Instructions to Competitors, Proctors & MC's
Competition Information
There are four stages to each competition. Before the start of each and every
stage, the instructions for that stage must be read loudly by the MC’s to the
competitors. Also, in order to ensure proper marking, participants must be given
enough time to write [clearly and legibly and in the designated area] their
First and Last Names, the Grade Competition, and the School they are
representing. [In the Regional competition participants must write the Pool and
Team Number, if there is more than one team representing the same school in a
particular grade]. Snack break is between The Bull’s Eye stage and Co-op stage.
Lunch break is between the Co-op stage and the Face-Off stage.
*Please be sure to read the Rules about Grade Level Eligibility before registering your students.
Blitz Stage -- 26 short answer questions -- 40 minutes
1. The Blitz Stage consists of one session on a variety of mathematical
subjects. Participants will be allowed to work for 40 minutes on 26 questions
written on four pages [each correct answer will count as one point]. Thus, the
maximum number of points available in this stage is: 26.
2. Some questions are easy and some are hard, so plan accordingly. In
general, the first 14 questions of this stage are easier [the first two pages],
the next 6 questions are of intermediate difficulty [third page], and the last 6
questions are harder [fourth page].
Bull's Eye Stage -- 3 stages [1: problem solving; 2: combinations; 3: geometry] -- 12 minutes each
1. The Bull's Eye Stage consists of
three sessions [each on a separate page with distinctive colour] on a certain
mathematical subject. For each of the sessions, participants will be given 12
minutes to work on the 4 questions on that subject. The total number of
questions in the Bull's-Eye Stage is 12 and each correct answer will count as
two points. Thus, the maximum number of points available in this stage is:
24.
VERY IMPORTANT: Papers for the Bull's-Eye Stage are
colour-coded. Participants must follow the colour code instructions and work
only on the correct colour-coded page [this includes all their written
computations and sketches]. If a participant is found to work on the wrong page
or at the wrong time, he/she will be immediately disqualified from
this.
2. Some questions are easy and some are hard so
plan accordingly. In general, the first 2 questions for each page are easier
than the last 2 questions.
Co-op Stage -- 15 higher level thinking questions to be solved in groups -- 36 minutes
1. The Co-op Stage
is a Team competition. Participants will be allowed to work for 36 minutes on 15
questions. Each correct answer will count as two points. Thus, the maximum
number of points available in this stage is: 30. Scientific calculators are
allowed for this stage of the competition, and are even required for some
questions. Graphing calculators and programmable calculators are not allowed at
all. Devices with wireless communication capabilities are absolutely not
allowed.
2. Some questions are easy, some are hard, and some can be handled better and easier by
a group effort, rather than by individual efforts, so plan accordingly. Some
questions are designed to be almost impossible to do in the allowed time without
team cooperation. In general, the first 5 questions of this stage are easier,
the next 5 questions are of intermediate difficulty, and the last 5 questions
are harder.
3. It is encouraged that each team selects one of its members as the "Team Captain".
The Team Captain will then be in charge of dividing the work among the members
of the team. That person will also be responsible for the submission of the
"team copy" of the answer sheet.
4. As mentioned earlier, each team is required to submit ONE and ONLY ONE copy of the coloured
answer sheet. All other white copies MUST be collected by the MC into a
separate pile and will not be marked. If a team submits more than one "team copy
for marking" - NONE will be marked and the team mark for that page will be 0.
The MC/runners must return ALL material back to the marking room.
Face-off Stage -- A one-to-one buzz in verbal competition 45 seconds per question
Very important: All pools/grades must start at the same time.
1. The Face-Off stage is a
one-to-one buzz-in verbal competition for the top scoring 10 individuals. This
is a separate competition with special awards or prizes. The Face-Off
performance of the individuals participating in this stage will not affect their
final standings as was achieved during the written
competition.
2. There will be a total of 9 one-to-one
match up rounds [named Round 1 to Round 9]. The winner in each round advances to
the next round and the loser in each round is eliminated from the
competition.
3. Participants should be provided
with ample amounts of scrap paper and pencils for calculating
answers.
4. For each question, the participants will be
allowed to work for 45 seconds from the time the question appears on the screen.
A participant who wishes to provide an answer must press the buzzer. But, only
the first person who buzzes will be called to provide an answer. Any answer
without pressing the buzzer will be disqualified. Only ONE answer per
participant, per question, is allowed and he/she must provide it within 3
seconds after being called. The answer must be given in an acceptable
format [I.E.: simplified to lowest terms, or as otherwise specified[. The
opponent may continue working while an answer is provided and if the answer of
the person who first buzzed is incorrect, the opponent may use the remainder of
the 45 seconds to buzz and be called to provide an answer. A participant who was
called on and provides the correct answer will score one point in the
round.
5. For the first 6 rounds [Round 1 through Round
6], the winner for each round is selected based on "best of 3 questions" [I.E.: a
winner can be declared by a margin of 1-0, 2-0, or 2-1 after 3 questions asked
[or after the second question if the score is already 2-0]]. If there is no
winner after 3 questions, then the round will go on until the tie is broken. For
the last three rounds [I.E.: Round 7 through Round 9] the format varies slightly
as the winner of each round is the first to correctly answer 3 questions.
5. The competition is in the following order:
- Round 1: #10 against #9: winner called #9A.
- Round 2: #9A against #8: winner called #8A.
- Round 3: #8A against #7: winner called #7A.
- Round 4: #7A against #6: winner called #6A.
- Round 5: #6A against #5: winner called #5A.
- Round 6: #5A against #4: winner called #4A.
- Round 7: #4A against #3: winner called #3A.
- Round 8: #3A against #2: winner called #2A.
- Round 9: #2A against #1: The winner of Round 9 is declared the WINNER of the Face-Off stage.