Did you know that becoming a better problem-solver can help students succeed when it comes to STEM learning? The annual Noetic Learning Math Contest (NLMC) is a national problem-solving competition for elementary and middle school students that is designed to help them become better thinkers, increase their interest in math, and build their math skills — all while competing with their classmates, and earning prizes.
The 2025 XCS math contest is an optional competition for students in grades 2-8 who can register and compete by solving problems each week over a 6-week period from February 23 - March 30.
How does it work?
- Students who choose to participate will complete the contest on their own time. Math teachers may encourage students to participate and remind them of deadlines, but the competition is not part of our regular math class curriculum.
- Questions will be released on Monday mornings on the contest website, and students competing must submit their answers by the deadline the following Sunday night by 11:59 p.m. each week.
- There will be 2-5 questions released each week per grade level.
- Students can earn up to 6 points per question, which can earn them prizes, too!
To culminate the math challenge, any student who completes all of the math problems in the challenge will have their entry fee paid for the National Noetic Math Contest held at McKinley Elementary on Saturday, April 5 from 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.
Students can earn medals and/or certificates from the national NLMC organization if they score high enough on the test.
Complete details, as well as the registration link, can be found on the
XCS Noetic Math Contest site.
Remember... Students can begin the contest any week, but starting early and participating each week will help them earn more points! Answers for week #1 will be due by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, March 2.