The registration for the 2026 High School Mathematical Contest in Modeling (HiMCM) is scheduled to open in September and close on November 4. As a versatile extracurricular activity open to students from various academic backgrounds, HiMCM participation is highly valued by admissions officers as a demonstration of soft skills. Many beginners struggle with the three main challenges: difficult modeling, paper writing, and team formation. This guide outlines the complete competition process, award criteria, and team formation information for students in grades 9-11 aiming for Outstanding (O), Finalist (F), Meritorious (M), or Honorable Mention (H) awards.
HiMCM Timeline (Eastern Time)
| Stage | Time |
|---|---|
| Registration Opens | September 2026 |
| Registration Deadline | November 4, 2026, 2:00 PM |
| Contest Window Opens | November 4, 2026, 3:01 PM – November 17, 2026 (Tuesday) 8:00 PM |
| Paper Submission Deadline | November 17, 2026, 9:00 PM |
| Results Announcement | Before February 28, 2027 |
Registration Opens: September 2026. Official website: https://www.comap.com/contests/himcm-midmcm
Registration Deadline: November 4, 2026, 2:00 PM.
- Need to complete team information entry, payment, and advisor binding.
Contest Window Opens: November 4, 2026, 3:01 PM to November 17, 2026 (Tuesday) 8:00 PM.
- Problems A and B will be released simultaneously. Teams need to select one, solve it, and write a paper for submission.
Paper Submission Deadline: November 17, 2026, 9:00 PM.
- The online platform will automatically lock the submission. Late submissions via email will not be accepted.
Results Announcement: Before February 28, 2027.
- The COMAP official website will uniformly release the global winners list and electronic certificates.
With only 3 months left before the HiMCM contest, beginners are advised to reserve 2-3 months for systematic preparation to smoothly complete the entire process of modeling, programming, and English paper writing within the 14-day contest period.
Team Formation Information
The core of winning awards in HiMCM lies in academic strength and reliable teammates. Finding a team with matching abilities and commitment can be challenging. Currently, team formations include students from various top schools, such as:
- Shanghai Foreign Language School Affiliated to SISU
- Pinghe School
- Guangjian
- Vanke Meisha Academy
- Shenzhen College of International Education
- Shanghai Wenqi Hui Dian
- Saint George’s School RI
- Blair Academy
HiMCM Competition Process (Pre-Contest, During Contest, Post-Contest)
| Stage | Core Tasks |
|---|---|
| Pre-Contest Preparation | Registration + Team Filing (Confirm members, assign advisors, complete team registration, pay fees, obtain control number, file information, reserve tools and literature) |
| 14-Day Contest | Problem Selection (Problem A: STEM continuous / Problem B: Social Science discrete), Model Building, Programming & Solving, In-depth Analysis (Sensitivity/Error/Robustness checks), Full English Paper Writing (≤25 pages), Cross-proofreading by all members |
| Post-Contest Submission | Submission Channel (COMAP form), Naming Format (Control Number.pdf), File Size (<20MB), Font (≥12pt), AI Usage Statement, System Confirmation & Result Checking |
Pre-Contest Preparation: Registration + Team Filing
HiMCM does not allow individual registration; only school advisors can uniformly register teams. Teams usually consist of 3-4 members from the same school or affiliated with the same learning program.
- Confirm team members, assign an in-school advisor, and fill in basic team information.
- The advisor logs into the COMAP advisor portal to complete team registration, pay the registration fee, and obtain the exclusive control number.
- Verify student status, confirm cross-school team qualifications, and complete information filing.
- Prepare tools, literature, and data materials before the contest window opens.
14-Day Contest Process
Participants must choose and solve a problem, ultimately submitting an English paper with mathematical modeling of no more than 25 pages.
Problem Selection: Choose one of two (Problem A leans towards STEM continuous modeling / Problem B leans towards social science discrete data analysis), and break down all task requirements of the problem.
- 2025 Problem A: Emergency Evacuation Sweep
- 2025 Problem B: Environmental Impact of Large Sports Events
- 2024 Problem A: Simulating the Future Olympics
- 2024 Problem B: Environmental Impact of High-Performance Computing
Model Building: Propose justifiable and reasonable assumptions, build an adaptable mathematical framework, and avoid rigidly applying generic templates.
Programming & Solving: Use tools like Python/MATLAB for calculations and output standardized data visualization charts.
In-depth Analysis: Complete sensitivity, error, and robustness checks. This is the core step to distinguish between different award levels.
Full English Paper Writing: Strictly control the total pages to ≤ 25 pages. No school or name identifiers are allowed; only keep the control number.
Cross-proofreading by All Members: Check logic, formulas, charts, and references item by item.
Post-Contest Submission & Results
Submission Channel:
https://forms.comap.org/242386224483964
Naming Format: Use your team’s control number as the name of the PDF attachment. For example: 1234.pdf
File Size: The attachment must be less than 20MB.
Font Size: At least 12pt.
If AI was used, a separate statement must be attached, which is not counted within the 25-page main text limit.
Log in to the portal 24-48 hours after submission to confirm the system has received the file. Check results in February of the following year; winning teams will automatically receive electronic certificates.
HiMCM Award Judging Criteria
The HiMCM competition sets 5 types of awards: Outstanding (O), Finalist (F), Meritorious (M), Honorable Mention (H), and Successful Participation (S). The judging panel comprehensively evaluates based on the following 9 aspects:
- Feasibility of the model
- Completeness of the abstract
- Correctness of problem interpretation
- Reasonableness of prerequisites and assumptions
- Motivation and justification for modeling
- Effectiveness of model design
- Stability and sensitivity analysis
- Practical application value
- Quality of paper writing
The award criteria for HiMCM have both clear requirements and a certain degree of subjective evaluation. To win an award, the participating team needs to perform excellently in all aspects, especially in model building, problem-solving, and paper writing.
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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.