Canadian Intermediate Mathematics Contest (CIMC) Prize

What you will need

• ✓ Completed Student Information Form
• ✓ Payment of $14.00 contest fee per participant
• ✓ Your school orders the contest by October 22, 2026
• ✓ Supervision by a school-appointed Contest Supervisor

About this award

Each of the top five official participants in Canada receives a plaque and a $300 prize, at the discretion of the CEMC. As a prize, this money is yours to keep and does not have to be paid back. This is for you if you are a student in Grade 9 or 10 who enjoys challenging mathematical problem-solving. Your school must order the contest by Thursday, October 22, 2026. Depending on your location, you will write the contest on Wednesday, November 18, 2026 (North and South America) or Thursday, November 19, 2026 (Outside North and South America). Results are available in the Contest Supervisor Portal four weeks after the contest date. Winners are determined by their score on the 60-point contest, which consists of 9 questions. The CEMC (the Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing — the division of the University of Waterloo that runs these contests) chooses the top five official participants in Canada for the cash prizes at their discretion. Ask University of Waterloo - CEMC during your registration how the prize money reaches you — whether it is sent by cheque or direct deposit so you can plan your finances. Since this is a contest-based prize rather than a multi-year scholarship, renewal conditions aren't listed. Check University of Waterloo - CEMC's website to see when the contest opens again next year.

Who qualifies

You are eligible to write the Canadian Intermediate Mathematics Contest (CIMC) if you are a student in Grade 9 or 10. To be an "official participant" eligible for the $300 prize and honour rolls, you must be in Grade 10 or below and properly complete your Student Information Form. Students in lower grades are also welcome to write it and count as official participants.

This is what the award's official page said when we last checked. Rules change, so confirm on the award's official page before you apply.

• ✓ Open to high school students
• ✓ Studying mathematics

How to apply

1. 1

   Read the award's official page

   Check you meet every requirement, and note each document they ask for.

2. 2

   This round closed on October 22, 2026

   Check the award's official page for the next round before you prepare anything.

Tips for applying

• PresentationAvoid providing a correct answer with messy or unclear work. Instead, focus on completeness and clarity in your full-solution responses. Ensure your steps are easy for a marker to follow so you earn the full score for each problem.
• SupportAvoid trying to organize the contest yourself. Instead, coordinate with your school's administration to have a Contest Supervisor arrange the session. You must write the contest individually on paper in a supervised school setting.
• StrategyAvoid spending too much time on a single difficult question. Instead, secure the points for the six answer-only questions first before moving to the three full-solution problems.
• RealismAvoid counting on the cash prize. Instead, aim for the Certificate of Distinction, which is awarded to everyone in the top 25% of all competitors.

Questions students ask

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