Originally Posted by Quantum2003
I have heard that part of the problem with Mathcounts is that the ceiling is too low so that especially in a competitive state, the top 4 may not necessarily be stronger mathematically than the next 8. It also sometimes comes down to who can slam that buzzer a fraction of a second faster.

Many states, perhaps even most, do not use the Countdown round to determine who qualifies for nationals in MathCounts.