May 2026 Contest — Grade 4
The May 2026 North Star contest paper for Grade 4 has 12 questions and a 45-minute limit. Two sample questions with worked solutions are below, and you can take the whole paper online for free — no account, no sign-up.
- Grade
- Grade 4
- Questions
- 12
- Time limit
- 45 minutes
- Contest
- May 2026
- Subject
- Mathematics
- School year
- 2025-26
Before you start
- The timer starts when you press Start and runs for 45 minutes.
- Answer the 12 questions in any order; each is multiple choice.
- Your answers are marked as you go. Nothing is saved to an account, so finish in one sitting.
Sample questions
The first and last questions from this paper, with their worked solutions.
Question 1 — Number Sense & Operations
When the following puzzle pieces are arranged correctly from left to right, they form a rectangle with a complete calculation. What is the result of this calculation?
- A.4
- B.7
- C.9
- D.37
- E.None of these
Show the worked solution
To solve this puzzle, we first analyze the shapes of the left and right edges of each of the five puzzle pieces:
1. Piece 'x': Left edge has an outward tab, right edge has an inward pocket.
2. Piece '5': Left edge is flat, right edge has an inward pocket.
3. Piece '8': Left edge has an inward pocket, right edge is flat.
4. Piece '-': Left edge has an inward pocket, right edge has an outward tab.
5. Piece '3': Left edge has an outward tab, right edge has an outward tab.
To form a complete rectangle, the leftmost piece must have a flat left edge, and the rightmost piece must have a flat right edge.
The only piece with a flat left edge is '5', so it must be the first piece on the left.
Since the right edge of '5' is an inward pocket, the next piece must have an outward tab on its left. This can be 'x' or '3'. Let's try 'x'.
The right edge of 'x' is an inward pocket, so the next piece must have an outward tab on its left. The only remaining piece with an outward tab on its left is '3'.
The right edge of '3' is an outward tab, so the next piece must have an inward pocket on its left. This can be '-' or '8'. If we use '-', its right edge is an outward tab.
Finally, the outward tab of '-' fits into the inward pocket of '8', which has a flat right edge, completing the rectangle.
This gives us the correct sequence from left to right:
5 x 3 - 8
Now, we calculate the result of this expression following the order of operations (multiplication before subtraction):
1. First, multiply: 5 x 3 = 15
2. Next, subtract: 15 - 8 = 7
The result of the calculation is 7.
The answer is B
Question 12 — Number Sense & Operations
Liam added eight numbers together and got a sum of 2026. He later found out he had made a mistake by using the number 302 instead of 203. What sum should he have gotten instead of 2026?
- A.2125
- B.1925
- C.1927
- D.2127
- E.None of these
Show the worked solution
To find the correct sum, we need to adjust the incorrect sum by correcting the mistake Liam made.
1. First, let's find the difference between the incorrect number Liam used and the correct number he should have used:
Incorrect number: 302
Correct number: 203
Difference: 302 - 203 = 99
2. Since Liam used 302 instead of 203, he added a number that was 99 too large. This means his calculated sum of 2026 is also 99 too large.
3. To find the correct sum, we subtract 99 from 2026:
2026 - 99 = 1927
Therefore, the correct sum Liam should have gotten is 1927.
The answer is C.
Take the whole paper
All 12 questions, 45 minutes, marked as you go. No account needed.