National Math Bee Finals
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There are 3 levels of competition in Math Bee:
- MB1 (Math Bee Level 1): Grades 1 , 2 and 3
- MB2 (Math Bee Level 2): Grades 4 and 5
- MB3 (Math Bee Level 3): Grades 6, 7 and 8
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- In Phase I, each contestant will be given a set of 25 questions to answer them. The maximum time allocated to answer the 25 questions is 40 minutes.
- Each contestant is given a question paper with 25 questions along with a blank answer sheet with 25 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 25 numbered rows to write the answer).
- All participants will move on to Phase II.
- In Phase II, each contestant will be given a set of 20 multiple choice questions to answer them. The maximum time allocated to answer the 20 questions is 15 minutes.
- Each contestant is to answer 20 multiple choice questions (For MB1, test booklets with all 20 questions will be provided but for MB2 or MB3, each question one after another will be projected on screen and contestants have only 45 seconds to answer in their answer sheets) on a blank answer sheet with 20 numbered rows to write the final answer. Adequate space or blank pages available in the booklets to arrive at the answer with a pencil. No other separate 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 to the answer sheet (which is attached to the question paper for MB1, or only the answer booklets for MB2 and Mb3 and contains 20 numbered rows to write the answer).
- Calculators are NOT allowed at any level.
- All sheets (including question and answer sheets) shall be returned at the end of the contest.
- 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.
- 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 are determined based on the combined scores of Phase I (25 questions) and II (20 questions). The first place winner shall be ahead by at least one point to be declared as the champion. Since the Foundation recognizes only the top 10 ranks, any tie is broken as per the tie-breaker rules outlined below.
- After tabulations of combined scores from Phase I (questions 1-25) and Phase II (questions 1-20), if there is a tie, to break the ties, the scheme outlined below is followed in the order given:
- Combined Phase I and Phase II score
- Phase I score alone
- Phase I score among questions 21-25
- Phase I score among questions 16-20
- Phase I score among questions 11-15
- Phase I score among questions 1-10
- Phase II score among questions 16-20
- Phase II score among questions 11-15
- Phase II score among questions 1-10
- If the above steps fail to break the tie in question, the foundation may use additional measures to resolve them or award joint ranks.
Phase I (Written):
Phase II (Written):
Winners and Ranks:
Tiebreaker Rules:
This page contains resources for preparation for the Math Bee conducted by NorthSouth. The resources are categorized by level.
- Critical Thinking Skills - Teaching your kid how to think rather than what to think www.criticalthinking.com.
- Khan Academy - Free Video Lectures https://www.khanacademy.org/
- Math Kangaroo for grades 2 and above www.mathkangaroo.org
- CML (Continental Math League) www.continentalmathematicsleague.com
- Primary Math Work Books US Edition: 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B
- Primary Math Intensive Practice U.S. Edition: 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B
- Challenging Word Problems for Primary Mathematics: 1, 2
Singapore Math ( www.singaporemath.com):
- Khan Academy - Free Video Lectures https://www.khanacademy.org/
- Math League for grades 4 and above www.themathleague.com
- Math Olympiad: www.moems.org
- CML (Continental Math League) www.continentalmathematicsleague.com
- Singapore Math (www.singaporemath.com) a. Primary Math Work Books US Edition: 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B b. Primary Math Intensive Practice U.S. Edition: 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B c. Challenging Word Problems for Primary Mathematics: 3, 4, 5
- Book for advanced middle school students: the Art of Problem Solving, Volume 1: the Basics, By Sandor Lehoczky and Richard Rusczyk
- Practice problems from middle school students: (Past AMC8 tests and solutions); CD -- AJHSME & AMC 8 (1985-2007); http://amc.maa.org/d-publication/publication.shtml
- Book for high school students: the Art of Problem Solving, Volume 2: and Beyond, By Richard Rusczyk and Sandor Lehoczky
- Khan Academy - Free Video Lectures https://www.khanacademy.org/
- MATHCOUNTS - Free: www.mathcounts.org
- Math League www.themathleague.com
