State Rules

Local Rules

Local Rules for the Regional Contest at

Wake Technical Community College
CONTEST RULES

Listed below are the rules governing the State Mathematics Contest held at Wake Technical Community College.

1. Each school will be allowed to send up to 5 students for the Algebra I competition and up to 5 students for the Geometry competition. Each school will be allowed to send up to 8 students for the Algebra II competition and up to 8 students for the Comprehensive competition. Team awards will be based on the top four student scores. However, each student competes individually for the right to advance to the state finals.

2. Subject Area Contest:  Each contestant must be currently enrolled in the subject and may not have had more than nine months of instruction in the subject.

3. All Competitors:  Calculators (including graphing calculators, but excluding the TI-89 and 92) are permitted to be used during the test.  They will not be provided by the College.

4. Plaques and medals will be awarded to individuals and teams. A team score will be the sum of the top four scores of the participants of a school. Individual winners will be asked to designate the site they will visit for regional competition at the close of the awards ceremony. If more than one member of any school participates in the regional competition, they must all go to the same regional location.

5. Subject Area Contest:   The top 10% of the individuals, but not more than 15 students from each testing site may compete later at a designated site for regional competition.

Comprehensive:  The top 8% of the individuals with a minimum of 8 students from each testing site may compete at the State Finals.

6. All Competitors:   Individual and team awards will be given on the basis of the highest total scores.  In the case of ties, a tie breaking procedure is to be used based upon several previously chosen tie breaker items which are weighted.

 First procedure: Highest number of tie breaker items correct
 Second procedure: Highest weighted score from the tie breaking items
 Third procedure: "Sudden Death" on the tie breaking items
 Fourth procedure: "Sudden Death" on all the test items

7. Both Competitions:  The test will consist of multiple choice and short answer questions.  The individual scores are calculated by finding the scores on the multiple choice and short answer parts.

 MULTIPLE CHOICE SCORE = 4 * NUMBER CORRECT - NUMBER WRONG
 SHORT ANSWER SCORE = 10 * NUMBER CORRECT

NCCTM State Mathematics Contest
Rules of Eligibility

The NCCTM State Mathematics Contest includes three subject divisions (Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II) which are intended for students currently studying those subjects, and the Comprehensive Division, which is open to all students. The following rules, adopted by the Contest Committee on April 26, 1993, and amended most recently on September 30, 1999, determine the eligibility of students to compete in the subject divisions. The individual contest site directors have authority to apply these rules and decide whether or not particular students may compete in a specific contest. If there is doubt about the eligibility of a student, the sponsoring teacher should consult the site director as early as possible.

  1. A student may compete in only one division and at only one test site per year. However, the State Contest Committee invites non-Comprehensive contestants who achieve honor roll status on the American Mathematics Contest (AMC10 or AMC12) to compete in a regional Comprehensive contest in addition to the other division in which they are competing.

    Example: Glenda is studying Geometry and Algebra II simultaneously. She may compete in either subject, but not in both.  Bill is taking Algebra II and makes the AMC Honor Role.  He can compete in an Algebra II contest and can also register to take a Comprehensive contest. 

  2. A student may compete only once in each subject division other than the Comprehensive. Students may compete each year in the Comprehensive division, as long as they have not graduated from high school.

    Example: Jerry takes Algebra I in eighth grade and competes in the Algebra I contest. He takes no mathematics in the fall of the ninth grade, and begins the study of Geometry in the spring semester. He is eligible to compete in Geometry, but he is not eligible to compete in Algebra I because he has already done so. 

  3. A student may compete in Algebra I, Geometry or Algebra II if he/she has been enrolled in the course during the present academic year.

    Example: Holly's school uses the block schedule and Sally takes Algebra I in the Fall and Geometry in the Spring. She can elect to participate in either the Algebra I contest or the Geometry contest, but not both. 

  4. Students who qualify for the State Finals in Algebra I, Geometry, or Algebra II must compete in the Finals in the NCCTM Region in which their school is located, unless their school is located in Wake County.  Wake County schools will participate in the Central Region Finals in Greensboro. 

    Example:  A student lives in Anson County but goes to school in Charlotte (Mecklenburg County).  She qualifies at East Carolina (Pitt County) for the Algebra II Finals.  Since the home school is in Mecklenburg County, this student must attend the State Finals in Asheville.
     
  5. The State Finals in Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry and Comprehensive are intended for the benefit of North Carolina students and all participants must be enrolled in a school program approved by the state of North Carolina.
     
  6. Calculator Policy:

    Beginning in 2005 The NC State High School Mathematics Contest Comprehensive Division will allow any calculator that is currently approved by the College Board for use on the SAT.  This is a change from the past as certain calculators with some symbolic algebra have been excluded in the past.  The see the SAT Calculator Policy, check out the website: SAT Calculator Policy.   The Individual Qualifying sites and the Finals in Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry may have more restrictive calculator rules, so students and teachers should check with each site before competing.  If you have any questions about a specific calculator, please contact the Chair of the State Mathematics Contest Committee.