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Both are abacus-based mental arithmetic programmes with real track records — but they use different bead systems and teaching approaches. Here's an honest, fact-based comparison to help you choose.
UCMAS (Universal Concept of Mental Arithmetic System) is one of the world's largest abacus and mental arithmetic franchises. It was founded in Malaysia in 1993 by Dr Dino Wong, and has since grown into a global education brand operating in more than 80 countries with thousands of centres worldwide, including several centres in Singapore.
UCMAS teaches children using the traditional soroban-style abacus — a frame with one bead above a central bar and four beads below on each column. Students first learn to calculate by physically moving beads, then progress to visualising the abacus mentally to calculate without the tool. The programme is typically structured into Foundation (roughly ages 4–9), Construction and Advanced modules, with the stated goal of building concentration, memory and calculation speed alongside arithmetic skill.
3G Abacus is Edufarm's own abacus and mental arithmetic programme, run at our enrichment centres islandwide for children aged 4 to 12. Like UCMAS, the core goal is mental arithmetic — children start by physically moving beads, then learn to visualise the abacus mentally and calculate without it.
The programme uses a 9-bead abacus, a system developed to combine features of the traditional soroban and suanpan into a single tool. Alongside calculation speed, the programme is built to strengthen concentration and focus, with most practice completed during the 1.5-hour weekly session rather than through homework.
The clearest, most verifiable difference between the two programmes is the physical tool itself.
UCMAS uses the standard soroban-style abacus: one "heaven" bead worth 5 sits above the bar, and four "earth" beads worth 1 each sit below it, on every column. This is the same basic design used in most traditional abacus instruction worldwide, and it comes with an established set of calculation formulas that students memorise as they advance.
3G Abacus uses a 9-bead tool per column, designed to combine elements of the soroban and the Chinese suanpan (which traditionally has more beads per column than the soroban). The intent behind combining the two traditions is to give children more ways to represent the same number on the frame, with a formula set organised differently from the standard soroban approach.
Both tools are used for the same underlying purpose — training mental arithmetic through bead visualisation — but the physical technique, hand movements and formula sets a child learns are specific to whichever tool their programme uses. This is the main reason switching between systems takes some re-adjustment (more on that in the FAQ below).
It's worth saying plainly: UCMAS is a genuine, well-established programme with a long history and a large global footprint. It is not a lesser or inferior choice. Abacus mental arithmetic training in general — regardless of which specific bead system is used — has a reasonable body of evidence behind it for building working memory, concentration and calculation speed in children.
Neither system has been shown to be objectively "better" than the other at producing these outcomes. In practice, the right choice for your child usually comes down to more practical factors: which centre is near you, how the teacher explains and demonstrates the method, class size, and whether your child responds well to that particular teaching style. A large brand with a longer history is not automatically the right fit for every child, and a newer system is not automatically inferior — fit matters more than franchise size.
Whichever system you're considering, these questions apply equally to both and will tell you more about the quality of a specific centre than the brand name on the door:
Edufarm's 3G Abacus programme runs at centres islandwide for ages 4–12, with 1.5-hour weekly sessions and most practice completed in class. See the full programme → Curious about abacus training more broadly — age to start, what the research says, and how to choose a class? Read our general abacus guide →
No. They are separate programmes with different bead systems and teaching materials. UCMAS uses the traditional soroban-style abacus (one bead above the bar, four below). 3G Abacus uses a 9-bead tool developed to combine features of the traditional soroban and suanpan. Both aim to build mental arithmetic ability, but the tool, formula sets and course structure differ.
UCMAS is the older, larger global brand — founded in Malaysia in 1993 with a presence in over 80 countries and thousands of centres worldwide, including a number of centres in Singapore. 3G Abacus is a newer bead system built on the same abacus mental-arithmetic tradition. A longer history and larger global scale don't automatically mean a better fit for your child, but it's a fair, factual difference parents should know.
Yes, many children do. Because the two systems use different bead configurations and formula sets, expect a short adjustment period — typically a few weeks — as your child re-learns bead movements on the new tool. Prior mental arithmetic ability, number sense and concentration skills carry over; only the physical technique needs to be re-trained.
Tell us your child's age and nearest area — we'll find the right centre and level. Classes run once a week, and we assess every child individually before placing them.