Recently 120 year 10 and 11 students sat the Intermediate Maths Challenge. This is a national event that is aimed at the top third of pupils in Year 10 and 11 in England and Wales.

The challenge consists of answering multiple choice questions. The questions are challenging and in one section of the paper candidates will lose marks for putting the wrong answer. Students are only allowed a pencil and some paper to do calculations on, and a rubber to change their answers.
Question one was:

Which of the following is divisible by 6?
A one million minus one
B one million minus two
C one million minus three
D one million minus four
E one million minus five

One of the later questions was:
Four brothers are discussing the order in which they were born. Two are lying and two are telling the truth. Which two are telling the truth?

Alfred: “Bernard is the youngest.” Horatio: “Bernard is the oldest and I am the youngest.”

Inigo: “I was born last.” Bernard: “I’m neither the youngest nor the oldest.”

A Bernard and Inigo
B Horatio and Bernard
C Alfred and Horatio
D Alfred and Bernard
E Inigo and Horatio

High performers
The top 40% of students who participate receive a gold, silver or bronze certificate in the ratio 1:2:3 and each institution receives a Best in School certificate.
Around 500 of the highest scorers nationally are invited to take part in the Intermediate Mathematical Olympiad papers: A further 5,500 pupils from across all year groups are invited to sit either the grey or pink European Kangaroo papers. These are taken by pupils from over 30 countries worldwide. We are expecting to receive the results in March.