MEO Levels
The MEO contains three levels:
- MEO 1 (up to 8th grade)
- MEO 2 (up to 10th grade)
- MEO 3 (above 10th grade)
Participants are expected to choose the level that is best suited for them. If in doubt, we always recommend to challenge oneself by taking the harder of the two options being considered.
Concepts covered on the MEO are abstract mathematical topics; competitors are not expected to be familiar with the concepts covered in all problems.
Participants are only allowed to participate in one level each competition due to time constraints and fairness considerations. While participants are allowed to choose which level they participate in, all competitors are expected to choose the correct level for them (i.e., do not choose a level that is too easy). If debating between two levels, we always recommend to choose the more difficult of the two. Sample questions are available on the home page to help participants gauge which round would be best for them.
Exam Layout
Each level of the MEO has the following structure with a total of 23 questions:
- Algebra: 5 multiple-choice questions
- Statistics: 5 multiple-choice questions
- Geometry: 5 multiple-choice questions
- Number Theory: 5 multiple-choice questions
- Free Response: 3 free-response questions from any of the above categories
For free-response questions, the answers are always positive integers not necessarily constrained to any particular range.
Competitors will have 1 hour and 20 minutes to complete their exam. Exams are adminstered digitally on a custom platform designed to prevent cheating. At the end of the 1 hour and 20 minutes, exams will automatically submit; however, participants can choose to submit their exams before the time has elapsed.
Scoring
Scoring for the MEO is as follows:
- For multiple-choice questions:
- A correct answer is worth 4 points.
- An omitted question is worth 1 point.
- An incorrect answer is worth 0 points.
- For free-response questions:
- A correct answer is worth 5 points.
- An omitted question is worth 2 points.
- An incorrect answer is worth 0 points.
The maximum number of points possible for each level is 95.
There will be a chance for participants to appeal any question they believe is incorrect or has errors of any kind.
In the event of a tie, the fastest submission receives the tiebreak advantage. Since the testing platform automatically logs the submission time, submission times are not eligible for appeal. Some questions included in the level act as "tiebreaker questions". These questions will not be labeled as such. In the event of another tie (i.e., all involved participants have the same submission time), the best score on the tiebreaker questions receives the tiebreak advantage. In the event of another tie, the involved participants share their placement.
Competition Guidelines
The following guidelines must be adhered to throughout the competition. Any infractions will result in immediate disqualification and could additionally result in being banned from future competitions.
- Calculators of any kind are strictly prohibited.
- Use of AI tools is strictly prohibited.
- Cheating or attempting to circumvent rules will result in disqualification.
- All decisions made by the MEO Committee are final and binding.
- Discussion of any examination questions or the answers to such questions before the publication of the competition papers is strictly prohibited.
Accommodations
Due to the online nature of this competition and the consequent inability to closely monitor participtaion, we cannot grant extended time accommodations. We do not want to invade privacy in this manner (which would be in violation of HIPAA regulations) or bias the competition in any way. If you have any questions about accommodations other than extended time, please reach out to us at least two weeks prior to competition day; they will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.