Pascal, Cayley or Fermat? Ask Your School Before February

Before you open a practice paper, ask your math teacher which Waterloo contest you can write and when they need your name. Your school orders the seats, and its sign‑up sheet may close before Waterloo's deadline.

Choose one contest by grade

Pascal is for Grade 9, Cayley for Grade 10 and Fermat for Grade 11. Younger students can try a higher level. You can write only one of the three in a school year.

If you're choosing between two, try the opening problems from each using the past papers on the contest page.

Find your school's order date

U.S. schools must order by February 2, 2027. Canadian schools must order by February 9, 2027. Waterloo gives calendar dates without a cutoff time or time zone.

An educator orders through the school account. If your school is new, the principal or head of math applies for an account. Review can take up to three weeks.

If your school won't host, ask another local school whether it can include you in its order. You write at the school that orders your seat. See how school entry works.

Work out the cost

The fee is CAD 6 per participant plus CAD 5 per school order. For 12 online seats, the school's total is CAD 77 (12 × CAD 6 + CAD 5).

Paper orders add shipping, including a return shipment paid by the school. Ask your teacher what you personally need to pay.

Plan for contest day

Both countries write on February 23 or 24, 2027. Your supervisor sets the sitting. You work individually at school for 60 minutes on 25 questions, on paper or online.

For the online contest, your supervisor gives you the link and participant ID. In Part C you choose a whole number from 0 to 99.

Bring your calculator model to your teacher before contest day. The calculator rules exclude devices with internet or device‑to‑device communication, student‑stored information, computer algebra systems, or dynamic geometry software.

The participation terms allow only aids listed in the booklet or supervisor instructions. We found no separate public 2027 PCF rule on AI. Check with your supervisor before using any tool on contest day.