Math Competition

About the Competition

The NTID National Math Competition is an event open to all middle school deaf and hard-of-hearing students who enjoy mathematics. Each year, the event begins with four regional competitions leading up to a national competition at RIT/NTID. Up to 25 teams per region gather and face off in a fast-paced competition and answer a variety of challenging math questions! All deaf and hard-of-hearing middle school students, 15 years or younger as of April 4, 2025, are welcome to form a team and compete. Each team must have a coach from the school in order to be eligible for the competition.

Registration for the 2025 Math Competition is now open!

Register now!

Regional Information

Map of the United States in four different colors depicting West, Southeast, Midwest, and Northeast regions.

Teams will compete in-person at their Regional Competition for the chance to go to the National Competition. Your region is determined by your school address - please contact us if you have any questions or if you have a unique situation.

The regions and dates for the 2025 National Math Competition are set! See below for more information: 

Southeast Region
January 24-26, 2025
 
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas

Host School: Texas School for the Deaf
1102 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704

Lodging: On Campus - Texas School for the Deaf
West Region
February 7-9, 2025


Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington

Host School: Oregon School for the Deaf
999 Locust St NE, Salem, OR 97301


Lodging: On Campus - Oregon School for the Deaf

Midwest Region
February 21-23, 2025


Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Host School: LADSE DHH Program at Hinsdale South High School
7401 Clarendon Hills Rd, Darien, IL 60561

Lodging: Crowne Plaza Chicago SW - Burr Ridge
300 S Frontage Rd, Burr Ridge, IL 60527

 

Northeast Region
March 7-9, 2025
 

Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, West Virginia, Washington D.C.

Host School:  Neptune Middle School
2300 Heck Ave, Neptune, NJ 07753

Lodging: Sonesta Select Tinton Falls Eatontown
600 Hope Rd, Tinton Falls, NJ 07724

The competition schedules for each region will be released on January 1, 2025.

National Information

RIT/NTID's LBJ Hall at dusk

Once the regional competitions wrap up, the top four teams from each region will earn an all-expenses-paid trip to RIT/NTID to vie for the title at the National Math Competition from April 4-6, 2025.

Our National Math Competition schedule and  lodging details will be available on or after January 1, 2025.

2024 Competition Winners

Team winners:

1st place – Metro Deaf School
2nd place – Ernest C. Drury School for the Deaf
3rd place – Maryland School for the Deaf
4th place – Morgan Fitzgerald Middle School

Individual winners:

1st place – Dasan Fewel – Maryland School for the Deaf
2nd place – Malaika Roang – Metro Deaf School
3rd place – Sterling Lijewski – Morgan Fitzgerald Middle School
4th place – Cameron Draper – Jean Massieu School of the Deaf

Frequently Asked Questions

In order to qualify as a competitor:

  • You must be a deaf or hard-of-hearing student enrolled in grades 6-8.
  • You must be age 15 or younger.
  • You must be a part of a registered team.

To register a team:

  • Schools must submit every competitor’s current report card or transcript.
    • Report cards and transcripts can be submitted alongside registration paperwork.
  • Teams must consist of four qualified competitors and up to two coaches.
    • Coaches must be employees of the school or district.
  • Each team must compete in their regional competition to advance to Nationals.
  • Competitors on a team must be a part of the same school district, live in the same county/parish, or live within 75 miles of each other.
  • Teams must pay a $200 registration fee.

For questions about forming a team, contact mathcompetition@rit.edu

To participate in the Math Competition, a coach will need to:

  1. Register their team online (school name, location, coach name, and shirt size)
  2. Complete student online registration (student’s name, address, parent’s information, and additional information needed)
  3. Submit registration information and paperwork for each member of their team
    • If your school or district is interested in applying for a spot in your regional competition, coaches may apply and secure a place in the competition prior to finalizing their team roster.

Registration will open on September 1, 2024.

For regional competitions, teams are responsible for their own transportation to the competition site. RIT/NTID covers all lodging and meals starting on the first day of each regional competition. 

For the national competition, all expenses are paid for by RIT/NTID for the top 4 teams from each region. 

Friday night is Spirit Night! Teams should show their school colors, wear school t-shirts, face paint, and wacky headgear to show school spirit. The effort and spirit behind their attire, paired with energy, kindness, and sportsmanship displayed through the weekend, will determine the recipient of the annual Ben Hall Spirit Award. This applies to regional competition only.

Competitors will compete in a bracket-style tournament where a quick and accurate response to questions are the key to victory. In the first couple of rounds, three problems are shown, and competitors have 45 seconds to figure out the answer to each problem. The competitor who gets the most correct answers in the quickest amount of time advances. Should the round end with a tie, the round goes to "sudden victory" and the competitor who gets the correct answer first, advances. In the third place round and championship round, the first competitor who answers three problems correctly wins.

All competitors have a chance to compete for the Top Tiger Championship. The top-scoring competitors of each competition will advance to the championship. Individual scores are based on the combined scores from the Solo Tiger Challenge and Tiger Strike Challenge.

The top three competitors in the Top Tiger Championship will receive first, second, or third place cash awards.

This game is formerly the Team Championship Countdown, but with a few changes:

  • Teams that place 5th – 10th will compete in a Tiger Team Play-in Round for a chance to secure the final two spots in the Championship Round
    • After the play-in concludes, the Math Competition moves to the Tiger Team Championship Round with the top 6 teams; the 1st - 4th place teams and the two winners of the play-in round.
  • The Tiger Team Championship consists of one round of 6 team questions. Teams will have 90 seconds to answer each question, and 2 points are awarded for each correct answer
  • Following the team round, there will be one round of 8 competitor questions. Team members have 45 seconds to answer each question. Teams are awarded 1 point for each correct answer.
  • After the Tiger Team Championships conclude, the top teams will be awarded prizes. 

