Modes of writing COMC 2021

Teachers may choose from two modes in which their students may write COMC 2021:

1. Print option
Printed exams are delivered to the school and written by students under supervision at the school. Written exams are then returned by courrier.

2. Digital Delivery option
Exams are delivered to the school electronically (by email) and are printed by the teacher. Students then write the exams under supervision at school, and the written exams are returned by courrier.

Students who register themselves to write online with a university writing centre will participate using a third option, which is not available to schools in 2021:

3. Online option
Students writing COMC online through a university writing centre should be aware of the following details:

• Students writing remotely must have Internet access as well as electronic devices capable of displaying questions and scanning written answers.
• The writing centre will arrange to supervise the students writing remotely throughout the exam, using Zoom, Google Meet or some other video technology by which they can watch and communicate with the students.
• Students will receive an exam access link by email shortly before the exam, but must not begin writing the exam until their supervising teacher gives the signal.
• Once the exam has begun, students will be able to access exam questions online using the Crowdmark platform. They will write their answers on paper. At any time during the exam, or immediately after the exam, they may scan their answers to the questions and upload them to Crowdmark. After all answers are uploaded, the student completes their exam submission to Crowdmark.
• Students writing COMC online through a university writing centre may qualify to be official particants who are eligible performance based awards.

If writing the competition online, exams must be held at the following times:

October 28, 2021 in Canada and the Americas:

• Pacific Daylight Time (PDT): 9am
• Mountain Daylight Time (MDT): 10am
• Central Daylight Time (CST): 11am
• Eastern Daylight Time (EDT): 12pm
• Atlantic Daylight Time (ADT): 1pm
• Newfoundland Daylight Time (NDT): 1:30pm

Elsewhere in the world, the exam will take place on October 29, 2021, and such exams (if written online) will be considered unofficial.

The cost for the COMC is the same for all modes, and when ordering the teacher only needs to chose the number of exams. The circumstances of schools and students may be somewhat fluid this fall, and the teacher has until October 22 to specify (through the teacher portal) how many students will be writing by each mode and to supply email addresses for any students writing online. The default is the Print option.

In order to ensure that the process for online exams goes as smoothly as possible, students will be requested to complete a test submission during the week leading up to the exam. This involves setting up their Crowdmark account, accessing a single (non-mathematical) question, writing an answer, scanning and uploading it. If they complete this process successfully, they will be prepared for the process of writing and submitting the COMC exam.