Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website.

POM Rules for 2026

See the full rules of the 2026 Problem of the Month (POM) contest below. If you have questions, contact us at pom@sigmacamp.org.

What's new for POM 2026?

  1. Schedule shifted back by two weeks
    Problems will now be released on the 1st day of every month, with a due date on the last day of that month. So, the POM season will start on September 1st.
     
  2. Different POM admission tracks for SigmaCamp, SigmaWest, and SigmaNext.
    • For SigmaCamp/SigmaWest admission, there are two separate tracks:
      • Participants born in 2014 or later: we consider your 4 highest-scoring submissions per month, up to a maximum of 30 points per month.
      • Participants born in 2013 or earlier: we consider your 5 highest-scoring submissions per month, up to a maximum of 40 points per month.
    • For SigmaNext admission: 
      • Participants eligible to attend SigmaNext: we consider all of your submissions, except that 5pt submissions are worth 0 points.
    • All participants may still submit as many solutions as they wish and receive feedback on them.
       
  3. Videos are now optional for problems
    • 5pt and 10pt problems: videos are no longer required. However, submitting a video for a problem will add a 20% bonus to the score earned for that problem.
    • Projects (30pt): Video is still mandatory for projects.
       
  4. No more hints/late deadlines: 
    There is now just one deadline: the last day of every month.

Please fill out this feedback form at any point throughout the season to let us know what you think about POM.

 

POM Format

  • Problem of the Month (POM) runs from September to December. You can join the competition at any time.
  • Problems are posted on the 1st day of each month. You can download the problems on this page
  • The deadline to submit your solutions is the last day of the same month. Upload your solutions here. You must be logged in to your student account to submit solutions.
  • While solving problems or working on a project, you may consult the web, books, and other published literature. You may also receive help from people who are not participating in POM. You must clearly indicate any help you received or sources you consulted in your submission. 
  • Collaboration with other POM participants, including siblings, is prohibited.
  • POM is about learning and getting excited about STEM, not scoring the most points. Using LLMs or AI to solve problems is not allowed. Submissions based on LLM-generated solutions will be flagged and receive no credit. Repeated misuse may affect SigmaCamp admission. However, you may use the internet or LLMs for research and learning, such as reviewing concepts or summarizing scientific articles, as long as they do not generate or solve any part of your submission.
     

Grading and scores

  • Each month, POM includes a list of problems (worth 5 points or 10 points) and a project (worth 30 points).
  • All submitted solutions will be graded; you can see your scores and graders' comments in your account. You can also view the public scores of all POM participants.
  • For admission to SigmaCamp, SigmaWest, and SigmaNext, we consider only a subset of your submissions to count for a score each month, depending on your age. There are three tracks:
    • For SigmaCamp and SigmaWest:
      • For participants born in 2014 or later: we consider the 4 highest-scoring submissions per month, up to a maximum of 30 points per month.
      • Participants born in 2013 or earlier: we consider the 5 highest-scoring submissions per month, up to a maximum of 40 points per month. 
    • For SigmaNext:
      • For eligible participants,  we consider all of your submissions each month with no point cap, but 5pt problems count as 0 points.
    • You are automatically considered for all tracks that you are eligible for. For example, if you are born in 2013 or earlier and are eligible for all three camps, we will separately compute your score in the "2014 or later track" and the SigmaNext track for admission-related purposes.
  • If you disagree with the graders' decisions, you can submit an appeal to pom@sigmacamp.org, and your solution will get a second round of consideration.
     

How to Prepare and Submit Your Solutions

  • You do not have to submit all solutions at once. You can submit some solutions and return to submit others at any time before the deadline. You can submit your solutions in any order.
  • Problems (5pt and 10pt): you must submit a PDF file outlining your solution. Videos are optional. However, submitting a video for a problem will add a 20% bonus to the score earned for that problem.
  • Computer Science (CS) problems (5pt and 10pt): you may be asked to submit code in addition to the PDF file. 

  • Projects (30pt): You must submit a PDF file and a Video explaining your solution.

     

Preparing a PDF file (and a Code file for CS problems):
  • Submit your solution for each problem or project as a single PDF file. If you have several PDF files, use any software to combine them into one file.
  • You may type your solution or handwrite it and scan it as a PDF.
  • For Computer Science problems: the only allowed languages are Python 3 and Java, so please upload a .py or .java file for those problems by clicking the "Add another file" button in the submission form.
    You should see the message "For security reasons, your upload has been renamed to..." for Python files.
Preparing a Video:
  • Videos must be at most 3 minutes long for 5pt/10pt problems, and at most 6 minutes long for projects.
  • Your solution must be narrated, but you do not need to show your face.
  • Acceptable formats include:
    • Screen-sharing a PowerPoint/slides presentation or drawing app (e.g. Microsoft Paint), and narrating.
    • Recording yourself at a whiteboard, paper, or easel and narrating (you can write the contents of the whiteboard/paper/easel in advance).
    • Speaking directly to the camera
  • Upload your video to Google Drive, YouTube, Dropbox, or another hosting service and submit it as a link.
  • Make sure that you can access your video using your link in an incognito/private window.
  • If we cannot access your video through the link you provided, your solution will not be awarded any points.

Upload the video to your Google Drive and make it accessible to "Anyone with the link":
1. In Google Drive, double-click the video file to open it.
2. Click the "Share" button in the upper-right corner; a small window will appear.
3. Under General access, change the setting from "Restricted" to "Anyone with the link".
4. Click Done
 

1. Upload the video to your YouTube account.
2. After uploading, under Visibility, select Unlisted (Anyone with the link can view).
 

in the YouTube app on mobile:


If you have already uploaded the video and forgot to change the visibility, you can do the following:
1. Go to https://studio.youtube.com/ and open the Content section on desktop, or tap Edit video on mobile
2.  Under Visibility, change the setting from Private to Unlisted.

POM Highlights, Certificates, and Awards 

  • POM Highlights: Each month, we highlight a few of our favorite POM solutions that we deem creative and well thought out. Authors of those solutions will receive gift cards. 
  • Certificates: At the end of the POM season, each participant will receive a certificate stating their participation and performance in POM.
  • Awards: At the end of the POM season, top-performing participants will receive gift cards.
Check POM problems Submit your solutions