In addition to all the general contest rules stated by North South Foundation, the following rules are applicable for the 2009 Math Bee Competition.

1. There are 3 levels of competition for Math Bee:
   
   
   • MB1 (Math Bee Level 1): Grades 1 and 2
   • MB2 (Math Bee Level 2): Grades 3, 4, and 5
   • MB3 (Math Bee Level 3): Grades 6, 7, and 8
   
   
2. A 1st rank winner at the National Finals of the North South Foundation math bee level 3 (MB3) contest is not eligible for competing in this and future math bee contests conducted by the Foundation (National winners of MB1 and MB2 can participate ONLY in MB2 and MB3 bees, respectively). A contestant who participated in a higher level bee cannot participate in a lower level bee in subsequent years.
   
   
3. The syllabus for the Math Bee, level-wise, can be found on this website. It should be understood that any syllabus can only act as a guideline, but in the same given category of syllabus, the level of difficulty can vary dramatically from a beginner to an advanced level.
   
   
4. Math bees (MB1 to MB3) are held in two phases: Both Phases I and II are written. Contestants should bring their own pencils and sharpeners. Parents are NOT allowed in both Phase I and II.

Phase I (written):

5. In Phase I, each contestant will be given a set of 15 questions to answer them. The maximum time allocated to answer the 15 questions is 45 minutes.
   
   
6. Each contestant is given a question paper with 15 questions along with a blank answer sheet with 15 numbered rows to write the final answer. Each question has adequate space to arrive at the answer with a pencil. No other sheets will be given. Contestants are allowed to use the backside of the question paper to work out problems. Contestants are required to transfer the answers from the question paper to the answer sheet (which is attached to the question paper and contains 15 numbered rows to write the answer).
   
   
7. All participants will move in to Phase II
   
   

Phase II (written):

8. In Phase II, each contestant will be given a set of 10 multiple choice questions to answer them. The maximum time allocated to answer the 10 questions is 15 minutes.
   
   
9. Each contestant is given a question paper with 10 multiple choice questions along with a blank answer sheet with 10 numbered rows to write the final answer. Each question has adequate space to arrive at the answer with a pencil. No other sheets will be given. Contestants are allowed to use the backside of the question paper to work out problems. Contestants are required to transfer the answers from the question paper to the answer sheet (which is attached to the question paper and contains 10 numbered rows to write the answer).
   
   
10. Calculators are NOT allowed at any level.
    
    
11. All sheets (including question and answer sheets) shall be returned at the end of the contest.
    
    
12. Unclear and illegible writing might be open for misinterpretation. So, contestants are expected to write clearly and legibly. The decision of the judges is final.
    
    
13. There will NOT be any partial credits for steps. There will be NO negative points for any incorrect answer. The contestant will be awarded one point for the correct answer and zero for an incorrect answer.

Winners and Ranks:

14. Based on the combined scores from both phases, the judges will determine the winners. The 1st place winner shall be ahead by at least one point to be declared as the champion. In announcing the ranks 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, the judges will follow these rules:
    
    
    • Announce Ranks 1, 2 and 3, if and only if there are at least 10 contestants;
    • Announce Ranks 1 and 2 ONLY, if there are 8 or 9 contestants;
    • Announce Rank 1 ONLY, if there are 5-7 contestants;
    • DO NOT announce any ranks if there are less than 5 contestants.

Tiebreaker Rules:

15. The tiebreaker rules apply ONLY if there are at least 5 or more contestants participating in a given center and at the discretion of the judges/regional coordinator.
    
    
16. After tabulations of combined scores from Phase I (questions 1-15) and Phase II (questions 1-10), if there is a tie, to break the ties, the scheme outlined below is followed in the order given:
    
    
    • Phase I score among questions 1-15
    • Phase I score among questions 11-15
    • Phase I score among questions 1-10
    • Phase II score among questions 6-10
    • Phase II score among questions 1-5
    
    
    
17. If the above steps fail to break the tie in question, the foundation may use additional measures to resolve them or award joint ranks.

Invitation to National Finals:

18. Invitation to National Finals is based on the combined scores from both phases [Phase I: 15 questions; Phase II: 10 questions] of all the contestants nationally and is not based on a direct correlation of ranks achieved by a contestant in a regional contest. Thus, the combined Phase I & II score of each contestant out of 25 relative to all such scores around the country will determine whether the contestant will be invited to the National Finals. The regional tiebreakers are only helpful in determining the winners for a particular center, but have no bearing on the Finals invitation.