Y7 Silver award in UK Maths Trust - someone enlighten me?

[kitnkaboodle]

...as to what this means?

My son has been awarded silver in a UKMT challenge that they took last term.

Putting it crudely - how good does this make him in Maths?!!?

The test is aimed at the top half (i think) of the ability range and 40% get awards (bronze, silver or gold in the ratio 3:2:1) so about 20% of participants get silver or above which would be around 10% of full ability spectrum roughly. Given that your son is a yr 7 (test is given to years 7 and 8) he would be a little higher than this, though the year group doesn't make as much difference as you might expect, as it tests the way you think more than what you have been taught.

I think its aimed at top third of ability not top half.

you are probably right propatria, mymemory is dreadful. That would mean you might expect around the top 6% of everyone to be able to achieve silver.

Of course it's never quite as clear cut as that.

There are a good few very good mathematicians who never did very well on maths challenges (which test quite a limited range of maths) who end up studying maths at top universities (eg Cambridge) and conversely there are some who do quite well on maths challenges achieving awards (probably not so much gold/olympiad awards, but a few at silver) who really aren't natural mathematicians.

So I wouldn't read too much into it yet OP, but if your son enjoyed doing it that's a good sign of mathematical enthusiasm.

The results of maths challenge is often surprising.There doesn't seem to be an obvious correlation between the students who do well at maths challenge and those who are 'natural' mathematicians.

Only thought to ask dd about hers (year 8) today . She also got a silver and sounds as if that was typical for her school's entries, top sets of a selective independent. One has qualified for next round , the rest spread across the awards. tbh I'm not sure who true a reflection it is of innate mathematical ability as much as practice (of which they did little) and problem solving.

Not paid much attention to this really but my DD (yr 7) got a gold so I am now doing a smug mum smile and thinking I should have paid more attention when she told me!

No idea, DD2 refused to do it.

Rather annoyed school gave top set the option to opt. Out without at least a letter/email home.

Maths had been a mess, main teacher ill and lots of supply teachers.

my doing-a-masters-in-maths-at-uni DD never got more than silver in the five years she did these; the pretty-good-at-maths-but-not-a-natural DD got gold and best in year in the intermediate this year. Will ask no 3 what she got in the junior now that the results are back (suspect not very much as she didn't read the instructions and had a bash at most of the questions [sigh]).

They look for a particular way of thinking about maths, which doesn't always match actual maths abilities and exam grades. Nice to do something different though, and stretch the more able.

My ds got a bronze in junior and intermeduate and gold in senior. He is very cautious type and the fact they deduct points for getting the last 5 questions wrong would stop him answering those if he wasnt completely sure.

Silver was great!!!!!

why are you highlighting your kids gold?? Makes you look nasty. Silver in this is great.

Weird, why have you bumped an 11 year old thread just to have a go at posters. You obviously have a huge chip on your shoulder.
Nobody said silver wasnt extremely good, my ds got a bronze in yr 7 but got better and went onto get a gold in senior. He will be 3O this year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!