The American Mathematics Competition (AMC)

What is the AMC?

The AMC exam is an annual exam given by the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).  The AMCs are a series of examinations and that test problem-solving skills and mathematical knowledge in middle and high school students. For high school students, they are the first exam in a series that eventually leads to the USA Math Olympiad. About 60,000 students across the U.S. took the AMC 10 or 12 last year.  Students who perform well on the AMC 10 or AMC 12 are invited to take the American Invitational Math Exam (AIME), often around 4,000 students. Top-performing students on both the AMC and AIME are then invited to compete in the USA Math Olympiad (or Junior Math Olympiad), around 500 students. The results of these competitions are used to help identify top students in the country to represent the USA at the International Math Olympiad.

Why take the AMC?

Many of our students who score well on the AMC are invited to take the AIME.  Success on the AMC places these students in an elite category that is helpful in the college application process. Some colleges even have a space for AMC scores on their applications. There is no downside to taking this exam. This is another way to help students distinguish themselves as mathematically talented. Remember that your AMC score does not go on your record.

Who takes the AMC?

This competition is open to students in all classes at all levels.

Members of the Math Team classes are required to sit for the AMC A and AMC B exam. They will be automatically registered for these exams.

Any other students who are not on the math team are welcome to sign up for the AMC if they wish. It is not required.

Grades 9 and 10 may sign up for the AMC 10 exam.  Student must be under 17.5 years old on the day of the competition.

Grades 11 and 12 may sign up for the AMC 12 exam. Student must be under 19.5 years of age on the day of the competition.

Which exam should I take?

Stuyvesant offers both the AMC A and the AMC B exam, giving students two opportunities to maximize their scores. Students who want to take the B exam should also be signed up for the A exam. At Stuyvesant, we firmly believe that younger students should work on mastering the AMC 10 exam before moving on to the AMC 12, so all interested 9th and 10th grade students are only allowed to take the AMC 10.

What is a 'good' score?

To get an idea of how to interpret scores, in November 2021 on the AMC 10A a score of 75.0 was higher than 75% of all scores nationwide, while a 96.0 was higher than 97.5% of all scores. On the AMC 12A, a 75.0 was higher than 75% and a score of 91.5 was higher than 95% of scores nationwide.

​​​​​​​What is the format of the exam?

It is 75 minutes long and has 25 multiple choice questions. You earn 6 points for a correct answer and 1.5 points for each blank question. If you answer incorrectly, you get 0 points. For this reason, randomly guessing will often result in a lower score than you would get by leaving them blank. Guessing is only profitable if you can narrow the question down to two choices. 

Where can I get practice?

Past AMC problems can be found on the Art of Problem Solving website. Students who want to improve their score should practice these problems. The questions generally increase in difficulty as they go from 1 - 25. A good strategy for most students is to be sure they can do the first few problems, but to spend more time practicing Questions 8-18.

Also, the Stuyvesant Math Team hosts AMC practices open to all interested students each week on Wednesdays after school.

They are held in Room 405 for AMC 10 and Room 407 for AMC 12.

More Information

MAA Web page about the competitions: AMC 10/12 Page

Registration and Fees

Stuyvesant Students

If you wish to register for the AMC exams, please complete the form linked at the top of this page.

There is a $3.50 fee for students who are not on the math team to participate in each contest. Math team students will have their exams (which are required) paid for by the math team. This fee is paid at the time of registration and is not refundable.

Visitors AMC 10A/10B

Unfortunately, due to limited space, we will not be able to accept any visitors for the AMC 10A or 10B exams. As an alternative, please check the Russian School of Mathematics. They allow students who are not in their programs to register for the exam with them.

Form for AMC 10A/10B at RSM:

https://forms.gle/9XhU2C4rGtCyFwaR9 

Visitors AMC 12A/12B

Stuyvesant may be able to find space for a small number of AMC 12A/12B visiting students. If you are interested, please email Mr. Sterr. If approved, the fee is $3.50 per exam. This fee is paid at the time of registration and is not refundable. Do not fill out the registration form.