Each participating high school must choose an adult sponsor (who must
be present at the contest) and a team of high school students. A
team may consist of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 members. However,
only those schools with at least 3 team members will participate
in the ciphering portion of the contest.
Each school will compete in one of two divisions. All participants
will compete for individual awards.
All participants will take the written examination. Exactly 3
team members will participate in the ciphering contest. Those
persons participating in the ciphering contest must be designated
at the time of registration.
The written test is scored as follows: 5 points for each correct
answer, 1 point for an answer that is left blank, and 0 points for an
incorrect answer. On the ciphering portion, the scoring will proceed
as follows: 3 points if the question is correctly answered within the
first 30 seconds, 2 points within 60 seconds, and 1 point within 90
seconds. Each cipherer may submit at most two answers per question.
To determine the school ranking in each division, the scoring will
proceed as follows: The team score for the written portion of the
contest will be the average of the top 3 individual scores.
This average plus the total number of points received on the ciphering
portion will be the contest score for that school.
Trophies will be presented to the first, second, and third place
schools in each division. Plaques will be given to the individuals
having the four highest scores on the written portion of the test.
A plaque will be awarded to the winner of the individual tournament.
Certificates will be presented to all participants in the contest.
A four-year full tuition scholarship will be offered to the student
with the highest score on the written test. A four-year half-tuition
scholarship will be offered to the student with the second highest
score on the written test. If either one of these students is not
yet a senior, then an additional four-year half-tuition scholarship
will be offered to the next highest individual who is eligible to
attend USC in Fall, 1998. The use of these scholarships is contingent
upon the student choosing a major in either the
College of Science and Mathematics or
the College of Engineering at the
Columbia campus of USC.
Individual results on the written portion will be mailed to the team
sponsor shortly after the contest.
No outside material such as calculators, books, or other references
may be used in the contest. Final decisions for awards will reside
with the contest judges.
Schools may bring up to six additional students to take the
written test on a "practice only" basis.
