maths challenge

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guestmimi

maths challenge

Post by guestmimi »

Hi,
my daughter is in year 7 grammar, and is fairly good at maths, we heard the other day that she got a silver award in the uk maths challenge.

Is the good?
Has anyone else's children donE this too?

mimi :roll:
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Post by Guest55 »

This would be the UKMT Junior Maths challenge -

http://www.mathcomp.leeds.ac.uk/


It's aimed at Y7 and Y8 - any certificate is good!

Some people can do these questions, some can't! I've taught pupils who were in the top 10 nationally and others - who went on to get firsts in Maths at Cambridge - who just couldn't get the hang of these!
guestmimi

maths challenge

Post by guestmimi »

Thanks guest 55,
I guess this is good then! I hope she makes it to Cambridge! We can dream :shock:

mimi
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Post by Guest55 »

On the parents page it says:

There are three main challenges for pupils studying mathematics: Junior (for ages 11-13); Intermediate (for ages 13-16); and Senior (for pupils aged 16-18). These are taken at school on specified dates by over half a million pupils nationwide. Each challenge is a multiple choice paper containing 25 questions.

The Junior and Intermediate Challenges are marked by the Maths Challenges Office and result are returned to schools within four weeks of the challenge dates. The Senior Challenge is marked in schools so feedback is available immediately.

The top 40% of pupils nationwide receive certificates: a Gold certificate is awarded to the top 6 - 7% of all pupils; Silver goes to the next 12-13%; and Bronze certificates are awarded to the next 20%. Each school receives a 'Best in School' certificate to present to the highest scorer.


These are percentages of those who enter - some schools do, some don't!
hermit

maths challenge

Post by hermit »

Our daughter has done them before. She is in the top 10 in maths in her year (grammar school) but has never won anything. The reason is not that she is no good at maths, far from it. Apparently, they take away marks for every question you get wrong so you are better not to try and answer at all. She simply refuses not to have a go and she is far from alone.

I think that encouraging children to simply dismiss questions they are not sure of getting right defeats the object entirely and avoids any challenge at all.
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Post by Guest55 »

They don't penalise incorrect answers to the first 15 or so questions worth five marks each - you can get a gold by doing these correctly!

Yes - the later questions do penalise incorrect answers - you lose one or two marks but get six for a correct answer.

It says VERY CLEARLY that they don't expect you to answer all questions - have a look at the papers on the website - and encourage your daughter to have a go!
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