Number Sense is one of several academic events sanctioned by the University Interscholastic League. It is also a competition held by the Texas Math and Science Coaches Association, using the same rules as the UIL. It is one of the UIL's oldest academic competitions: the first state title was awarded in 1943.

Number Sense is designed to test students' mental math abilities (i.e., their ability to solve math problems without the aid of calculators or scratch paper).

Eligibility

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Students in Grade 4 through Grade 12 are eligible to enter this event. For competition purposes, separate divisions are held for Grades 4-6, Grades 7-8, and Grades 9-12, with separate subjects covered on each test as follows:

  • The test for Grades 4-6 covers basic arithmetic and mathematical functions.
  • The test for Grades 7-8 covers the subjects under Grades 4-6 plus algebra, geometry and number theory.
  • The test for Grades 9-12 covers the subjects under both Grades 4-6 and Grades 7-8 plus analysis, trigonometry and calculus.

For Grades 4-6 and Grades 7-8 each school may send up to three students per division. In order for a school to participate in team competition in a division, the school must send three students in that division.

For Grades 9-12 each school may send up to four students; however, in districts with more than eight schools the district executive committee can limit participation to three students per school. In order for a school to participate in team competition, the school must send at least three students.

Rules and Scoring

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The test consists of 80 questions and is limited to only 10 minutes. There is no intermediate time signal given; at the end of 10 minutes the students must immediately stop writing (they are not allowed to finish incomplete answers started before the stop signal).

The questions must be answered in order; a skipped question is scored as a wrong answer.

Since Number Sense is designed to test students' mental math abilities, no calculators or scratch paper can be used during competition.

In order for a question to be scored as correct the exact answer must be given (no allowance for rounding), except where the question is preceded by an asterisk, in which case for the question to be scored as correct the student's answer must be within 5 percent of the exact answer.

5 points are awarded for each correct answer while 4 points are deducted for each wrong or skipped answer. However, questions not answered beyond the last attempted answer (defined as any problem where a mark or erasure exists in the answer blank for that problem) are not scored.

Another way to score the contest is to multiply the number of attempted problems by 5 and multiply the number of wrong problems by 9, and then subtracting the wrong number score from the total.

Determining the Winner

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Elementary and Junior High

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Scoring is posted for only the top six individual places and the top three teams.

There are no tiebreakers for either individual or team competition.

High School Level

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The top three individuals and the top team (determined based on the scores of the top three individuals) advance to the next round. In addition, within each region, the highest-scoring second place team from all district competitions advances as the "wild card" to regional competition (provided the team has four members), and within the state, the highest-scoring second place team from all regional competitions advances as the wild card to the state competition. Members of advancing teams who did not place individually remain eligible to compete for individual awards at higher levels.

There is no tiebreaker for individual competition; all individuals tied for a place eligible to advance to the next level will advance.

For team competition, the score of the fourth-place individual is used as the tiebreaker. If a team has only three members it is not eligible to participate in the tiebreaker. If the fourth-place score still results in a tie, all remaining tied teams will advance. At the state level, ties for first place are not broken.

For district meet academic championship and district meet sweepstakes awards, points are awarded to the school as follows:

  • Individual places: 1st—15, 2nd—12, 3rd—10, 4th—8, 5th—6, and 6th—4.
  • Team places: 1st—9 and 2nd—4.
  • The maximum number of points a school can earn in Number Sense is 37.

List of prior winners

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NOTE: Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, there were no competitions held during the 2019-2020 academic year.

Individual

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NOTE: For privacy reasons, only the winning school is shown. There was only one state champion for all classes awarded from 1943-44 through 1945-46 (for table purposes the winner is shown in Class A). Beginning in 1946-47, there were three champions crowned (Classes B, A, and AA; the latter encompassing all schools not in Class A or Class B). Beginning in 1958-59 all five classes (B, A, AA, AAA, and AAAA) were eligible for championships. The classifications were renumbered in 1980-81, with Class B becoming Class A and the other classes adding one letter (thus, Class A became Class AA, and so forth).[1] Effective as of 2015, classifications were moved up by one letter with the creation of Class AAAAAA.

