Mathcounts

Article summary

Mathcounts, stylized as MATHCOUNTS, is a nonprofit organization that provides extracurricular mathematics programs for grades 6 through 8 in every U.S. state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Department of Defense schools, and State Department schools. Its mission is to provide engaging math programs for middle school students of all ability levels to build confidence and improve attitudes about math and problem-solving. In Mathcounts, testing is conducted in four separate rounds: the Sprint, Target, Team, and Countdown rounds. The Sprint Round consists of 30 problems to be completed in 40 minutes. This round tests competitors' accuracy and speed. As a result of the difficulty and time constraint, many competitors do not finish all the problems in the Sprint Round. The Target Round consists of eight problems presented in sets of two, with each set having a six-minute time limit. Calculators are permitted. This round tests competitors' accuracy and problem-solving skills. The problems get progressively more difficult, and even with the aid of a calculator, students commonly leave questions blank. The Team Round consists of 10 problems to be solved in 20 minutes. Calculators are permitted. Only the four students on a school's or state's team may take this round officially.…

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