The University of New South Wales Schools Mathematics Competition has been run each year since 1962. It is open to participation by secondary school students in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. It is run in two divisions: Junior, up to and including Year 10, and Senior, Years 11 and 12.

The competition is designed to assess mathematical insight and ingenuity rather than efficiency in tackling routine examples. Moreover, students are encouraged to enter the competition if they are able to make some progress towards the solution of at least one of the sample problems that are included with the publicity material.

The competition is an open-book exam. Entrants are allowed to take any books and materials, but not computers with internet connections, into the examination.

Each year, about 1000 students participate, 500 in each division, and prizes and/or certificates are awarded to abut 60 in each division. In recent years, the UNSW Schools Mathematics Competition has served as one of the selectors for the Australian team in the International Mathematical Olympiad. Some of our winners have gone on to receive medals there.

Update: The date for the Competition in 2008 is June 25. Contact: A/Prof Bruce Henry.

Past problem questions and their solutions have been published in Parabola.