About this competition
Math Kangaroo (officially Kangourou sans Frontières) is the world's largest math competition by participation, with 6+ million students in 90+ countries each year. The U.S. division runs as a single 75-minute multiple-choice test on a fixed Thursday in March. Twelve grade-level divisions cover grades 1-12.
Math Kangaroo is intentionally lower-barrier than the AMC ladder — the problems are more puzzle-flavored than olympiad-style, and every participant receives a gift bag plus certificate. This makes it a strong "first competition" for elementary and early-middle students whose first AMC 8 experience might be discouraging.
The U.S. competition runs through registered test centers (schools, learning centers, libraries). Registration costs roughly $21 per student.
Season & deadlines
Registration opens early winter; test date is the third Thursday of March each year.
Season window: November through March.
Cost
$21 — ~$21 per student. Most participants register through a school or learning-center test site.
Prizes & outcomes
Top scorers per state per grade win cash + scholarships up to $1,000. All participants receive a gift bag + certificate.