On the first of October, SPS sat the highly anticipated senior maths challenge, with years 10-13 competing, staggered throughout the day. The paper lasted for 90 minutes and consisted of 25 questions, that gradually increased in complexity as students progressed. Each competitor started with 25 points; gaining 4 points for every correct answer; and losing 1 point for every wrong answer. Unanswered questions carried no penalty.
It was an intellectually stimulating paper, with questions both at the start and end found hard by many students. Students need to score around 80 marks for a gold certificate, and 105 marks to qualify for the next round - the prestigious British Mathematical Olympiad.
“Even before the challenge, you could see the corridors alive with conversation about the SMC/the average boundaries of previous years. I had a lovely conversation with Ruben and Neel before the start, it was clear that they had prepared well and today was all about the Maths Challenge.
As an invigilator I witness the
whole thing; the rushed scribbles, the delicate care of shading the answer
box and the sheer brilliance/efficiency of some of the students answers.
It’s almost a shame that the UKMT don’t take in the method, as they’re missing
out. Regardless of whether each student qualifies for the Maths Olympiad, I look
forwards to the results in mid-November and discussing these with my classes.”
The Maths Society also interviewed a selection of pupils that took the SMC, gaining insight into how they prepared, what their favourite question was, and which question threw them off.
To see previous results, visit our results page on the school website.