Number Sense (UIL)


Number Sense is one of several academic events sanctioned by the University Interscholastic League. It is also a competition held by the Texas Math and Science Coaches Association, using the same rules as the UIL. It is one of the UIL's oldest academic competitions: the first state title was awarded in 1943.
Number Sense is designed to test students' mental math abilities.

Eligibility

Students in Grade 4 through Grade 12 are eligible to enter this event. For competition purposes, separate divisions are held for Grades 4-6, Grades 7-8, and Grades 9-12, with separate subjects covered on each test as follows:
  • The test for Grades 4-6 covers basic arithmetic and mathematical functions.
  • The test for Grades 7-8 covers the subjects under Grades 4-6 plus algebra, geometry and number theory.
  • The test for Grades 9-12 covers the subjects under both Grades 4-6 and Grades 7-8 plus analysis, trigonometry and calculus.
For Grades 4-6 and Grades 7-8 each school may send up to three students per division. In order for a school to participate in team competition in a division, the school must send three students in that division.
For Grades 9-12 each school may send up to four students; however, in districts with more than eight schools the district executive committee can limit participation to three students per school. In order for a school to participate in team competition, the school must send at least three students.

Rules and Scoring

The test consists of 80 questions and is limited to only 10 minutes. There is no intermediate time signal given; at the end of 10 minutes the students must immediately stop writing.
The questions must be answered in order; a skipped question is scored as a wrong answer.
Since Number Sense is designed to test students' mental math abilities, no calculators or scratch paper can be used during competition.
In order for a question to be scored as correct the exact answer must be given, except where the question is preceded by an asterisk, in which case for the question to be scored as correct the student's answer must be within 5 percent of the exact answer.
5 points are awarded for each correct answer while 4 points are deducted for each wrong or skipped answer. However, questions not answered beyond the last attempted answer are not scored.
Another way to score the contest is to multiply the number of attempted problems by 5 and multiply the number of wrong problems by 9, and then subtracting the wrong number score from the total.

Determining the Winner

Elementary and Junior High

Scoring is posted for only the top six individual places and the top three teams.
There are no tiebreakers for either individual or team competition.

High School Level

The top three individuals and the top team advance to the next round. In addition, within each region, the highest-scoring second place team from all district competitions advances as the "wild card" to regional competition, and within the state, the highest-scoring second place team from all regional competitions advances as the wild card to the state competition. Members of advancing teams who did not place individually remain eligible to compete for individual awards at higher levels.
There is no tiebreaker for individual competition; all individuals tied for a place eligible to advance to the next level will advance.
For team competition, the score of the fourth-place individual is used as the tiebreaker. If a team has only three members it is not eligible to participate in the tiebreaker. If the fourth-place score still results in a tie, all remaining tied teams will advance. At the state level, ties for first place are not broken.
For district meet academic championship and district meet sweepstakes awards, points are awarded to the school as follows:
  • Individual places: 1st—15, 2nd—12, 3rd—10, 4th—8, 5th—6, and 6th—4.
  • Team places: 1st—9 and 2nd—4.
  • The maximum number of points a school can earn in Number Sense is 37.

List of prior winners

NOTE: Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, there were no competitions held during the 2019-2020 academic year.

