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MEI’s Further Education Maths Challenge is a national competition designed to inspire and support post-16 students who are improving their maths skills and working towards gaining a Functional Skills maths qualification or improving their GCSE Mathematics grade.
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Further Education Maths Challenge
What is the Further Education Maths Challenge?
A video explaining what the challenge is about.
In 2021, it evolved into a national project expanding to colleges across England, in collaboration with the Centres for Maths Excellence, to bring this exciting competition to more regions.
This year, we’re taking the Further Education Maths Challenge to a whole new level.
We want 2025 to be our biggest, most engaging, and most competitive year ever, with new features designed to inspire learners, support teachers, and create a real buzz around maths in FE colleges nationwide.
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Ready-to-use induction lesson
Kick-start the year with a high-quality, pre-prepared lesson to introduce the challenge and spark enthusiasm right from day one. -
Mini schemes of learning
Access flexible, bite-sized teaching sequences that can be slotted into lessons as extra resources or extension activities. -
More Tarsias and Kahoots
We’re adding even more interactive puzzles and quizzes to keep learners engaged, motivated, and having fun while practising their maths skills. -
National Final
The competition will now culminate in a national final, bringing together the best teams from across the country to battle it out for the championship title. -
National League
Each region will compete against the others to see how many students compete in the first round of the challenge.
How to get involved
There are two ways to get involved in the Further Education Maths Challenge:
- Become a ‘Regional Centre’- where you will lead the competition within your city, region or network.
- Register to be a ‘College Lead’ – where you will be in charge of organising the teams within your college.
Regional Centres
- EAST & EAST MIDLANDS – TEC Partnership – Grimsby
- MANCHESTER & NORTH MIDLANDS – The Manchester College
- NORTH WEST – Blackburn College
- SOUTH – Brighton MET college – Part of the Chichester College Group
- LONDON – Croydon College
- SOUTH MIDLANDS – Bucks College Group
- SOUTH EAST – Suffolk New College
- MIDLANDS – Coventry College
- NORTH EAST – Newcastle College/NCG
- SOUTH WEST – Exeter College
NATIONAL Final – Solihull College and University Centre
Student Teams Information
The competition is open to any student in 16-19 education (or in the case of an EHCP, aged up to 25) who has not yet achieved a grade 4 or above in GCSE Mathematics, who is enrolled at a college, school, sixth form, or training provider.
Students aged below 16 on 1 September 2025 and those on adult courses are not eligible for this competition.
There are three entry categories:
- The Funkies – for students whose highest GCSE grade is a grade 1 or studying Functional Skills entry
- Ein2steins – for students whose highest GCSE grade is a grade 2 or studying Functional Skills Level 1
- Go Forth – for students whose highest GCSE grade is a grade 3 or studying Functional Skills Level 2
Key dates for the competition
Induction Lession
September – November
In class, presentation.
Training
November – Early December
In class, consisting of Kahoot quizzes.
First Round
December
In class, consisting of Kahoot quizzes.
College Final
January
In college consisting of a Kahoot quiz and a Tarsia jigsaw puzzle.
Regional Final
March
In college, at a large venue, consisting of a Kahoot quiz and a Tarsia jigsaw puzzle.
National Final
April
In college, at a large venue, consisting of a Kahoot quiz and a Tarsia jigsaw puzzle.
A word from our sponsor’s
AQA are proud to sponsor the MEI Further Education Maths Challenge and their aim to raise the quality of maths education for everyone. We believe that this competition enables learners to become more confident about their maths ability and boosts their self-belief in other areas of their life.
We set and mark the papers for around half of all GCSEs and A-levels, but we’re more than an exam board. As an independent education charity we reinvest all of our income. From funding cutting-edge research, to supporting new insights that help raise the bar in assessment practice internationally, we’re always focused on fair and inclusive assessment and the positive impact it has on teaching, learning and society.
AQA
The RAF Charitable Trust is the charity behind the Royal International Air Tattoo. The charity uses the proceeds of the show to support young people to achieve their potential in STEM, air and space. They are supporting the MEI Further Education Maths Challenge for the first time this year, including offering a visit to RIAT for the national winning teams.
The RAF Charitable Trust
96
%Students stated that the challenge” was “Good” or “Excellent”.
82
%Students feel that the challenge has improved their confidence in maths
80
%Students feel that the challenge has improved their confidence in taking their maths exams
“I really enjoyed taking part in the FE Maths Challenge, as it provided an engaging and thought-provoking experience. The variety of questions tested not only my mathematical skills but also my problem-solving abilities, encouraging me to think critically under time constraints. I particularly appreciated the balance between straightforward and more complex questions, which made the challenge both accessible and stimulating.”
Student FURTHER EDUCATION MATHS CHALLENGE
Read more about previous Further Education Maths Challenges
The Manchester College
Maths students shine in FE Maths Challenge final. Eight maths students from The Manchester College are celebrating following their successes at the North West finals of the MEI FE Maths Challenge…
Harlow College
Students excel in MEI FE Maths Challenge Regional Finals. Harlow College hosted the South East Regional Finals of the 2025 MEI FE Maths Challenge, where top performing maths students from across the region competed for the title of Regional Champions…
The Isle of White College
Mei Further Education Maths Challenge, Inspiring Maths Champions. The Isle of Wight College proudly hosted a thrilling day of mathematics yesterday (5 February 2025), as learners from across the college gathered to participate in the FE Maths Challenge…
Southwark College
Southwark students win first place in the Further Education Maths Challenge London final. Maths students represented Southwark College in the Further Education (FE) Maths Challenge London final organised by Mathematics Education in Education and Industry (MEI)…
Education & Training Foundation
“The best day in an FE maths teacher’s career…” As a maths teacher in Further Education, working with GCSE resit or Functional Skills maths learners, there are often times when you are faced with an uphill battle with motivating and engaging our learners…
FE News
A record-breaking win for students in MEI’s FE Maths Challenge 2023. Waltham Forest College students broke the Tarsia challenge record, winning first place in the MEI’s FE Maths challenge against 16 other colleges…
Frequently asked questions
Please contact our support team via our contact us via fecpd@mei.org.uk
Or ring us on: 01225 716495
MEI supplies all the questions and materials needed for the challenge and will send them to you before the competition begins.
Other competitions
Calculator Crunch – it’s fun and it’s free
Calculator Crunch is a challenge that aims to develop calculator familiarity for secondary school maths. Calculator Crunch problems provide practice for Year 6 and 7 pupils in key areas of the primary maths curriculum and develop confidence with calculators in readiness for secondary school maths.
Ritangle
The Ritangle competition is a maths challenge designed for A level, International Baccalaureate, Scottish Highers, and students of equivalent qualifications. Engaging challenges that will push your limits, Ritangle offers a fun and competitive way to explore your passion for maths.