Canadian Senior and Intermediate Mathematics Contests

• Students in Grades 9 and 10 are eligible to write the CIMC
• Students in Grades 11 and 12 and CÉGEP students are eligible to write the CSMC
• Motivated students in lower grades are welcome to write the contest. 

Contest dates:  

• The Canadian Senior and Intermediate Mathematics Contests are usually held in the month of November. Contest dates for 2025/2026 will be updated in March 2025.

Contest timing: Contest Supervisors are expected to administer the contest as close to the beginning of the school day as possible in their respective time zones on the official contest date in their country. 

• 9 questions; 6 are answer only and 3 are full-solution.
• Time allowed for completion is 2 hours.
• Score out of 60.
• Each submitted solution is assessed for completeness, clarity, and presentation style; a correct solution, poorly presented, will not earn a full score for that problem.
• Written in school, participants write individually on paper. 
• Some calculators permitted. 

Most of the CIMC problems are based on mathematical topics commonly taught up to and including Grade 10. Most of the CSMC problems are based on the mathematical curriculum up to and including the final year of secondary school. 

Below are links to four types of resources and classroom support that can help with preparation for the Canadian Senior and Intermediate Mathematics 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.
• CSMC Preparation Materials: Participants can access our updated preparation materials which are aimed at the CSMC.
• 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.

• Contest Supervisors should arrange to have participants write the contest in school and are responsible for ensuring that participants are supervised appropriately.
• After writing the contest, all materials must be returned to the CEMC as one package for marking.
• Results will be available in the Contest Supervisor Portal four weeks after the contest date. 

Please note that contest question papers for the Canadian Senior Mathematics Contest (CSMC) will NOT be shipped to the school for schools located outside of Canada. They will be available for educators to download and print at school from the Contest Material Repository roughly two days before the contest day. All other paper materials (including Student Information Forms and Solution Booklets, as applicable) will still be shipped. Contest question papers for the Canadian Intermediate Mathematics Contest (CIMC) will continue to be shipped to the school.

Contest fee per participant: $14.00

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

Shipping fee per order:

• 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 regarding the criteria for awarding individual students and schools based on their performance in our mathematics contests is provided below.  

Official Participants

Any full-time student may write the Canadian Senior and Intermediate Mathematics Contests but only participants that qualify as "official" are eligible for inclusion on honour rolls and as part of a school's team score. 

Participants that write the Canadian Senior Mathematics Contest (CSMC) at a school inside Canada are considered official participants* provided they:

1. properly complete their Student Information Form,
2. were born on or after January 1, 2006, and
3. live in Canada.

Participants that write the Canadian Senior Mathematics Contest (CSMC) at a school outside Canada are considered official participants* provided they:

1. properly complete their Student Information Form, and
2. were born on or after January 1, 2006.

All participants that write the Canadian Intermediate Mathematics Contest (CIMC) at schools inside or outside Canada are considered official participants* if they are in Grade 10 or below and have properly completed their Student Information Form.

All other participants that do not meet the above criteria are considered unofficial. Unofficial participants will have their papers marked and are still eligible for certificates and medals.

Disclaimer 
* A participant’s contest may also be considered unofficial if it is received by the CEMC too late to be included in the final results.

Individual Awards

• Every participant scoring in the top 25% of all competitors receives a Certificate of Distinction.
• Each School Champion receives a Contest Medal, at the discretion of the CEMC.
• The names of some top-scoring official participants in Canada appear in zone, provincial and Canadian honour rolls (for regions with at least 30 participants).  
• The names of some top-scoring official participants at schools outside of Canada appear in international honour rolls.
• Each of the top five official participants in Canada receive plaques, and a prize of \$300 for the Canadian Intermediate Mathematics Contest (CIMC) and \$500 for the Canadian Senior Mathematics Contest (CSMC) at the discretion of the CEMC.

Team Awards

A school's team score is the sum of its five highest scoring official participants' scores. Schools have the option of not taking part in the team competition. 

For schools in Canada, rankings and team honour rolls are provided at three levels: zone, provincial, and national (for regions with at least four competing teams). Canadian schools are also eligible for the Canadian Championship Plaque, Provincial Championship Plaques, and Zone Championship Certificates at the discretion of the CEMC. 

For schools outside Canada, rankings and team honour rolls are provided.

We also encourage schools and boards to recognize and celebrate the achievements of those participants who excel.

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

Opt-out option:  

Our contests allow participants to opt out of having their names displayed in publicly accessible results booklets if their score is high enough to be listed on an honour roll. Their names will, however, still be published in the school results which we provide securely to the organizing educator.

Canadian Senior and Intermediate Mathematics Contests 2023 

While the Canadian Senior Mathematics Contest (CSMC) and Euclid Contest are not required for admission to the Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Waterloo, strong performance in either can help a student earn admission. 

To be considered for a Faculty of Mathematics entrance scholarship, applicants to our Faculty are strongly encouraged to participate in at least one of the CSMC or the Euclid Contest (participating in both contests is encouraged), during the school year in which they are applying. 

Students who are considered unofficial participants will have their scores communicated to the Admissions and Scholarship Committees.