Inside Clemson

Physics and astronomy department invites employees’ children to enter math competitions

By Jason Brown, Ph.D.
Physics and Astronomy Department

Clemson’s physics and astronomy department will host a series of mathematics competitions for K-12 students to promote enthusiasm and a positive attitude toward mathematics and science and to stimulate the students’ interest in continuing their study beyond the high-school years.

Middle school students:

The AMC 8, a 25-question, 40-minute multiple-choice examination of middle school mathematics designed to encourage the development of problem-solving skills, will be at 6 p.m. Nov. 12. Testing room locations will be announced closer to the test dateCertificates of achievement and small gifts will be awarded to the top scorers.

Register before Oct. 25 at this website. Faculty and staff can register their children for the competition at no charge; the university will pay the cost of participation.

Read more about this competition here.

Grades 9-12:

High school students can participate in the AMC 10 and AMC 12 competitions. They will be  at 6 p.m. Jan. 30 and Feb. 5, 2020.

The AMC 10 is a 25-question, 75-minute multiple-choice examination with problems that can be understood and solved with algebra and geometry concepts. The AMC 12 is a 25-question, 75-minute multiple-choice exam with problems that can be understood and solved with pre-calculus concepts. They serve as primary selection tests for the national math team that represents the United States at the International Math Olympiad, the most prestigious pre-college math competition.

The university will cover the cost of participation by children of faculty and staff. Certificates of achievement and small gifts will be awarded to the top scorers.

Register for these exams by Jan. 15, 2020, at this website. Testing room locations will be announced closer to the test date. For more information on the AMC 10 and 12 competitions, click here.

Math Kangaroo for grades 1-12:

Math Kangaroo, taking place at Clemson at 6 p.m. March 19, 2020, is an international math competition that engages more than six million students. The contest is based on a 75-minute multiple choice test, with 24 questions for students up to grade 4 and 30 questions for grades 5 and up. Every participant receives a small gift bag with a T-shirt, a certificate of achievement, pencils and toys, so the registration must be done individually for each student by parents and there is a fee of $20 per participant. Limited funding is available for students with special financial needs.

For more information about Math Kangaroo, click here. Registration is open now until Dec. 15  here.

For questions about any of these competitions, contact Jason Brown by email or by phone at 864-656-1217.