UW Math Olympiad @ Math-M-Addicts
UW Math Olympiad @ MathMaddicts is a unique annual oral math competition for students in 6th and 7th grades. The inaugural UW Math Olympiad @ MathMaddicts took place on June 7th, 2026.
Rules and format
This style of Olympiad is likely quite different from any other type of mathematical contest students have experienced. Initially, everyone is given a set of 5 problems to solve over 3 hours. If anyone solves 3 or more of the initial 5 problems, they are given 2 additional harder problems. The number of points one gets is simply the number of problems they solve.
This is an individual oral Olympiad. This means that when a student solves a problem, they will discuss their solution with a judge. After an answer is explained, the judge will decide whether or not the solution is rigorous. If the solution is incomplete, the judge will help a student understand why the solution is incomplete. At that point a student will have an opportunity to go back to their seat, to continue to work on the problem, and try to present it again. Each student will have 3 attempts to present each problem to the judges; students will not be penalized for the number of attempts.
Our judges are friendly mathematicians who volunteer their time on a Sunday to talk about math with students! They want to be there, and they want students to succeed as they work on these problems.
The competition is free for all students, including the pizza afterwards.
Expected Schedule
Time Activity
11:30–12:00 Registration
12:05–12:15 Opening ceremony
12:25–3:25 Problem solving time
3:25–3:55 Free time + students finish presentations + pizza
3:55–4:35 Presentation of solutions
4:35–5:00 Closing ceremony / awards
In 2027, the competition is expected to be on June 6th with registration starting in early April.
Acknowledgements
This event is made possible through a close collaboration between us (Math-M-Addicts) and the University of Washington Math Circle, hosts of the UW Math Olympiad since 2010. We gratefully acknowledge their partnership.
What is the best way to prepare for the New York Math Olympiad?
Remember that this competition is very different from other competitions, in that a student needs to explain their answers carefully and clearly so that the judge is convinced that the solution does not have holes in it. The best way to prepare for anything is to practice. This means solving problems (from any source), and trying to explain one’s answers carefully to a parent, teacher, or friend. Tell them to be skeptical, and if they don’t understand, take that to mean that the explanation needs to be improved, not that they are insufficiently capable.
To practice with actual New York Math Olympiad problems, check out either the UW Math Circle Archive or a book called Math Out Loud: an Oral Olympiad Handbook which contains practice problems and worked solutions from the first 10 years of the UW Math Olympiad.
Questions?
Please contact UWMO@mathmaddicts.com and we will try to answer it to the best of our abilities.