Individual

NOTE: For privacy reasons, only the winning school is shown. There was only one state champion for all classes awarded from 1943-44 through 1945-46. Beginning in 1946-47, there were three champions crowned. Beginning in 1958-59 all five classes were eligible for championships. The classifications were renumbered in 1980-81, with Class B becoming Class A and the other classes adding one letter. Effective as of 2015, classifications were moved up by one letter with the creation of Class AAAAAA.
School YearClass AClass AAClass AAAClass AAAAClass AAAAAClass AAAAAA
1943-44Forney
1944-45Amarillo
1945-46Rio Hondo
1946-47Rio Hondo
1947-48 Claude/MoultonMarble FallsLubbock
1948-49 Alpine/WoodsboroMarble Falls Lubbock/Sweetwater
1949-50MiamiMarble FallsEl Paso
1950-51AlpinePharr-San Juan-AlamoEl Paso
1951-52WoodsonHerefordEl Paso
1952-53SchulenburgTaylorEl Paso
1953-54GiddingsLlanoEl Paso
1954-55DaytonFloydadaPharr-San Juan-Alamo
1955-56Sugar LandBowieKerrville
1956-57Van HornGranburyLubbock Monterey
1957-58AntonLibertyLubbock
1958-59Mont Belview Barbers HillCanadianLampasasCleburneAustin McCallum
1959-60Sulphur BluffGroesbeckGranburyPharr-San Juan-AlamoLubbock Monterey
1960-61AntonWhite OakCollege Station A&M ConsolidatedAndrewsPort Neches
1961-62RochelleMont Belvieu Barbers HillCollege Station A&M ConsolidatedCleburneLubbock
1962-63Sulphur BluffSchulenburgCollege Station A&M ConsolidatedDeer ParkLubbock Monterey
1963-64AdrianSchulenburgSan SabaWichita Falls RiderLubbock Monterey
1964-65RockspringsAltoSan SabaAndrewsSan Antonio MacArthur
1965-66RockspringsStockdalePittsburgAndrewsFreeport Brazosport
1966-67RockspringsSilvertonQuanahAndrewsFreeport Brazosport
1967-68WhitefaceSilvertonQuanahAndrewsWichita Falls Rider
1968-69Imperial Buena VistaWinkQuanahLevellandOdessa Permian
1969-70RockspringsWinkWinnie East ChambersBishopMidland Lee
1970-71WallCedar HillQuanahAndrewsAustin McCallum
1971-72WallGrangerWaco RobinsonAndrewsFort Worth Paschal
1972-73JaytonWallWaco RobinsonAndrewsMcAllen
1973-74BrookesmithWinkZapataAndrewsPasadena South Houston
1974-75Matador Motley CountyPothZapataAndrewsStafford Dulles
1975-76S&S ConsolidatedPothZapataAndrewsAustin Anderson
1976-77BronteTatumCraneEdcouch-ElsaNorth Mesquite
1977-78S&S ConsolidatedLorenzoBoerneAndrewsEdinburg
1978-79LorenzoPowderly North LamarSilsbeeSan Antonio MarshallMoulton
1979-80GrafordShamrockNorth LamarHallsvilleEdinburg
1980-81PottsvilleShamrockNorth LamarAndrewsSan Antonio Marshall
1981-82 Granger/Midland GreenwoodShamrockNorth LamarAndrewsMcAllen Memorial
1982-83PhillipsAnsonNorth LamarAzleHouston Waltrip
1983-84Lenorah GradyAnsonNorth LamarSan Antonio EdgewoodAlvin
1984-85Nueces CanyonShamrockMission SharylandAzleBrazoswood
1985-86 Lenorah Grady/San Isidro Quitman/Springlake-EarthGladewaterAzleLubbock Monterey
1986-87PlainsSpringlake-EarthQuitmanAzleKlein Oak
1987-88MeridianRosebud-LottOrangefieldWichita Falls HirschiKlein Oak
1988-89MountonShallowaterQuitmanWichita Falls HirschiLongview
1989-90PlainsShallowaterBishopWichita Falls Hirschi Longview/Lubbock/Mission
1990-91San IsidroIngram Tom MooreBanderaAzleMission
1991-92San IsidroShallowaterDevineWichita FallsMission
1992-93San IsidroStamfordMont Belvieu Barbers HillWichita FallsWichita Falls Rider
1993-94Sterling CitySaladoMont Belvieu Barbers HillBuda Hays ConsolidatedWichita Falls Rider
1994-95WinkSaladoBridgeportWichita FallsWichita Falls Rider
1995-96Henrietta MidwaySaladoBridgeportCorpus Christi Flour BluffSugar Land Elkins
1996-97Henrietta MidwayLockneyPort IsabelSweenySpring Westfield
1997-98Henrietta MidwayWellingtonBridgeportSweenyMission
1998-99Valley ViewDe LeonSweenyEdcouch-ElsaMission
1999-2000MuensterElkhartBridgeportPharr-San Juan-Alamo MemorialSpring Westfield
2000-01MuensterElkhartSeminolePharr-San Juan-Alamo MemorialEdinburg North
2001-02MuensterSalado Falfurrias/SeminoleCorpus Christi Flour BluffKlein
2002-03TenahaSaladoBridgeportPharr-San Juan Alamo MemorialEdinburg North
2003-04San IsidroSaladoBridgeportWichita Falls HirschiPearland
2004-05LindsayArgyleBridgeportMedina ValleyPearland
2005-06UtopiaArgyleLongview Spring HillNacogdochesPearland
2006-07PlainsWichita Falls City ViewLongview Spring HillPort Lavaca CalhounClements
2007-08LindsayCaddo MillsArgyleNederlandKlein
2008-09LindsayCaddo MillsWichita Falls HirschiBig SpringClements
2009-10LindsaySaladoWichita Falls HirschiPearlandClements
2010-11LoveladyDaingerfieldWichita Falls HirschiPearlandClements
2011-12SandsDaingerfieldArgyleWhitehouseDulles
2012-13LindsayAbernathyArgyleWhitehouseScience-Eng Magnet
2013-14LoveladyAbernathyArgyleVeterans MemorialClements
2014-15Garden CityLindsayCity ViewsArgyleVeterans MemorialKlein
2015-16KnippaLindsayQueen CityArgyleHallsvilleKlein
2016-17BellevueLindsayQueen CityArgyleSharylandKlein
2017-18BellevueLindsayCity ViewsArgyleHighland ParkClements
2018-19BellevuePoolvilleSabineWichita Falls HirschiHighland ParkClements
2019-20
2020-21JonesboroWoodsboroSabineSaladoHighland ParkClements
2021-22JonesboroWoodsboroIdalouSaladoHighland ParkClements

