The PMC will take place over two weeks. Schools can pick a time to suit them during:
11th - 22nd November 2024.
The Primary Mathematics Challenge is aimed at pupils aged 9 - 11, children must be in Primary school. We do also welcome entries from schools worldwide.
If your school has pupils, you feel would benefit from taking the Challenge then it is at the teachers/schools’ discretion to allow them to take part.
Parents may not order PMC packs. Orders received will not be fulfilled.
Please note that the PMC office will not deal directly with parents but recommends they speak to their schools/teachers regarding PMC issues.
Overseas schools
We welcome overseas schools to take part in the PMC, however, due to several recent missing and undelivered packs we have decided to remove the option to post overseas. Schools are still able to take part online or receive a PDF download to print in school.
Packs of papers are £14.50, there is a postage charge of £4.50 for up to 6 packs and £10 for 7 or more.
If you are ordering online access, access per 10 pupils is £13.50
A PDF download for 10 pupils is £12.50
All orders are subject to VAT.
We have now have three options for you to take part in the PMC.
You can do the paper online. An account is set up for your pupils and you are able to see who has done the Challenge and how they scored within your school. The online paper is marked automatically. After the children have completed the Challenge they can award certificates and we will be in touch regarding the Bonus Round.
This year we are offering you the choice to purchase your papers as a PDF download. You will need to print them off in school, Teachers must mark the papers and return their scores to the PMC office by the deadline. You are still required to pay for the number of children you are entering, the paper will be emailed to schools 1 week before the Challenge. If this is during half term we will try and time the emails so they reach you before the holiday. After the children have completed the Challenge teachers can award certificates and we will be in touch regarding the Bonus Round.
You can order paper packs to be delivered to your school. These packs contain the Challenge papers and the certificates; the instructions and answers and notes will be available to you online. Papers should be marked in school and the results returned to us electronically, by the deadline. Packs are posted out at the end of October. Please note packs that are unpaid will not be sent until payment has been received. After the children have completed the Challenge teachers can award certificates and we will be in touch regarding the Bonus Round.
Paper packs must be ordered by the 21st October at midday.
Each pack - whether online, PDF or posted, contains ten question papers, so enough to enter 10 pupils.
We can only supply complete packs; we do not sell single papers.
Please note, this year papers must be purchased and paid for by 30th October to be posted to schools in November.
Orders for online and PDF packs can be placed at any time up to the 20th November, but must be paid for before links are sent to schools.
It is the intention that teachers decide how the certificates be awarded. One gold, two silver and three bronze certificates are provided in each pack, or available to download if you have purchased online packs.
Decisions are an 'in-school' task. The spirit of the PMC is that, in each school, there will be a number of gold, silver and bronze pupils who deserve certificates!
Please note that the Participation certificate is no longer printed but is available as a download to print as many as you need.
You should place your order by using the online form on this website.
Online orders are given the option to pay via our secure payment processor Sage Pay, or by invoice – please provide a purchase order number and a separate email address for your finance department.
Please note invoices will be processed manually and can take up to 48 hours to send out.
You can pay by BACs, please send a copy of your order along with the remittance advice or order form so we can match payments up.
For payment by BACs:
NatWest
Bank Account Name: The Mathematical Association
Account Number: 76165647
Sort Code: 60 - 13 – 39
We would like to discourage receiving cheques where possible. If you do have to send a cheque, please make it out to The Mathematical Association.
Regardless of how your pupils take the Challenge, we will ask that you submit your results using the link provided by email.
If we have not received your results by the deadline your pupils will not be eligible to take part in the Bonus Round.
Please check within your school that your packs have been paid for. Any packs with outstanding invoices will not be posted out, after all invoice reminders are sent, invoices and orders will be cancelled.
Online and PDF links will not be emailed until your invoice is paid.
If you have not received your PMC packs by Friday 8th, please send us an email clearly stating your school name and postcode.
We will respond, letting you know when/if we posted your PMC packs. Should packs get lost in the post, we will endeavour to supply more packs in time for your pupils to take the challenge.
Please be patient if there is a strike in the postal service! BUT please check all school areas (eg. school office, caretaker's room, head's office, safe, and classrooms) for the packs before contacting us.
Paid online and PDF orders will be emailed up to 7 days before the start of the Challenge.
No. Photocopying the PMC paper is not allowed, they are protected by copyright held by The Mathematical Association. If you need to purchase extra packs please call or email us to let us know that you are placing a second order otherwise it may be classed as a duplicate order and deleted!
If you have a pupil who is allowed extra provisions in formal testing then we will allow the same provision for that child taking part in the PMC, both on paper and online. If you are unsure give us a call
If your child is Home Educated our coordinator will process your child's entry into the PMC.
Please follow this link to register:
The Bonus Round is the follow-up to the November paper. We ask schools to submit their high-scoring pupils, once the results are collated the cut-off score is announced (this will be in December).
Schools are not required to pay to enter the Bonus Round. It is an invite only Challenge.
Schools will be notified by email of the cut-off score in December and email everything they need for the Bonus Round in January, ready for it to take place in February.
