UKMT Junior Maths Challenge

[shank2]

Did your y/y8 son /daughter sit the Maths challenge today and if they did -did they find it easy/hard

[Peanutbutterrules]

DD sat it - said it was hard. A bit dispondant about it.

[notsomanky]

DD did it. She said it was harder than last years.

[GU24Mum]

Ah, was it a national thing? My DD is in Y8 and did one today. She said that Qs 1-15 were OK (ish) but that from 16-20 if you got the question wrong you dropped a mark and I can't remember what the marking was for qs 21-25.

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

My Y7 did something, might have been this. She found it very hard. Didn't complete all the questions.

[annandale]

DS did it (year 8), he said it was hard and nothing else after that. He seemed not too bothered about it which is OK with me.

[Sostenueto]

My gdd has done the test since yr 7 and is now in year 10 so does the intermediate level. She said this years one harder than last years but she hopes to scrap a bronze. The school doesn't tell them when it is they just get told on the day. The test is meant to stretch their abilities and are hard so they can't guess the answers, also lots of trick questions too, not meant to be serious really but great if they go on to the further olympiads. My gdd hasn't got further than a gold but isn't fazzed about it.

[whatstheplanphil]

My year 8 ds did it he said it was ok but he didn't answer some of the questions from 16 - 25 because if he got them wrong he would have dropped points .

[Bach2Bach]

I think each incorrect answer to Q 16-20 loses 1 mark and each incorrect answer to Q 21-25 loses 2 marks.

[shank2]

My daughter sat it today - was quite hopeful before going in and but came out saying it was much harder than expected - she had been practicing the past papers.

if you cannot work out the answers 1-15 you might as well guess because it is multiple choice and you do not loose points for a wrong answer but for 16 upwards more marks but marks off if you get it wrong.

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

Dd has had virtually no maths teaching since she started in Y7 (teacher ill, rather dubious supply teacher if she is to be believed) let alone preparation for this particular test, so it will be interesting to see if any of her lot manage to come anywhere.

[Sostenueto]

Its a good experience for the children and a bit of an honour in a way to be entered for it but it isn't important if they don't get anything, its the taking part that's good.

[Snap8TheCat]

DS also sat it and said it was quite hard. Glad others did too! You

[Sostenueto]

If you get on average about 11 right on the first 15 you will get a bronze but it depends what the boundaries are for each year as they vary. If you go on their site you will find the questions and answers and the mark boundaries in a couple of days when they have all the results in. Good luck!

[ineedaholidaynow]

DS sat it yesterday, he is in Y7. He thought first 15 questions were ok. He didn't like the next 5 questions so missed them out as didn't want to drop any marks. He then did a few of the next section. Fingers crossed he got them right, as otherwise you drop 2 marks each.

[noblegiraffe]

My Y7 class bounced out of it happily declaring it was easy and some answered all the questions, which leads me to suspect that they didn't read them properly and will be losing marks!

Results usually take about a fortnight to come out.

[Newtssuitcase]

Yr7 DS1 sat it and said the first 18 or so were fine and then it got harder and quite a lot of them were educated guesses. He was told to try to answer all of them. Is that not a good approach - comments above indicate that you might be better not to attempt the question?

[Sostenueto]

Last years junior thresholds were bronze 35 silver 44 and gold 55.

[socialanxietysrus]

DS is in year 8 and said it was ok but abit harder than last year - when he achieved a Silver. Missed 4 questions this time

[noblegiraffe]

Guessing up to Q15 is fine, guessing after Q15 loses you marks for incorrect answers. You can get a perfectly good score and a certificate without answering all the questions (even just the first 15 correct will get you silver).

Last year the thresholds were
Bronze 51-64 Silver 65-80 Gold 81+ Kangaroo Qualifier 93-112 UK only Olympiad Qualifier 113+

[Sostenueto]

Definitely do not attempt any after 15 unless you are positive about answer, that is why they are hard because you lose marks! But as I said before it is meant to stretch them and to get gold or into an olympiad you would have to answer some beyond the 15. It doesn't really matter the fun is taking part, don't worry too much about the results. Past papers are on the site which would be handy for next year as practise.

[socialanxietysrus]

I don't know anything about them but are they particularly hard then? Last year DS was 1 of 3 who got a silver but it sounds like if you answer the easier 1-15 you will get a silver?

[Sostenueto]

I must have read it wrong noble on the site about last years thresholds oops! It must be time of morning lol!

[WhatHaveIFound]

DS (Y7) did this yesterday and thought it went ok. I think there were only a couple of questions he couldn't answer. Does anyone know when results are known?

[Newtssuitcase]

Uh Oh - DS1 is not happy. Clearly he didn't listen properly. The teacher apparently said you won't lose any marks for giving the first 15 a go - but he didn't then take that to mean you would lose marks for trying the next lot and getting some wrong.

Shame because he thinks he got about 6 right from the harder questions. Oh well - next time!

[DoItTooJulia]

Y7 ds sat it yesterday-said it was harder than he expected, and didn't answer 4 questions in the last lot. He's a high achiever in maths and was gutted-he was aiming for kanagaroo but because he didn't answer enough he knows he won't get it.

That said, he did say he enjoys this style of test-far more interesting than normal maths, so it doesn't seem to have killed the love of the subject for him, which is a relief!