Vermont High School Prize Examination

Eligibility and Administration

The competition is open to all secondary students in Vermont (students who have not yet graduated from high school). While the competition is intended for students in grades 9 – 12, exceptional 8th graders may participate. Extremely talented students not yet in 8th grade may take the exam with prior approval by the contest committee.

The contest committee at the UVM Department of Mathematics and Statistics prepares the examination questions and scores the examination papers. Each participating school is asked to administer and proctor the examination for its students.

Exam Content

The Prize Examination is a written exam comprising 41 questions at varying levels of difficulty. Students are asked to solve as many questions as they can within the allotted time (two hours).

Question topics include algebra, geometry, trigonometry, set theory, probability, counting techniques, and general reasoning. All problems can be solved without the use of calculus.

Students are welcome to review copies of examinations from previous years to prepare for the contest. Prior year examination questions and answers can be found on the contest website.

Prizes

Statewide Awards

• First Prize: $300 Gift Card and Book
• Second: Prize $250 Gift Card and Book
• Third Prize: $200 Gift Card and Book
• Fourth Prize: $150 Gift Card and Book
• Fifth Prize: $100 Gift Card and Book
• Sixth Prize: $50 Gift Card and Book
• Seventh Prize: $50 Gift Card and Book
• Eighth Prize: $50 Gift Card and Book

Regional Awards

In addition to the state-wide winners, book awards will be presented for the two best papers in each region. The region to which a school belongs is determined by the county in which the school is located.