The David Essner Mathematics Competition is an annual competition among Miami-Dade County secondary school students. The competition was begun in 1981-82 as a memorial to David Essner, a graduate student in mathematics at the University of Miami. The competition is open to all secondary schools, public and private, in Miami-Dade County. Each competition consists of two parts:

1. A preliminary 90 minute multiple choice exam given at the participating schools during the first Thursday in December. All secondary school students are eligible to take this exam, although it is recommended only for those who have had an honors algebra and precalculus course. Each school must agree to administer the exam to their school.
2. A second exam given in late January or early February at the University of Miami. This is a 3 hour exam open only to school winners and others who made a sufficiently high score on the preliminary exam. This exam normally consists of 5 problems whose solutions require creative thought, and must be presented with logical clarity.

Each school winner receives a certificate. The Top Ten winners of the second exam are invited to an awards dinner, along with parents or other guests and school representatives. Awards to the Top Five include cash prizes, plaques and mathematics books; certificates and books are provided to others in the Top Ten.