When the Clock Is Running: What Mental Math Taught Four PCIS Learners

The questions come quickly. There is little time to hesitate, and every problem demands a decision: calculate, move forward, or try another approach.

For four learners from Philippine Cambridge International School, the Mental Math World Cup 2026 – Philippines became an opportunity to test not only how quickly they could calculate, but how they could think under pressure.

Their results placed all four among the competition's Country Topper distinctions:

• Gabriel Gerard Dela Cruz — Grandmaster, Rank 3, Score 960
• Leila Adriana V. Shepherd — Master, Rank 3, Score 964
• Asher Liev G. Abalos — Challenger, Rank 1, Score 1000
• Raphael Gerard Dela Cruz — Challenger, Rank 5, Score 952

Behind those numbers are different experiences of challenge, practice, and growth.

When Speed Meets Pressure

For Gabriel, competing at the Grandmaster level for the first time brought a different level of difficulty.

Three-digit order-of-operations problems, along with five-digit addition and multiplication questions, tested his ability to work quickly and accurately. The timed format added another layer.

“The pressure of the timed questions add to the mental panic.”

Yet the experience also gave Gabriel a way to recognize his progress. Since his first participation in the competition, he had developed techniques that helped him solve problems faster.

The competition became not only a test of his current ability, but also a measure of how much he had improved.

The Confidence Behind a Perfect Score

For Asher Liev G. Abalos, a Challenger competitor who earned Rank 1 with a perfect score of 1000, speed was part of what made the experience exciting.

“It was exciting to solve the questions really fast and see if I could get them all right.”

But his perfect score also reinforced the value of practice.

“It taught me that practicing a lot helps me think faster and be more confident.”

For Asher, staying calm mattered too.

“If I stay calm and focus, I can solve difficult problems and do my best.”

More Than Getting the Answer

The four Country Topper distinctions show strong results across the Grandmaster, Master, and Challenger categories. But scores only tell part of the story.

Gabriel's experience reflects growth through repeated participation and technique. Asher's reflects practice, confidence, and composure.

Together, their reflections point to something beyond mental calculation.

When the clock is running, solving a difficult problem requires more than knowing what to do. It requires focus, judgment, and the ability to keep moving when the answer does not come immediately.

For these learners, the Mental Math World Cup became a space to practice those habits under pressure.

And sometimes, the most meaningful result is not the number on the scoreboard, but what a learner discovers about the way they think.

PCIS Stories

A human-centered storytelling series by Philippine Cambridge International School, exploring learning, student experiences, culture, and life in an IB World School in Cavite.