UP Mathematics Competition

UP MATHEMATICS COMPETITION 2025 IS BACK!

The Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics of the University of Pretoria invites your school to take part in the annual national Mathematics Competition of the department.

The competition is an opportunity for learners to enjoy mathematics and to take on challenges. The competition is for all learners who enjoy mathematics, not only for top achievers. From the response to previous papers, it seems that learners enjoyed this experience.

Date: Week of 12 May to 16 May 2025

Time and venue: Any time during the given week at your school. Question papers are emailed to participating schools and are to be written at the school.

Question papers are bilingual (English and Afrikaans). Learners get 2 hours to answer 20 multiple-choice questions.

Answer sheets need to be returned to UP by 23 May, and prize announcements will follow in June.

Cost: R30 per learner who enters (for each school where parents pay no school fees, ten learners may enter for free)

CLOSING DATE: 12 May 2025

Documents: Click here1 and here2

Only entries made by schools will be accepted.

Categories: Grades 6 & 7, 8 & 9, and 10 & 11

Prizes: Five winners from each grade will receive awards (1st prize, R1000; 2nd prize, R700; 3rd, 4th, and 5th prize, R500).

Contact details: Dr HR (Maya) Thackeray ([email protected])

2024 Results: see //www.up.ac.za/media/shared/114/UP%20Maths%20Competition/2024/results-final-20241015.zp261162.pdf

2024 Top Six Schools
1st: Menlopark Hoerskool
2nd: Beyond Education
3rd: Deutsche Schule Durban
4th: Rondebosch Boys' High School
5th: Pearson High School
5th: Grey Kollege Sekonder

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2021 Top Ten Schools.

1st. Van Riebeeckstrand Primary
2nd. Star College Durban
3rd. Hoërskool Garsfontein
4th. St John's College
5th. Deutsche Schule Durban
6th. Model Private School
7th. Midstream College
8th. St Patrick’s Collage
9th. Star College Pretoria
10th. Die Hoërskool Menlopark

BEST SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT AND INDIVIDUAL WINNER LISTS OF THE PAST FEW YEARS

2022	--------------------------------------
2021	Van Riebeeckstrand Primary
2020	Jan van Riebeeck High School
2019	Bishops Diocesan College
2018	Bishops Diocesan College
2017	Newton Primary
2016	Deutsche Schule Pretoria

Previous Papers

The annual national UP Mathematics Competition has been running for the past 30 years. Since its inception in 1990, the competition has been going from strength to strength under the able leadership of Dr Willie Greybe. After Dr Greybe’s retirement in 2006 the competition was taken over by Miss Rita Möller, Miss Amanda Verwey and Mrs Alta Lategan. In 2014 the competition was organised by Mr Harry Wiggins assisted by Mrs Alta Lategan.

Initially, the competition consisted of only two sections, namely for Grades 8 to 9 and Grades 10 to 11. Approximately 12 years ago, a primary school section (Grade 6 to 7) was added. In 2014, more than 4000 learners took part in this event, with entries from all over the country and some even from Namibia, and it has since then been going from strength to strength.

The aim of the Competition is for students to have FUN whilst doing mathematics. Expose them to interesting problems. Whilst old papers may be a good way to prepare, the best way is for students to do all the problems given by their school teachers and make sure they know their school syllabus well and can think mathematically. Some problems will be based on school work, others will test problem-solving skills, and some will be in a real-world setting involving time, weight, money, etc.

Contact person: Dr HR (Maya) Thackeray ([email protected])

PLEASE NOTE: The University of Pretoria owns copyright to all the question papers below. These papers are published on the website under the Creative Commons Copyright agreement.