progressive Difficulty: Questions are typically structured so that they start easy and gradually increase in difficulty, allowing beginners to tackle problems at their own pace and learn as they go.
- Learning Through Competition: The contest format can be more engaging than traditional classroom settings for beginners, and it can help them learn new mathematical concepts and problem-solving skills.
- Online Format: The contest is conducted online, making it accessible for anyone with an internet connection. This helps beginners participate in a less stressed environment, from the comfort of their home or school.
- Instant Feedback: After the contest, participants receive immediate results and explanations, allowing them to learn from their mistakes and understand the correct solutions.
- Preparation Materials: The Caribou Contest usually provides past contest questions and practice tests, which can help beginners prepare and become familiar with the contest style and format.
- Builds Confidence: As beginners participate in more contests and see improvement in their scores, they gain confidence in their math skills, which can encourage them to continue exploring and enjoying mathematics.
Overview of Caribou Mathematics Contests
Levels
7 grade levels are offered (K/1, 2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, 9/10, 11/12)
- Students can participate in only one contest level once.
- Students can participate in either their grade level or higher, never a lower grade level.
- Capable students are encouraged to participate at a higher level.
- Before participating, students can practice with previous contests available on the official website to determine the appropriate grade level.
Languages
8 languages are offered: English, French, Persian, Mandarin Chinese, Ukrainian, Khmer, Vietnamese, and Bahasa Melayu.
Frequency
There are 6 contests per year held over two days (Wednesday and Thursday). The exact dates are subject to the schools’ schedules within their respective Contest Time Window.
Registration
The contest is held by schools authorized by the Canadian Mathematical Society. Students who are interested in the contest may complete the registration procedure online. The steps are as follows:
- Visit the official Caribou Contests website.
- Find the registration section and choose to sign up as an individual or as part of a team.
- Complete the registration process by providing the necessary details.
- Pay any applicable registration fees if required.
Timing
Students have a time limit of 50 consecutive minutes to complete each contest.
Prizes
- Each student can print both a Certificate of Achievement and a Certificate of Participation.
- Cash prizes are awarded to top-performing math students at the end of the year.
- A student’s Caribou Cup score is the sum of their best 5 out of the 6 contests. Prizes are awarded according to this sum.
- If two students have the same sum, then their total scores across all 6 contests will be the tie-breaker for the Cup ranking.
- The cash prize amount is calculated by the student’s percentage score in the Caribou Cup. For example, if a student scores 360 points out of 480, their score would be 0.75.
| Rank | Student Prize |
|---|---|
| 1st | $100 × score |
| 2nd | $75 × score |
| 3rd | $50 × score |
| 4th and on | $30 × score |
Note: The collective score for the team contest will be derived from the cumulative performance of all its members.
How to Prepare for the Caribou Contest
Spark Math provides specialized courses for competition math to help students excel in major international math contests, like the Caribou Contest, Math Kangaroo and AMC8. This program aims to advance students’ math skills, problem-solving abilities, and competition strategies.
Effective Learning Approach
The course follows a tiered learning approach to provide a well-rounded understanding of math concepts and skills, aligned with the Caribou contest design. Click here for a free trial class!
Personalized Guidance
Our dedicated teachers give each student personalized guidance to help them build confidence step by step. Unwavering in their commitment, our Spark Math teachers are more than just instructors; they are mentors who instill a love for learning and a passion for mathematics in their students. They not only prepare students for tests and competitions but also equip them with problem-solving skills that will serve them well in all aspects of life.
Well-qualified Teachers
Our mathematics teachers are the epitome of professionalism and expertise. Having undergone a rigorous selection and training process, they are finely honed experts not only in the field of mathematics but also in the art of teaching. Their comprehensive knowledge spans from elementary arithmetic to advanced concepts, and their teaching methods are effective and engaging.
Try a free trial class to experience the Spark Math difference today!
