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Euclid Mathematics Contest

Written by over 19,000 students worldwide every year, the Euclid Contest gives senior-level secondary-school students the opportunity to tackle novel problems with creativity and all of the knowledge they've gained in secondary-school mathematics. The contest's mix of short-answer and full-solution questions challenges students to practice communicating their thinking, and with the final questions some of the most challenging among all of our contests, the Euclid helps learners build perseverance, a key component of mathematical problem-solving.

What is the Euclid Contest and why participate?

Audience

  • Students in their final year of secondary school or CÉGEP students
  • Motivated students in lower grades

Date

Written in April. Visit Our Contests for dates and deadlines for the current year.

Format

  • 10 questions; some answer only and some full-solution
  • 2.5 hours
  • Score out of 100
  • Marks are awarded for completeness, clarity and style of presentation. A correct solution, poorly presented, will not earn full marks.
  • Written by individuals on paper
  • Some calculators permitted

Mathematical Content

Most of the problems on the Euclid are based on curricula up to and including the final year of secondary school. Some content might require students to extend their knowledge.

Practicing with past contests is a great way for students to get to know the style of questions that appear on the Euclid, as well as common topics. Students can also prepare by reviewing our Grade 12 open courseware and Euclid eWorkshop.

Contest Supervision

  • Teachers can arrange to have students write the contest in the classroom or remotely and are responsible for ensuring that students are supervised appropriately.
  • Whether students are writing the contest in class or remotely, all of the contest materials should be returned to the CEMC in one package for marking.
  • Results will be sent to the Contest Supervisor by email and will also be available in the Contest Supervisor Portal six to eight weeks after the contest date.
  • Visit Contest Supervision to learn more about what's involved in supervising a CEMC contest.

For students writing remotely:

  • Remote students should pick up their physical Solution Booklet and Student Information Form from their school before contest day.
  • If students are not able to access the school, Contest Supervisors also have the option of sending electronic copies of the contest materials for their students to download and print. Instructions for this option will be made available in the Contest Material Repository of our Contest Supervisor Portal roughly one month before the contest date.

Results and Recognition

University of Waterloo Admissions

Please note that the Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Waterloo recommends that applicants to the Faculty write the Euclid Contest. To be eligible for entrance scholarships, it is strongly recommended that applicants write either the Euclid or the Canadian Senior Mathematics Contest (CSMC).

Next Steps

Follow the links below to order contests, review contest fees and access contest preparation resources for your students, including past contests, a problem-set generator, mathematics courseware and more.

Get in Touch

Questions? We invite you to contact us.