This research is about differences in mathematical problem-solving skills between the contextual approach and the open-ended approach in students of public senior high school 6 Sarolangun. The problem to be examined is whether there is a positive effect of the application of the contextual approach and the open-ended approach to students' problem-solving abilities. This research is a quantitative research with a True Experimental Design namely Pretest-Posttest Control Group Design. Sampling was carried out by Simple Random Sampling with a total of 44 samples with 22 students in contextual classes and 22 students in open-ended classes. Research data were analyzed using the analysis of the dependent t test and independent t test. The results of the study show that there is a relationship between the contextual approach and the open-ended approach to students' mathematical problem solving abilities. This means that the use of the contextual approach and the open-ended approach has a high relationship with the mathematical problem solving abilities of Class X students of SMA Negeri 6 Sarolangun.