All teams will participate in the Tiger Team Challenge. Each team will be given a set of 10 problems to solve within 45 minutes. When all 10 problems are complete, teams hand over their answer sheets to a member of the Math Competition staff. The judges will check the sheets and return the problems back to the team if there are any incorrect answers. Each team has at most three checks from the judges within the 45-minute limit. At the end of the challenge, all answer sheets will be collected. Each correct answer is worth 2 points towards the team’s overall score.

Students will work together to solve 4 different puzzles in order to decipher a code that unlocks a prize! The puzzles for the 2024 Roar Your Way Out game are:

  • Hidoku
    • A puzzle which starts with a partially filled grid of numbers, where your aim is to draw a single continuous line from the number 1 to the number 64 (if that is the size of the grid). You can move one cell in any direction, including diagonally.
  • KenKen
    • KenKen is a grid-based numerical puzzle that uses the basic math operations (i.e., addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) while also challenging your logic and problem-solving skills.
  • Number Square Puzzle
    • Complete the Number Square so that the numbers 1 to 25 are all in the grid, and all rows and columns add up to the totals indicated to the right and below.
  • Surprise Puzzle
    • This puzzle will not be revealed until the day of the competition! This puzzle is kept a surprise to keep teams on their toes.

Calculators will be provided for all members of the team.

Teams should get comfortable practicing with only basic four-function calculators.

Teams will not be using scientific or graphing calculators during the competition.

Teams are also encouraged to practice with the following features: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, square, square root, and percent.

  • A sharp mind for doing mathematics.
  • An open hand to meet and socialize with new friends.
  • Your school spirit—wear your school colors!
    • Bring things to dazzle your table at Spirit Night! Things like pom-poms, ribbons, banners, school swag and apparel are all things your team can bring.
    • Glitter is NOT allowed.

The top four teams in each region are invited to compete at the National Competition at RIT/NTID.

The following prizes are awarded:

Regional Top 4 teams

  • All expenses paid trip to the National competition at RIT/NTID.

Regional Top 3 individuals

  • 1st $300
  • 2nd $200
  • 3rd $100

National Top 4 teams 

  • 1st $1000
  • 2nd $800
  • 3rd $600
  • 4th $400      

National top 4 individuals

  • 1st  $500
  • 2nd $250
  • 3rd $125
  • 4th $50

Top Scorer:

  • A trophy will be awarded to the Top Scorer from each region and the national competition.

Ben Hall Spirit Award:

  • This award recognizes teams that show the most school spirit through their apparel, table decorations, and overall enthusiasm. It's all about how teams creatively represent their school and generate excitement during the competition.

Ben Hall Sportsmanship Award:

  • This award focuses on how teams interact with others, including their peers, coaches and competition staff. It honors those who demonstrate respect, kindness, and a positive attitude throughout the event.
  • Regional and National competitions will happen In-person
  • There are 4 geographic regions in which competitions will take place:
    • West
    • Southeast
    • Northeast
    • Midwest
  • The top 4 teams from each region move onto the national competition at RIT/NTID

Yes! Coaches must be a teacher, paraprofessional, or other school/district representatives. Each team may have up to two coaches. Please contact us if you have questions about who can be a coach. Coaches will work in tandem with the NTID Youth Programs team in relaying information to interested students, distributing and collecting completed registration forms, and coaching/readying the competitors for all levels of the competition.

Preparation Materials

Teams are encouraged to use the American Sign Language version of Khan Academy’s Algebra Basics, covering diverse topics like negative numbers, absolute values, exponents, square roots, fractions, decimals, and some geometry.

  • For instructions on how to access ASL content on Khan Academy, refer to our how-to document.
    • Coaches can access tests from previous competitions for study.
      • Topics to review at the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade level:
        • Algebra
        • Geometry
        • Statistics
        • Number Sense
Young student holding a calculator and pencil

Important Dates


September 1, 2024: Registration Opens
November 15, 2024: Registration Closes


January 24-26, 2025: Southeast Regional Competition
February 7-9, 2025: West Regional Competition
February 21-23, 2025: Midwest Regional Competition
March 7-9, 2025: Northeast Regional Competition


April 4-6, 2025: National Competition at RIT/NTID


Please go to your region’s section for more detailed information.

Registration

Assemble your team of mathletes and get ready to compete! Registration for the 2025 Math Competition is now open!

Register now!

A registration fee of $200 per team is required to participate, which helps us cover event costs. Host schools do not need to pay a registration fee.

Pay Online

Registration fees can be paid by check. Please make checks payable to:

Rochester Institute of Technology
Math Competition Program
52 Lomb Memorial Dr
Rochester, NY 14623-5604

For any questions or inquiries about the registration process, contact the math competition team at mathcompetition@rit.edu

Registration Forms

Coaches should register their team by 5:00 p.m. EST on Friday, November 15, 2024. Individual registrations and required forms for all teams and participants must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. EST on Friday, December 13, 2024.

Download your required forms:

Contact Us

RIT NTID Math Competition
Rochester Institute of Technology
National Technical Institute for the Deaf
Lyndon Baines Johnson Building
52 Lomb Memorial Drive
Rochester, New York 14623-5604
 
585-475-7695 (voice)
585-286-4555 (videophone)
585-448-9651 (text/FaceTime)

You can also contact us by email at mathcompetition@rit.edu.