[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewElUJwvLvI[/youtube]

Say the words “math test” and most U.S. students shudder. But what if they got to tackle engaging numerical puzzles, brainteasers, and imaginative problems that require creative thinking? Better yet, what if they could immediately get scores and measure how well they did against competitors around the world – along with beautifully presented solutions? Most might discover they had a head for mathematics!

That’s the premise of the 2nd annual Great Global Math Challenge, a free online contest designed to enhance STEM literacy among people of all ages that takes place Sunday, September 27, 2015.

Sponsored by Sony Global Education, a branch of the Japanese electronics giant, the Global Math Challenge is unlike other math contests. Questions are devised by the Japan Prime Math Olympic Committee and require participants to combine their “intelligence and intuition every step of the way.”

Some 22,000 math fans in 85 countries took part in the first Global Math Challenge in March.

The challenge is free to enter and can be accessed from mobile devices in several languages, including English, Japanese, and Chinese. Home accounts can register up to four participants, and Edmodo members can sign up their schools FREE.

For a fee, home participants can receive step-by-step, beautifully illustrated explanations for every question, an analysis of their critical thinking strengths, and an extra set of bonus questions. Schools, clubs, and other organizations can register up to 1,000 participants for a fee ranging from $2.99 to $5.99 each.

Watch the Edmodo video about the challenge.

Filed under: Competitions and Contests, K-12 Outreach Programs, Web Resources

Tags: brainteaser, Competitions for Students, Contest, critical thinking, Mathematics, Problem Solving, SONY Global Math Challenge, STEM education