Oct. 23, 2012 — On Oct. 30, approximately 600 high school students from across northern Minnesota will descend on Bemidji State University’s Gillett Recreation-Fitness Center for the 40th Annual Northern Minnesota Math Contest.

Registration begins at 10 a.m. in the center’s Hall of Fame lobby, and activities for students begin at 10:15 a.m. The one-hour test begins at 11 a.m., and the afternoon features open time for students and advisors.

The contest is divided into two mathematics tests: a lower-division test primarily open to freshmen and sophomores consisting of arithmetic, elementary algebra and geometry; and an upper division designed for juniors and seniors covering higher algebra, geometry and trigonometry. Each test consists of 40 multiple-choice questions, and many of the test problems utilize general problem-solving skills rather than rote memorization and application of formulae. Students may enter a division above his or her grade level, but not below.

Participating schools will compete in class A or AA, according to Minnesota High School League classification, for team awards. Team awards will be given to the top four teams in Class A and the top two places in Class AA in each division. Team finishes in a respective division and class are determined by a sum of the scores of a school’s three highest-scoring individuals.

Awards will also be given to individuals with the 10 highest scores in each division without regard to class, and the top three individuals on each team will receive a Northern Minnesota Mathematics Contest t-shirt.

For more information or to obtain registration materials for the contest, contact Bemidji State’s Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at (218) 755-2880.