- Algebra1 Concepts (Concept-wise Book Series by Vaishali Patil) (Volume 1) - https://www.amazon.com/dp/069283771X
- Math Olympiad: www.moems.org
- Alcumus Online Learning system adjusting to student performance (Algebra and Probability) www.artofproblemsolving.com/Alcumus/Introduction.php
- For the Win game on AOPS. Helps to improve speed. Documentation is at the link below: www.artofproblemsolving.com/Edutainment/FTW/documentation.php
- Jason Batterson's website agmathematics.com has a collection of mock papers/ speed drills etc., for MATHCOUNTS preparation http://agmath.com/57427/index.html
- Saab: Preparation Drills for MATHCOUNTS MATHCOUNTS.saab.org/mc.cgi
- AMC - 8 (American Math Competition): https://www.maa.org/math-competitions/amc-8
- CML (Continental Math League): www.continentalmathematicsleague.com
- SAT and SAT II - www.collegeboard.com
- ACT www.act.org
NorthSouth Math Bee is a Mathematics competition among the children of Indian-American community all across North America. It is aimed at nurturing mathematical skills among children attending grades 1 through 8, in a challenging environment. Math Bee has Regional and National-level components just as all the other NorthSouth Bees.
The underpinnings of everyday life increasingly involve math and science/technology. NorthSouth believes that math abilities are a vital foundational and literacy requirement for the child of today.
We also believe that proficiency in Mathematics can be personally satisfying and empowering to the individual. Mathematics is one of the greatest intellectual achievements of humankind, and the children should develop an appreciation and understanding of that achievement.
India has produced several great mathematicians like Ramanujan, Aryabhatta, Bhaskara, and Brahmagupta. Just as the level of mathematics needed for enlightened citizenship has increased dramatically, so too has the level of mathematical thinking and problem-solving needed in the modern workplace.
Although all careers require a foundation of mathematical knowledge, some are more math-intensive than others. We hope that the Math Bee program will especially help our students pursue an educational path that will prepare them for lifelong work as mathematicians, statisticians, engineers, computer programmers and scientists.
Further, NorthSouth also believes that Math Bee will better prepare children to take standardized tests like PLUS, PSAT, SAT I, SAT II and ACT.
There are several goals and some of these are :
- To make Mathematics an easier subject to learn and excel from early childhood
- To better prepare for excelling in college entrance exams like the SAT and ACT
- To stimulate enthusiasm and a love for Mathematics
- To introduce important Mathematical concepts
- To teach major strategies for problem solving
- To develop Mathematical flexibility in solving problems
- To strengthen Mathematical intuition
- To foster Mathematical creativity and ingenuity
- To provide for the satisfaction, joy, and thrill of meeting challenges
- To meet other students of Indian origin and develop friendship
See the section on Math Contest Rules .
See the section on Math Contest Rules .
No, a participant can only participate in one Math bee and in one regional center only. Eligible contestants from the Regional Contest will be invited into the same bee for the NorthSouth National Finals event.
Yes, each grade group will have a different test. The questions will be based on the syllabus for the particular grade grouping.
See the section on Math Bee Preparation .
See the section on Math Bee Syllabus.
Yes, a child in KG is allowed to participate in the Math Bee Level 1, on an equal basis without any special privileges. Parents should bring young children into the contest with the primary aim of getting them familiar with the Bee. Over, the last several years many young children have participated and done exceedingly well in various contests.
Calculators are not allowed at any level.
This is only applicable at the National level. In the lightning round, we will avoid questions involving complex calculations. Typically the students are expected to answer within 60 seconds. A blank paper and pencil will be provided to children.
No. The questions in the contest will be within the syllabus for the particular level.
It depends on each chapter. Some may hold it over on one day and some over two days. Please refer to the Contest Calendar or contact your Chapter Coordinator.
Online registration via NorthSouth homepage is generally available, starting early January. You can also refer to the NorthSouth Contest Calendar or ask your Regional Coordinator about registration deadlines and contest dates.