Niles High School students last week participated in one of the longest running, most well-known and respected mathematics competitions — the AMC 12B Math Contest.

The exam, which relies entirely on brain power and problem solving, was held Feb. 25.

“It is an esteemed honor for NHS to compete in such a contest and it is an exciting time for the students and the math department as a whole,” said Timothy Knoester, math teacher at NHS. “The questions on this exam rely heavily on the students’ ability to problem solve, which requires more than just math skills.”

Results are expected back in a few weeks.

No calculators are allowed during the contest. NHS paid the registration fees for the students involved and Knoester suspects that a number of them will do very well.

“A couple of students came to me and requested to compete,” said Knoester. “This is a big deal that students actually want to participate in this competition. We have a very strong math department, we have a great record with AP and ACT math scores and I’m very proud of our school and our students.”

Each school administers their own exams. The contest is designed to spur interest in mathematics and to develop talent through the excitement of solving challenging problems. Once the test is complete, the school submits the papers and anxiously awaits the results.