Texas Math and Science Coaches Association
The Texas Math and Science Coaches Association or TMSCA is an organization for coaches of academic University Interscholastic League teams in Texas middle schools and high schools, specifically those that compete in mathematics and science related tests.
Events
There are four events in the TMSCA at both the middle and high school level: Number Sense, General Mathematics, Calculator Applications, and General Science.
Number sense is an 80 question exam that is solved in only ten minutes. Additionally, no scratch work or paper calculations are allowed. These questions range from simple calculations such as 14*74 to more complicated operation such as 1001*1938. Each calculation is able to be done with a certain trick or shortcut that makes the calculations easier. The high school exam includes calculus and other difficult topics in the questions also with the same rules applied as to the middle school version. It is well known that the grading for this event is particularly stringent as errors such as writing over a line or crossing out potential answers are considered as incorrect answers.
General Mathematics is a 50 questions exam that is solved in 40 minutes. These problems are slightly more challenging than number sense, and some of the word problems might take some thinking to figure out. For every problem correct you get 5 points. For every problem incorrect, you lose 2 points. Tiebreakers are determined by the person that misses the first problem and by percent accuracy.
Calculator Applications is an 80 question exam that is solved in thirty minutes. This test requires practice on the calculator, knowledge of a few crucial formulas, and a lot of speed and intensity. Memorizing formulas, tips, and tricks will not be enough. In this event, plenty of practice is necessary in order to master the locations of the keys and develop the speed necessary. All correct questions are worth 5 points and all incorrect questions or skipped questions that are before the last answered questions will lose 4 points; answers are to be given with 3 significant figures.
Science is 50 question exam that is solved in 40 minutes at the middle school level, and a 60 question exam that are solved in a 2 hour time limit at the high school level. Tiebreakers are determined by the person that misses the first problem and by percent accuracy. As the name suggests, the test focuses on the science subjects learned in the middle school/high school level depending on your grade and the version of the test your are taking.
Competitions
Individual schools that are members of TMSCA can host invitational competitions using TMSCA-released tests. Many schools use this as a fundraising opportunity for their competitive math program.
TMSCA also hosts two state-wide competitions for member schools each year, one at the middle school level and one at the high school level, as well as a qualification competition at the middle school level prior to the state competition, also known as the Regional Qualifier. These state-wide competitions are held at the University of Texas at San Antonio campus each spring. These competitions can often serve as practice for state-wide UIL tournaments, which occur shortly after, and for middle school students is their only opportunity to compete at the state level (UIL competitions at the middle school level do not go beyond district).
Grading
For the General Mathematics and General Science contests in middle school, 5 points are awarded for each correct answer and 2 points are deducted for each incorrect answer. In the high school contest, 6 points are awarded for each correct answer and 2 points are deducted for each incorrect answer. Unanswered questions do not affect the score. Thus, competitors are penalized for guessing incorrectly.
On the Number Sense test scoring is 5 times the last question answered (so a student answering 32 questions would be awarded 160 points) and 4 points are deducted for incorrect answers and problems skipped up to the last attempted question (so if the student above missed 1 and skipped 3 questions he would end with 124 points). Number sense tests are also checked for possible scratch work, overwrites, and erasures, which if found could result in questions being counted incorrect or tests being disqualified.
The Calculator Applications test multiplies 5 times the last question answered and deducts 4 points for incorrect or skipped questions, similar to Number Sense, but scratch work is allowed.
Results
At virtually all TMSCA competitions, students are ranked against each other in their specific grade level. This ensures parity of competition, since students in higher grades generally tend to score higher than students in the lower grades. Particularly at the high school level, there is a stark contrast between freshmen with little real math and science experience and seniors, who presumably have taken or are taking advanced placement science courses and calculus.