Are you a math enthusiast looking for a challenge? Or perhaps you're a parent or teacher searching for ways to nurture young mathematical minds?
The AMC series aims to promote problem-solving skills, foster mathematical creativity, and identify talented young mathematicians across the United States. These competitions have been shaping the landscape of mathematical education in the United States for decades.
American Mathematics Competitions (AMC):
The American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) are a series of contests aimed at middle and high school students in the United States and recently expanded to several other countries. Started in 1950, these contests are organized by the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) as a national effort to strengthen the mathematical capabilities.
AMC 8 (For grades 8 and below):
Introduced in 1985 as the American Junior High School Mathematics Examination (AJHSME) and renamed to AMC 8 in 2000, is a 25-question, 40-minute multiple-choice competition designed to promote developing and enhancing problem-solving skills.
Who can participate: Students in grades 8 and below including Elementary grades.
When: Held annually in January (Jan. 22 - 28, 2025).
AMC 10 (For grades 10 and below):
First introduced in 1950 as American High School Mathematics Examination (AHSME), later in 2000, recognizing the need to cater to different skill levels, the competition split into AMC 10 (for 10th grade and below) and AMC 12 (for 12th grade and below). Both the AMC 10 & 12 offer two versions of the test, the 'A' and 'B' competitions offered on different dates to fit students schedule. Students can choose the date that best fits their schedule and many choose to participate in both for additional practice.
Top performers qualify for higher-level and well recognized invitational only competition, the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME).
Who can participate: Students in grades 10 and below with a maximum age of under 17.5 years on the day of the competition
Format: A 25-question, 75-minute multiple-choice examination
When: Held annually in November.
AMC 10 A Competition Date: Nov. 6, 2024
AMC 10 B Competition Date: Nov. 12, 2024
Test Content (as per MAA): The content covers mathematics typically taught in grades 9 and 10, including elementary algebra, basic geometry (such as the Pythagorean Theorem), area and volume formulas, elementary number theory, and elementary probability.
Problems from Past Contexts:
AMC 12 (For grades 12 and below):
Who can participate: Students in grades 12 and below with a maximum age of under 19.5 years on the day of the competition
Format: A 25-question, 75-minute multiple-choice examination
When: Held annually in November.
AMC 12 A Competition Date: Nov. 6, 2024
AMC 12 B Competition Date: Nov. 12, 2024
Test Content (as per MAA): Covers the full high school mathematics curriculum, including trigonometry, advanced algebra, and advanced geometry. Calculus is excluded.
Problems from Past Contexts:
The American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME) is an invitational only competition based on the performance on the AMC 10 or AMC 12. The students are selected based on their scores in AMC 10 (~ top 2.5% of students) or AMC12 (~ top 5% of students). The AIME is a 15 question, 3-hour examination, each answer is an integer number between 0 to 999. The questions on the AIME are much more difficult than those on the AMC 10 and AMC 12 competitions. Based on the AMC10/12 scores and AIME scores, the top students are invited to take the USA Junior Mathematical Olympiad (USAJMO with AMC10) or the USA Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO with AMC12) which are proof based competitions.
