What are the award categories for the High School Mathematical Contest in Modeling (HiMCM)? What is the prestige of the O, F, M, H, and S awards respectively? Is the win rate for HiMCM high? How many teams participate globally each year? The 2026 HiMCM will release its problems on November 4. For students without a foundation in mathematical modeling, it is highly recommended to: form teams in advance, learn modeling knowledge and high-frequency efficient models as early as possible, familiarize yourselves with the structure of modeling papers, and seek systematic training in mathematical modeling from professional international competition tutoring institutions.
Competition Achievements Overview
Over the past seven seasons from 2018 to 2025, students have accumulated a total of 4 Outstanding (O) Awards, 38 Finalist (F) Awards, 64 Meritorious (M) Awards, and 106 Honorable Mention (H) Awards in the HiMCM and MidMCM competitions. Over the years, a cumulative total of 4 teams have advanced to the top 5 in China and the top 8 globally. In 2025, nearly 85% of the tutored teams won H awards or above in HiMCM.
HiMCM Award Settings
What are the awards in the HiMCM competition? What level does each award represent? What level of paper (solution) can reach the standard of the highest global award? The HiMCM awards, in descending order of prestige, are: O Award, F Award, M Award, H Award, and S Award.
| Award | English Name | Description | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| O Award | Outstanding Winner | Grand Prize (Highest Global Award) | 0.73% |
| F Award | Finalist | Finalist Award | 4.5% |
| M Award | Meritorious Winner | First Prize | 13% |
| H Award | Honorable Mention | Second Prize | 29% |
| S Award | Successful Participant | Successful Completion Award | 50% |
O Award (Outstanding Winner) – Grand Prize
- The win rate is only 0.73%.
- In 2025, out of 1,091 participating teams globally, only 8 teams won the award (7 from China).
- Teams winning the O Award perform exceptionally well in all aspects, including problem-solving, model building, and paper writing.
F Award (Finalist) – Finalist Award
- The win rate is only 4.5%.
- In 2025, only 49 teams globally won the award.
- Teams winning the F Award have outstanding performance; their papers not only answer the questions but are also among the best of all submitted solutions.
M Award (Meritorious Winner) – First Prize
- The win rate is approximately 13%.
- In 2025, only 143 teams globally won the award.
- Teams winning the M Award are excellent in the argumentation, structure, and expression of their papers, and have solved all the problems required by the topic.
H Award (Honorable Mention) – Second Prize
- The win rate is approximately 29%.
- In 2025, 309 teams globally won the award.
- Winners of the H Award perform above the average level, include all elements of the review, and meet all basic requirements.
S Award (Successful Participant) – Successful Completion Award
- Accounts for approximately 50% of the total teams.
- Each year, only half of the teams can meet the completion standards.
Summary and Comparison of HiMCM Awards and Historical Win Rates
HiMCM Competition Rules
Problem Settings
Two major problems, A and B, are released each year. Teams can choose either one to complete. There is no standard answer:
- Problem A (Engineering / Continuous Mathematical Modeling): Continuous variables, physical/environmental/engineering scenarios. Commonly uses differential equations, optimization, and dynamic models.
- Problem B (Social / Discrete Data Modeling): Economics, population, policy, public administration. Focuses on statistical regression, time series, multi-objective evaluation, and big data analysis.
Submission Requirements
- Full English mathematical modeling paper.
- Upload the PDF solution via the official website system. The submission should not exceed 25 pages, including: 1. Summary 2. Table of Contents 3. Complete Solution 4. A one-page non-technical article (as required by the problem) 5. Reference list.
HiMCM Evaluation Criteria
The winning standards for HiMCM have both clear requirements and a certain degree of subjective evaluation. To win an award, participating teams need to perform excellently in all aspects, especially in model building, problem-solving, and paper writing. At the same time, attention should be paid to the uncertainties in the competition, as the judges’ evaluations will also affect the final results.
Taking the S Award (Successful Completion Award) as an example, teams that win the S Award are recognized by the organizing committee as having sufficient ability to solve the official problem, but the proposed modeling solution is not the most efficient or optimized one.
Nine Official HiMCM Evaluation Dimensions
- Feasibility of the Model: The committee will evaluate whether the model is based on reasonable assumptions, whether it can effectively capture the core of the problem, and whether the proposed solution is feasible.
- Summary: The review will check whether the summary is complete, contains all necessary elements, and meets the competition requirements.
- Problem Interpretation: Participants need to correctly understand the problem and clarify any ambiguous concepts that may exist.
- Premises and Assumptions: It is necessary to clearly list the premises and assumptions required for modeling, and conduct sufficient analysis and argumentation on their rationality.
- Modeling Motivation and Rationality Argumentation: Whether the motivation for modeling is analyzed, and whether a detailed argumentation for the rationality of the model is provided.
- Model Design: Whether an effective mathematical model has been designed to handle the problem.
- Stability and Sensitivity Analysis: Whether the stability and sensitivity of the model have been analyzed and tested.
- Practical Application Value: The model should have the possibility of practical application, showing long-term impact or practical value.
- Paper Writing: Whether the paper is concise, clear, and easy to understand, whether the document structure is reasonable, the logic is coherent, and the charts and graphs are appropriate and aesthetically pleasing.
Detailed Analysis and Summary of the Nine Official HiMCM Evaluation Criteria
HiMCM Preparation Strategies
To help students produce high-quality papers from scratch and win high-prestige international mathematical modeling awards, a comprehensive and scientific preparation plan is essential.
Phase 1: Basic Model Theory
- Based on the high-frequency model designs from the O Award winning papers of HiMCM over the past 10 years.
Phase 2: Advanced Modeling Practice
- LaTeX + Academic Expression + Structural Framework + Visual Presentation.
- Master the abilities of academic writing, problem restatement, assumption construction, model expression, algorithm writing, and result visualization, to reach the level of being able to completely write a paper.
Phase 3: Mock Competition and Practical Combat
- Past paper practice + In-competition guidance + Team collaboration.
- Master the skills of team collaboration, time management, efficient model building, and excellent paper writing.
Get FREE HiMCM Preparation Materials
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This is an independent English-language guide to HiMCM for Greater-China students, operated by Hanlin Education. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by COMAP, the organiser of HiMCM. COMAP is the sole official authority for HiMCM rules, dates, registration and results — contest details change between editions, so always confirm on comap.org before registering or submitting. Confirmed errors are corrected within 7 working days.