School Year Class A Class AA Class AAA Class AAAA Class AAAAA[2] Class AAAAAA [3]
1943-44 Forney (none) (none) (none) (none) (none)
1944-45 Amarillo (none) (none) (none) (none) (none)
1945-46 Rio Hondo (none) (none) (none) (none) (none)
1946-47 Rio Hondo[4] (none) (none) (none) (none) (none)
1947-48 (tie) Claude/Moulton Marble Falls Lubbock (none) (none) (none)
1948-49 (tie) Alpine/Woodsboro Marble Falls (tie) Lubbock/Sweetwater (none) (none) (none)
1949-50 Miami Marble Falls El Paso (none) (none) (none)
1950-51 Alpine Pharr-San Juan-Alamo El Paso (none) (none) (none)
1951-52 Woodson Hereford El Paso (none) (none) (none)
1952-53 Schulenburg Taylor El Paso (none) (none) (none)
1953-54 Giddings Llano El Paso (none) (none) (none)
1954-55 Dayton Floydada Pharr-San Juan-Alamo (none) (none) (none)
1955-56 Sugar Land Bowie Kerrville (none) (none) (none)
1956-57 Van Horn Granbury Lubbock Monterey (none) (none) (none)
1957-58 Anton Liberty Lubbock (none) (none) (none)
1958-59 Mont Belview Barbers Hill Canadian Lampasas Cleburne Austin McCallum (none)
1959-60 Sulphur Bluff Groesbeck Granbury Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Lubbock Monterey (none)
1960-61 Anton White Oak College Station A&M Consolidated Andrews Port Neches (none)
1961-62 Rochelle Mont Belvieu Barbers Hill College Station A&M Consolidated Cleburne Lubbock (none)
1962-63 Sulphur Bluff Schulenburg College Station A&M Consolidated Deer Park Lubbock Monterey (none)
1963-64 Adrian Schulenburg San Saba Wichita Falls Rider Lubbock Monterey (none)
1964-65 Rocksprings Alto San Saba Andrews San Antonio MacArthur (none)
1965-66 Rocksprings Stockdale Pittsburg Andrews Freeport Brazosport (none)
1966-67 Rocksprings Silverton Quanah Andrews Freeport Brazosport (none)
1967-68 Whiteface Silverton Quanah Andrews Wichita Falls Rider (none)
1968-69 Imperial Buena Vista Wink Quanah Levelland Odessa Permian (none)
1969-70 Rocksprings Wink Winnie East Chambers Bishop Midland Lee (none)
1970-71 Wall Cedar Hill Quanah Andrews Austin McCallum (none)
1971-72 Wall Granger Waco Robinson Andrews Fort Worth Paschal (none)
1972-73 Jayton Wall Waco Robinson Andrews McAllen (none)
1973-74 Brookesmith Wink Zapata Andrews Pasadena South Houston (none)
1974-75 Matador Motley County Poth Zapata Andrews Stafford Dulles (none)
1975-76 S&S Consolidated Poth Zapata Andrews Austin Anderson (none)
1976-77 Bronte Tatum Crane Edcouch-Elsa North Mesquite (none)
1977-78 S&S Consolidated Lorenzo Boerne Andrews Edinburg (none)
1978-79 Lorenzo[5] Powderly North Lamar[6] Silsbee[7] San Antonio Marshall[8] Moulton[9] (none)
1979-80 Graford Shamrock North Lamar Hallsville Edinburg (none)
1980-81 Pottsville Shamrock North Lamar Andrews San Antonio Marshall (none)
1981-82 (tie) Granger/Midland Greenwood Shamrock North Lamar Andrews McAllen Memorial (none)
1982-83 Phillips Anson North Lamar Azle Houston Waltrip (none)
1983-84 Lenorah Grady Anson North Lamar San Antonio Edgewood Alvin (none)
1984-85 Nueces Canyon Shamrock Mission Sharyland Azle Brazoswood (none)
1985-86 (tie) Lenorah Grady/San Isidro (tie) Quitman/Springlake-Earth Gladewater Azle Lubbock Monterey (none)
1986-87 Plains Springlake-Earth Quitman Azle Klein Oak (none)
1987-88 Meridian Rosebud-Lott Orangefield Wichita Falls Hirschi Klein Oak (none)
1988-89 Mounton Shallowater Quitman Wichita Falls Hirschi Longview (none)
1989-90 Plains Shallowater Bishop Wichita Falls Hirschi (tie) Longview/Lubbock/Mission (none)
1990-91 San Isidro Ingram Tom Moore Bandera Azle Mission (none)
1991-92 San Isidro Shallowater Devine Wichita Falls Mission (none)
1992-93 San Isidro Stamford Mont Belvieu Barbers Hill Wichita Falls Wichita Falls Rider (none)
1993-94 Sterling City Salado Mont Belvieu Barbers Hill Buda Hays Consolidated Wichita Falls Rider (none)
1994-95 Wink Salado Bridgeport Wichita Falls Wichita Falls Rider (none)
1995-96 Henrietta Midway Salado Bridgeport Corpus Christi Flour Bluff Sugar Land Elkins (none)
1996-97 Henrietta Midway Lockney Port Isabel Sweeny Spring Westfield (none)
1997-98 Henrietta Midway Wellington Bridgeport Sweeny Mission (none)
1998-99 Valley View De Leon Sweeny Edcouch-Elsa Mission (none)
1999-2000 Muenster Elkhart Bridgeport Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Memorial Spring Westfield (none)
2000-01 Muenster Elkhart Seminole Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Memorial Edinburg North (none)
2001-02 Muenster Salado (tie) Falfurrias/Seminole Corpus Christi Flour Bluff Klein (none)
2002-03 Tenaha Salado Bridgeport Pharr-San Juan Alamo Memorial Edinburg North (none)
2003-04 San Isidro Salado Bridgeport Wichita Falls Hirschi Pearland (none)
2004-05 Lindsay Argyle Bridgeport Medina Valley Pearland (none)
2005-06 Utopia Argyle Longview Spring Hill Nacogdoches Pearland (none)
2006-07 Plains Wichita Falls City View Longview Spring Hill Port Lavaca Calhoun Clements (none)
2007-08 Lindsay Caddo Mills Argyle Nederland Klein (none)
2008-09 Lindsay Caddo Mills Wichita Falls Hirschi Big Spring Clements (none)
2009-10 Lindsay Salado Wichita Falls Hirschi Pearland Clements (none)
2010-11 Lovelady Daingerfield Wichita Falls Hirschi Pearland Clements (none)
2011-12 Sands Daingerfield Argyle Whitehouse Dulles (none)
2012-13 Lindsay Abernathy Argyle Whitehouse Science-Eng Magnet (none)
2013-14 Lovelady Abernathy Argyle Veterans Memorial Clements (none)
2014-15 Garden City Lindsay City Views Argyle Veterans Memorial Klein
2015-16 Knippa Lindsay Queen City Argyle Hallsville Klein
2016-17 Bellevue Lindsay Queen City Argyle Sharyland Klein
2017-18 Bellevue Lindsay City Views Argyle Highland Park Clements
2018-19 Bellevue Poolville Sabine Wichita Falls Hirschi Highland Park Clements
2019-20 (none) (none) (none) (none) (none) (none)
2020-21 Jonesboro Woodsboro Sabine Salado Highland Park Clements
2021-22 Jonesboro Woodsboro Idalou Salado Highland Park Clements

