Pascal, Cayley and Fermat Contests

• Students in Grade 9 are eligible to write the Pascal Contest.
• Students in Grade 10 are eligible to write the Cayley Contest.
• Students in Grade 11 are eligible to write the Fermat Contest.
• Motivated students in lower grades are welcome to write one of the contests.
• Participants can only write one of the Pascal, Cayley and Fermat Contests in a given school year. 

Contest dates:  

• North and South America: Tuesday, February 23, 2027 and Wednesday, February 24, 2027 
• Outside North and South America: Wednesday, February 24, 2027 and Thursday, February 25, 2027 

Ordering deadline:

• Deadline for schools  
  • in India – Wednesday, January 27, 2027 
  • outside of Canada and India – Tuesday, February 2, 2027
  • in Canada – Tuesday, February 9, 2027

Contest timing: Contest Supervisors are expected to administer the contest within the two-day contest period.

We will begin accepting contest orders for the 2026/27 contest year in September 2026.

• 25 multiple-choice questions.
• 3 parts: Parts A and B follow a traditional multiple-choice format where the answer is A, B, C, D or E; in Part C, participants select a whole number from 0 to 99.
• Time allowed for completion is 60 minutes.
• Score out of 150.
• Written at school, participants write individually on paper or online. 
• Some calculators permitted. 

Mathematical content: Questions on the PCF Contests are based on curriculum common to all Canadian provinces. Rather than testing content, most of the problems test logical thinking and mathematical problem-solving. 

The PCF Online Practice Contest will be available in January. To familiarize themselves with the online system, we strongly encourage participants hoping to write this year's contest online to complete the practice contest.  

Below are links to four types of resources and classroom support that can help with preparation for the Pascal, Cayley and Fermat Contests:

• Past contests: Participants can review and attempt past contests to gain a better understanding of the contest format, level of difficulty and time management. The CEMC has published contests and their solutions from previous years in the Past Contests section of Tools and Resources.  
• Problem-Set Generator: Participants, educators and guardians can create their own sets of random problems from past PCF contests to practice using the CEMC’s free, online Problem-Set Generator.  
• Math Courseware: Participants can use the CEMC’s free, online Courseware to learn and review important curriculum content and concepts.
• CEMC Visits Schools: Experts from the CEMC are available to conduct problem-solving workshops for students and educators. Visit CEMC Visits Schools to learn more. 

• The Pascal, Cayley and Fermat Contests can be written on paper or online. Educators can select the mode of writing that best suits their needs when submitting a contest order.
• Contest Supervisors should arrange to have participants write the contest at school, regardless of the mode of writing, and are responsible for ensuring that participants are supervised appropriately.
• For participants writing the contests online, the Contest Supervisor will provide each participant with a link and a Participant ID to access our secure CEMC Contests Online Platform where they will enter their solutions on contest day.
• Completed paper contest materials must be shipped back to the CEMC for marking.
• Results will be available in our Contest Supervisor Portal six to eight weeks after the contest date. 

Contest fee per participant: $6.00  

Processing fee per order, applies to all contest orders: $5.00  

Shipping fee per order (not applicable to online contests):  

• For schools in Canada: $5.00 per order  
• For schools outside Canada: 15% of the contest order total, before processing fees and applicable taxes (minimum charge of $10.00) 

This contest is tax-exempt within Canada and internationally.  

Each school is responsible for independently arranging and paying for the shipping of completed contests back to the CEMC. We recommend using a courier to ensure materials are returned safely and in good condition for marking.  

The CEMC does not offer refunds, returns or cancellations of any kind.  

We believe that all students will enjoy and benefit from the experience of preparing for and writing our mathematics contests. Our contests are not tests or exams. There is no passing or failing score. Information about how students and schools are awarded for their performance on our mathematics contests is listed below.

Individual Awards

• Every participant scoring in the top 25% of all competitors receives a Certificate of Distinction.
• Each School Champion — the top scorer at their school who meets the medal cutoff — receives a Contest Medal, at the discretion of the CEMC. In the event of a tie, two medals are awarded.
• We also encourage schools and boards to internally recognize and celebrate the achievements of those participants who excel. 
• Student rankings are provided in the Results booklet for students who want to know how their score places among the scores of all other contestants. 

Team Awards

A school's Team Score consists of the sum of the scores of the three highest scoring participants. Schools have the option of not taking part in the Team Competition. Rankings are provided for teams at the provincial and national levels. New in 2026, we will not be providing team honour rolls and awards at the zone, provincial, and national levels.

The CEMC reserves the right to disqualify students or withhold the publication of results at its discretion.

Pascal, Cayley and Fermat 2026 

Please click here to view the CEMC’s contest terms and conditions.