UKMT Junior Maths Challenge

I can understand it (even though dd fell foul of it due to not listening.) They probably think that kids shouldn't get extra marks for lucky guesses when they can't actually do the maths questions.

It is set up like that to prevent guesswork.

But some kids still guess and every now and again, one gets lucky :)
A few years ago, a pupil came from nowhere in my school and got nearly full mark in the Senior challenge. His parents emailed the then HoD to complain that we didn't know enough about their 'talented son' and asked us to give him some support for the British Maths Olympiad. I was told to see the kid. I asked him one question, he gave me one blank face expression and then admitted that he guessed most of the answers.
Since then, we always warn pupils about guessing as they will get found out in later rounds.

Can someone who know more about this explain the negative marking to me? Is it because its multiple choice? It sounds awful you are marked down only for wrong answers not for blanks - but are they trying to exclude guesswork?

Glad people found it harder than last year, as DD also thought it was. She will feel a little happier about that.
Countess- thank you, must have been primary challenge.

yr8 DS did it Thursday. Said he couldn't do the last 3 Qs. Said there was a math challenge in merely understanding the scoring system, too.

The school gets emailed a spreadsheet of how meant questions each student answered, how many they left blank, how many were ambiguous (e.g. badly rubbed out, 2 answers coloured), and their score. Then which certificate they got, whether they qualify for the kangaroo or Olympiad, whether they were the best in their year and whether they were best in the school. The school also gets sent a bunch of blank certificates and they fill in the names and hand out. All electronic, very fast turnaround.

It gets mentioned in the school newsletter what they achieve in it at dd's school.

My DD doesn't know her results. She will wait for the school to tell her. Last year she didn't know anything specific, just that she got a "bronze medal." She didn't actually bring a physical medal home, so I think it was just a figurative thing, just a sort of "honourable mention."

She was hoping to do better this year. She has really liked her maths teacher this year and feels like she is making progress, so getting a "silver" would really reinforce that the hard work was paying off. But it sounds like she found it tougher this time. That's how it goes.

How does everyone know their results? Do they come on email?

DS2 did it yesterday and got 129, which he seems happy about.

Thank you

Papers are sent back to UKMT where they are machine marked. They're multiple choice and the kids colour in lozenges on a sheet for their answers.

My DD Y8 thought it was harder than last year.

Is it marked by the teachers or sent somewhere else to be marked?

Could it have been the Primary Maths Challenge?

Intermediate is aimed at Y9-11.

Catslife- i don't think it can have been intermediate. DD got a gold and into kangaroo round, but she's Y6!

Have just seen her paper - she gained 18 marks in questions 16-25 but lost 7 so I guess it was still better for her to attempt them than not...

My daughter did it (Yr 6) They have done no practice (I'd never heard of the test, neither had they) - the top five mathematicians from Yr 6 were picked to do it but were only told they were doing it on Wednesday afternoon. She did know about not attempting the second set unless you were sure but wanted to do all of them (as that's what she's used to doing and it's her nature to have a go!) and she did indeed drop quite a few marks. She got the highest score of her classmates - 66 - have no idea if this is good or bad. All of the kids thought it was hard and they are a bunch of clever kids. Does it actually mean anything important?

Definitely.

Toffee that kind of thing is exactly why I am glad my dd's school is doing this even though I doubt any of them will do that well. It's excellent practice for proper exams.

It was a different level test last term (intermediate).

Just spoke to a mum with a child in dd's maths class and yep, they were told by the teacher about losing marks for wrong answers for those questions. Dd must have been daydreaming!

Dd did this and after reading this thread this morning i asked her if she knew not to guess from question 16 as you get marks taken off if you get them wrong. She said the teacher didn't mention this and although it did say not to guess on the paper she ignored it as they are usually told to give it a go. Of course it is very possible the teacher did tell them and she didn't listen. At least it's better for her to learn to listen to test instructions in year 8 than later on!

Are there two challenges a year? DD did one yesterday, but I'm sure she did one last term (or maybe autumn term??) .
She got silver last year, so aiming for gold this time...