The MATHCOUNTS Competition Series has 4 levels of competition – school, chapter, state and national. TSPE is hosting the Permian Basin Chapter competition in Midland for the local middle school competitors who have a chance to advance to the state and national round for a chance to compete for a scholarship. The competition is comprised of 4 rounds—Sprint, Target, Team and Countdown Round. Here’s what each round looks like:

• Sprint Round: focuses on speed and accuracy. Students have 40 minutes to complete 30 math problems without a calculator.
• Target Round: focuses on problem-solving and mathematical reasoning. Students receive 4 pairs of problems and have 6 minutes to complete each pair, assuming the use of a calculator.
• Team Round: focuses on problem-solving and collaboration. Students have 20 minutes to complete 10 math problems, assuming the use of a calculator. Only the 4 students on a school’s team can take this round officially.
• Countdown Round: focuses on speed and accuracy. Students have a maximum of 45 seconds per problem without a calculator. This round is an exciting event that highlights the students who placed in the top of the sprint and target rounds. This competition for the State of Texas will be unofficial and hosted only for awards day of and not counted toward the advancement of the student to state.