Team

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NOTE: UIL did not recognize a team championship in this event until the 1988-89 scholastic year.[1]

School Year Class A Class AA Class AAA Class AAAA Class AAAAA
1988-89 Plains Shallowater Quitman Wichita Falls Hirschi McAllen
1989-90 Plains Shallowater Orangefield Wichita Falls Hirschi Mission
1990-91 San Isidro Quanah Austin Lake Travis Azle Lubbock
1991-92 Sterling City Shallowater Devine Wichita Falls McAllen
1992-93 Sterling City Little Elm Crane Wichita Falls Lubbock
1993-94 Plains Little Elm Bridgeport Buda Hays Consolidated Alvin
1994-95 Henrietta Midway Salado Bridgeport Azle Sugar Land Elkins
1995-96 Rule Salado Shallowater Longview Pine Tree Mission
1996-97 Henrietta Midway Shallowater Bridgeport Longview Pine Tree Spring Westfield
1997-98 Henrietta Midway Plains Santa Rosa Longview Pine Tree Mission
1998-99 Henrietta Midway Salado Santa Rosa Sulphur Springs Klein
1999-2000 Valley View Salado Bridgeport Azle Klein
2000-01 Muenster Salado Bridgeport Corpus Christi Flour Bluff Edinburg North
2001-02 Muenster Salado Bridgeport Corpus Christi Flour Bluff Edinburg North
2002-03 Muenster Salado Bridgeport Azle Edinburg North
2003-04 Lindsay Salado Bridgeport Medina Valley Pearland
2004-05 Lindsay Argyle Bridgeport Medina Valley La Joya
2005-06 Garden City Argyle Bridgeport Medina Valley Klein
2006-07 Lindsay Wichita Falls City View Longview Spring Hill Corpus Christi Flour Bluff San Antonio O'Connor
2007-08 Lindsay Caddo Mills Argyle Katy Seven Lakes Klein, Melissa

References

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  1. ^ a b UIL: Academics - ArchivesArchived 2011-07-05 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ "UIL Number Sense State Champions". Archived from the original on 2012-05-07. Retrieved 2012-03-20.
  3. ^ "UIL Spring Meet Results". Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  4. ^ "UIL Number Sense State Champions". Archived from the original on 2012-05-07. Retrieved 2012-03-20.
  5. ^ "UIL Number Sense State Champions". Archived from the original on 2012-05-07. Retrieved 2012-03-20.
  6. ^ "UIL Number Sense State Champions". Archived from the original on 2012-05-07. Retrieved 2012-03-20.
  7. ^ "UIL Number Sense State Champions". Archived from the original on 2012-05-07. Retrieved 2012-03-20.
  8. ^ "UIL Number Sense State Champions". Archived from the original on 2012-05-07. Retrieved 2012-03-20.
  9. ^ "UIL Number Sense State Champions". Archived from the original on 2012-05-07. Retrieved 2012-03-20.