SCMC VIII (Fall 2026)

We cordially invite you to compete at SCMC VIII (Fall 2026), the eighth edition of our competition!

Registration

Registration will be open until 11:59pm Pacific Time on Sunday, 18 October.

(In-person) competition-day information

• Venue: The competition will be held in Taper Hall of Humanities (THH), room 101. Parents and teachers are welcome to stay in THH 118 when the competition is in session.

• Parking: We recommend parking at the McCarthy Way Parking Structure or the Royal Street Parking Structure; these are accessible from the McCarthy Way Entrance and McClintock Ave. Entrance, respectively. Parking is also available at the USC Shrine Structure, and at the USC Village, although the latter is more expensive.

• What to bring: 

  • Something to write with (and a water bottle, if desired)! 

  • You may also bring some blank, unlined scratch paper if you would like, although we will also be providing that.

  • Note that calculators are not allowed on this competition.

• Forms: Please make sure you have completed both the Youth Protection Consent Forms (email this to us if you didn't submit it with the registration form) and the Minor Participant Information Form.

Schedule

• 9-9:50am: Check-in. Once you are checked in, please report to the room you are assigned to.

  • Parents and teachers are welcome to stay in THH 118 when the competition is in session.

• 10-10:50am: Faculty lecture, by USC Professor Nathaniel Emerson. Parents and teachers are welcome to listen!

• 11am-12:30pm: Individual round

• 12:30-1:30pm: Lunch

• 1:30-2:15pm: Team round

• 2:30-3:30pm: Guts round

• 3:30-4:00pm: Lightning round

• 4:00pm: Awards; end of competition

Competition format

Note that these details have not yet been finalized, and are subject to change.

• Competitors may choose to compete individually, or as part of a team of 4 students.

• Competitors may choose to compete in one of the following difficulty levels. Please note that all competitors on a team must compete in the same difficulty level.

  • SCMC A: More difficult problems; mid-AMC to early-AIME level

  • SCMC B: Less difficult problems; early-AMC to late-AMC level

• The competition consists of the following rounds:

  • Individual round: 15 problems, 90 minutes

  • Team round: 10 problems, 45 minutes

  • Guts round: 8 increasingly difficult sets of 3 problems, 60 minutes

  • Tiebreaker round (if needed): Top 4 A and top 4 B competitors solve 2 problems as fast as possible; held during lunch

  • Lightning round: Live round inspired by MATHCOUNTS' Countdown Round for top 4 A and top 4 B competitors

Compete in-person or online!

We strongly encourage all competitors to compete in-person if possible. If you live too far away from USC or are otherwise unable to come to campus on the day of the competition, we will also offer an online option. 

Please note the following restrictions for online competitors, to protect the integrity of the competition:

• The online competition will be considered unofficial; only in-person competitors will be eligible for awards. Online competitors will receive their scores afterward, but scores and standings will not be published.

• Online competitors will compete as individuals, in the Individual Round only.

USC Statement on Eligibility

USC programs and events are open to all eligible individuals.  The University of Southern California operates all of its programs and activities consistent with its Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor.

USC Notice of Non-Discrimination

The University of Southern California prohibits discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, religion (including religious dress and grooming practices), creed, sex, age*, marital status, national origin, citizenship status, employment status, income status, shared ancestry and ethnic characteristics**, partnership status, medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), pregnancy (including childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions),  disability, political belief or affiliation, domestic violence victim status, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under  federal, state, or local law, regulation, or ordinance  in any of the university’s educational or otherwise federally-funded programs and activities, and in the employment (including application for employment) and admissions (including application for admission) context, as required by: Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and its implementing regulations, 20 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq.; Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended in 2008; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975; the Age Discrimination Act of 1967; the California Fair Employment and Housing Act; Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act,  42 USCA § 18116, and other federal, state, and local laws, regulations, or ordinances that prohibit discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation. 

The university prohibits unlawful harassment of students, employees, and third parties on the basis of any protected characteristic as identified above.

The university also prohibits retaliation against any individual for the purpose of interfering with any right or privilege secured by university policy or law, or because the individual makes a good faith report or formal complaint, testifies, assists, participates, or refuses to participate in any manner in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing under the university’s Policy on Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation.

*This Policy is applied in accordance with federal, state, and local law prohibiting discrimination based on age, including the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 and, as to non-discrimination in employment, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act.

**In evaluating whether an incident constitutes discrimination based on shared ancestry and ethnic characteristics, the University considers all relevant laws and regulations, including federal guidance directing executive agencies to consider the working definition of antisemitism adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) in enforcing Title VI.