Gauss Prep, Courses & Resources | Think Academy Canada

Good news! ✨ Think Academy Canada students achieved outstanding results in the 2025 Gauss Math Contest, marking a historic achievement!

Want to stand out in the 2026 Gauss Contest?

Come explore our year-round preparation timeline to help your child get ready for the competition in a structured and efficient way. With professional guidance and systematic training, your child can steadily improve and aim for a Gauss award!

The Gauss Mathematics Contest is a national math challenge organized by the Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing (CEMC) at the University of Waterloo. It is designed for students in Grade 7 and Grade 8, aiming to spark young students' interest in math while developing their mathematical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Eligibility:

• Gauss 7: Grade 7 and below
• Gauss 8: Grade 8 and below (Students may only participate in one level per year.)

Total Score: 150 points (25 multiple-choice questions)

Duration: 60 minutes

Question & Scoring Breakdown:

• Part A: 10 questions, 5 points each (50 points total)
• Part B: 10 questions, 6 points each (60 points total)
• Part C: 5 questions, 8 points each (40 points total)

Contest Analyzing：

• First 10 questions – Fundamental Level:
  These assess students’ understanding of basic arithmetic, geometry, and logical relationships.
• Middle 10 questions – Intermediate Level:
  These involve algebraic modeling, number theory, combinatorial reasoning, and other higher-level concepts.
• Last 5 questions – Challenge Level:
  These are highly integrative, requiring creative problem-solving and deep conceptual understanding.

Awards Structure:

Award Criteria:

• An official score report is issued by the University of Waterloo.
• Certificate of Distinction: Awarded to students who score in the top 25% nationwide.
• Students who rank among the top in their grade level may receive medals or certificates from their school.

Here at Think Academy, we offer a free online Gauss assessment to see if your child is competition ready. After the assessment, we can also offer a personalized feedback report with our exclusive Gauss preperation materials -- all for FREE!

✅ Over 10 years of in-depth research on Gauss past exam papers

✅ Flexible combination of long-term systematic courses and short-term intensive courses

✅ Over 500 Gauss awards earned in total

✅ Long-term courses build a solid foundation, covering 70% of preparation content

✅ Short-term courses provide an efficient sprint, covering the remaining 30%, including foundational modules, award-level intensive classes (Outstanding Achievement, Distinction), and high-intensity training with real past papers

We use a "spiral advancement" teaching approach. Based on students’ learning stages, we adopt modular learning, gradual deepening, and appropriate breakdown of content to ensure real mastery of concepts. We don’t rush through everything at once, nor do we skim the surface. This helps fill in gaps left by school curricula.

To help students build a strong foundation in mathematics over the summer, Think Academy has launched a Gauss Summer-Fall Long-Term Course, providing systematic coverage of the core skills required for the contest.

✅ Algebra Fundamentals: Systematically build essential tools such as expressions, sequences, and difference of squares—laying the foundation for advanced topics like functions and systems of equations.

✅ Geometry & Visual Reasoning: Cover key topics like 3D object unfolding, orthographic views, and circle structures to enhance spatial visualization and geometric reasoning—closely aligned with Gauss geometry problems.

✅ Computation & Modeling Thinking: Practice topics like negative numbers, repeating decimals, and distance-time graphs to develop sensitivity to quantitative relationships and real-world modeling skills.

✅ Combinatorics & Logic Foundations: Introduce basic permutations, combinations, and logic puzzles to help students build counting strategies and logical reasoning for mid- to high-level Gauss problems.

✅ Fun & Integrated Learning: Course content mirrors Gauss problem styles, using magical shapes and real-life scenarios to boost interest, mathematical aesthetics, and creativity.

✅ Algebra Reinforcement: Strengthen core topics such as algebraic expressions, systems of equations, inequalities, and polynomial operations—key to solving advanced Gauss problems.

✅ Applied Problem Solving: Explore real-life scenarios like economics, concentration, and creative modeling to improve problem comprehension and modeling accuracy—critical for award-winning performance.

✅ Integrated Geometry & Statistics: Combine geometry with advanced combinatorics to boost students' abilities in visual analysis and logical deduction.

✅ Thinking Extension & Strategy Development: Focus on not just getting the answer right, but understanding why it's right—encouraging reflection, summarization, and development of personal problem-solving strategies.

Our curriculum covers all Gauss contest topics and uses a dual-focus approach of competition techniques + core concepts to ensure students can handle contest-level challenges with confidence:

• Enhanced Problem-Solving Strategies: Train students to quickly find entry points under time pressure and improve accuracy.
• Focused Practice on High-Frequency Topics: Systematic instruction on key areas like integer number theory, geometric constructions, algebraic techniques, and combinatorial counting—so students feel confident when facing contest questions.
• Past Paper Practice & Simulated Assessments: Help students get familiar with exam formats and improve test-taking skills.