The UK Mathematics Trust and the Further Maths Network

Information about how the competition runs and this year’s questions

Each heat and the final lasts approximately three hours.

Each team must consist of four year 11, 12 or 13 students with no more than two from Year 13. Each team must be accompanied by a responsible adult who must stay throughout the duration of the competition.

There were three rounds:

The Group Round: ten questions which the teams have around 40 minutes to solve. Teams must decide their own strategy: work in pairs, as a group or individually.
2007/8 Regional Stage questions
2007/8 Final questions

The Crossnumber Round: a mathematical crossword puzzle with one pair from the team solving the across clues and the other pair the down clues.
2007/8 Regional Stage questions
2007/8 Final questions

The Mini-relay Round: individual members of the team have to answer mathematical questions which they can begin work on immediately but information passed from other members of the team is needed to solve them completely. (This round has been changed for the 2008/9 competition, see below for the new format and rules)
2007/8 Regional Stage questions
2007/8 Final questions

Solutions for 2007/8 Regional Stage
Solutions for 2007/8 Final

Further details:

The Group Round (approx 40 mins).
6 marks are awarded for every correct answer, no partial marks are awarded.

The Crossnumber Round (approx 40 mins).
Teams divide into two pairs. One pair is given the across clues, the other pair the down clues. It is the pupils’ responsibility to put an answer in the right place on their answer grid. The teacher immediately checks each digit of the answer. If it is correct, tick it, and it gets a mark. If it is wrong, there are no second tries, cross it out and write the corrected answer in, but it does not get a mark. Then show the correct answer to both pairs so that they are up-to-date. They can put just one digit at a time if they wish, rather than a whole answer. They can sacrifice a square if they are completely stuck by guessing and being told the answer. They are not allowed to communicate directly with the other pair but they may, through the teacher, ask the other pair to try to work on a particular answer that they need. They cannot share any other information with the other pair or ask any questions about definitions etc. It may sometimes appear that there is more than one answer but every answer is uniquely specified although it may depend on clues the other pair have. 1 mark is awarded for every correct digit on the answer grid. 1 mark is awarded for every correct digit on the answer grid.

The Mini-relay Round (6 Relays – 6 mins each, new format and rules for 2008/9 given below)

• The seating will be as for the Cross Number – two pairs sitting with the teacher in between.
• The pairings can be different to those used for the Cross Number.
• For the first Mini-Relay pair A receives Questions 1 and 3 and an Answer Sheet, pair B receives Questions 2 and 4.
• Pairs can work on either of their questions at any time after the Mini-Relay has started.
• The answer to each question is needed by the other pair in order to solve the next question.
• Pairs should be able to do preparatory work before they receive the answer to the previous question.
• No communication is allowed between pair A and pair B except that the Answer Sheet may be passed from pair to pair via the teacher at any time after the start of the Mini-Relay.  Only answers may be written on the Answer Sheet and it must not be used to ask questions or pass information to the other pair.
• If a pair realises that they have answered a question incorrectly they may ask the teacher to retrieve the Answer Sheet from the other pair and then change their answer.
• If a pair realises that the other pair has given them a wrong answer they can return the Answer Sheet with this answer circled.
• There will be a whistle after 4 minutes.  Handing in a correct answer to Question 4 before this whistle will earn 10 marks for the team.  No other answers will be marked if the answer to Question 4 is correct.
• If Question 4 has been answered incorrectly then it will be marked with a cross and returned to the pair that handed in the Answer Sheet.
• A maximum of three attempts at Question 4 are allowed.  If a team’s third attempt at Question 4 is wrong then Question 4 is ignored for all scoring purposes.
• A final whistle will be blown after 6 minutes. Handing in a correct answer to Question 4 before this whistle will earn 8 marks for the team.  No other answers will be marked if the answer to Question 4 is correct.
• Once the final whistle has been blown all working must stop immediately.  Teams hand in their Answer Sheets.  Any answer to Question 4 is now ignored (you should have handed it in before the whistle!).  Answers are marked starting at Question 1, with 2 marks for each correct answer before the first incorrect answer.  If an answer is wrong then no subsequent answers are marked.
• There will be 6 of these Mini-relays alternating as to which pair receives Questions 1 and 3 and which receives Questions 2 and 4.
• A maximum of 60 marks can be achieved on this Round.