International Regions Mathematics League (IRML)
Grading the Answers:
ARML has very strict rules regarding answers. The rules hold for all parts of the contest. For example, suppose the answer to a problem is 4, 5, and 7. If a student or team puts down just 4 and 5, the answer is wrong and they receive a score of 0. If a student or team puts down 4, 5, 7, and 8, the answer is wrong and they receive a score of 0. There is no partial credit given for getting part of the answer correct.
In addition ARML has very strict rules regarding the form of the answer. See ARML specifications below.
Answer Specifications:
These are the same for all 4 rounds. See the conventions sheet for important information regarding acceptable forms of submitted answers. In particular, items 1 and 2 on the conventions sheet describe acceptable forms of the answer.
Additional Parts of the Contest:
ARML has a two other parts. Following the relay races is the 5th part, the Super Relay. It is just for fun and doesn't count in the competition. In this relay, the whole team forms one relay. Person #1 passes to #2 to #3 and so on down to #8. Person #15 passes to #14 to #13 and so on down to #8. So person #8 receives 2 answers and his problem generally requires 2 answers. Since it doesn't count we often have some fun with the Super Relay. For example, it may be that person #2 can, in fact, solve the problem without the answer from person #1. Some students discover this, some don't. Since the IRML teams taking the contest abroad are often doing it late in the afternoon or at night, we haven't been emailing this part of the contest.
The 6th part is the Tiebreaker. This is given to the top students on the individual round who took the contest in the States. At all four sites the best students come down to the front of the auditorium, they are given the problem, told to begin, and each student is timed. Those with the correct answer and the best times are the winners. We aren't giving this to those students who take the contest abroad.