The simple answer is Canadian contests have laws they must adhere to. One of those laws pertains to claiming prizes won in Canada. A skill testing question is required by Canadian law to claim a prize won.
The question that is asked of you does not have to be a mathematical question, it can be any skill question. But most contest sponsors opt to use the mathematical questions for their winners.
Why do Canadians Contests Have Math Questions?
When you win a prize in Canada you are required to answer a math question. Simply because the Canadian Competition Act has stipulated that games of chance are not okay unless run by a casino or legal lottery. They even go as far to say that the math question must have at least 3 operations that have to be included.
What If I Get a Contest Math Question Wrong?
You have won your prize and now it's time to claim it and do your math question. But what if you get it wrong? Do you lose out on your prize win? Do you get a do-over??
There is no black and white answer to this question. Each contest or giveaway is run in a different way. Many contests ask for the math question to be done right on screen when you win an instant win prize. Their contest software automatically disqualifies your win if you get the math question wrong.
Other contests send you a claim form with the mathematical question included. When you send your forms back in, the math question gets checked and verified. This is where you may have a second chance if you get the math question wrong.
I like so many other people have gotten contest math questions wrong. I have also got the chance to do my math question again by quite a few patient sponsors running the contest. This may not always happen but it does from time to time.
Contest Math Question Resources
Mathematical questions are not everyone's forte. I stink at math and always have. If your prize claim form comes in email form there are a few ways to get the math question right.
You can copy and paste the exact question into your search engine and the answer will come up for you.
You can visit the Contest Library's Facebook group and ask other contesters for help too. Everyone is always willing to lend a hand when it comes to claiming a prize.
When it comes to an instant win prize and you have mere minutes to give your answer, knowing BEDMAS is a huge asset.
BEDMAS EXPLAINED
Brackets are your first priority, then exponents, then both division and multiplication, and finally addition and subtraction.
- B - Brackets
- E - Exponents (Fractions)
- D - Division
- A - Addition
- S -Subtraction
Example math (BEDMAS) question : (3 x 4) + 6 - 10 =
- First you will focus on your brackets which = 12.
- Second you will ADD the 6 to your first answer of 12 = 18
- Third you will now subtract the 10 from your answer of 18 = 8
Contests are so much fun to enter and even more fun to win. Don't let the mathematical questions scare you away. They are generally easy ones, although I have seen some doozies that boogle the mind.