Team

NOTE: UIL did not recognize a team championship in this event until the 1988-89 scholastic year.
School YearClass AClass AAClass AAAClass AAAAClass AAAAA
1988-89PlainsShallowaterQuitmanWichita Falls HirschiMcAllen
1989-90PlainsShallowaterOrangefieldWichita Falls HirschiMission
1990-91San IsidroQuanahAustin Lake TravisAzleLubbock
1991-92Sterling CityShallowaterDevineWichita FallsMcAllen
1992-93Sterling CityLittle ElmCraneWichita FallsLubbock
1993-94PlainsLittle ElmBridgeportBuda Hays ConsolidatedAlvin
1994-95Henrietta MidwaySaladoBridgeportAzleSugar Land Elkins
1995-96RuleSaladoShallowaterLongview Pine TreeMission
1996-97Henrietta MidwayShallowaterBridgeportLongview Pine TreeSpring Westfield
1997-98Henrietta MidwayPlainsSanta RosaLongview Pine TreeMission
1998-99Henrietta MidwaySaladoSanta RosaSulphur SpringsKlein
1999-2000Valley ViewSaladoBridgeportAzleKlein
2000-01MuensterSaladoBridgeportCorpus Christi Flour BluffEdinburg North
2001-02MuensterSaladoBridgeportCorpus Christi Flour BluffEdinburg North
2002-03MuensterSaladoBridgeportAzleEdinburg North
2003-04LindsaySaladoBridgeportMedina ValleyPearland
2004-05LindsayArgyleBridgeportMedina ValleyLa Joya
2005-06Garden CityArgyleBridgeportMedina ValleyKlein
2006-07LindsayWichita Falls City ViewLongview Spring HillCorpus Christi Flour BluffSan Antonio O'Connor
2007-08LindsayCaddo MillsArgyleKaty Seven LakesKlein, Melissa