American Mathematical Competitions
The American Mathematics Competitions are a series of nationally syndicated math contests, sponsored by the Mathematical Association of America. The AMC 8, 10, and 12 are for middle and high school students, and are the first tier of competitions leading to the USA Mathematical Olympiad. From the AMC website:
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"The mission of the MAA's American Mathematics Competitions is to increase
interest in mathematics and to develop problem solving through a fun
competition. Teachers and schools benefit from the chance to challenge
students with interesting mathematical questions that are aligned with
curriculum standards at all levels of difficulty. In addition, students gain
the opportunity to learn and achieve through competition with students in
their school and around the world."
Current info:
AIME (American Invitational Mathematical Exam)
If you have qualified for the AIME, you have been notified when you recieved your score by email. Unlike the AMC exams, a qualifying student is only allowed to take the AIME exam once each year. If your normal school does not offer the AIME, you may take the alternate AIME II at the University of Texas. You MUST notify the SMMG coordinator (smmg@math.utexas.edu) that you plan on taking the exam at UT.
Exam: AIME II
Date and time: Wednesday, April 3, 2013, 5:30 - 9:00 PM
Testing will take place shortly after 5:30 pm and last 3 hours. Please arrive at 5:30 to give yourself time to find your seat, fill out forms, sharpen pencils, etc.
Location: The exam will be conducted on the UT campus in Robert Lee Moore (RLM) Hall, Room 11.176.
The AIME is a 15 question, 3 hour examination in which each answer is an integer number from 0 to 999. The questions on the AIME are much more difficult and students are very unlikely to obtain the correct answer by guessing. As with the AMC 10 and AMC 12 (and the USAMO), all problems on the AIME can be solved by pre-calculus methods. The use of calculators is not allowed.
For more information about the AIME please visit the official AMC website.
FAQ
- Where can I find out detailed information about the AMC exams?
Visit the AMC website. They have an extensive FAQ section and will be able to answer most questions. - Can I see any past exams or sample questions?
Yes: The AMC website also has an archive of sample problems and past exams, which you can find if you poke around on their site. We also have a practice exam available for download here: - Is my student eligible for the exam?
It depends on your current grade in school. The AMC 12 is for students in high school who are under 19.5 years of age. The AMC 10 covers mathematics normally associated with grades 9 and 10 and is for students under 17.5 years of age who are not enrolled in grades 11, 12 or equivalent. The AMC 8 is for middle-school students in grades 8 and below. There is no minimum age requirement for these exams. - How long is the exam?
The AIME is three hours long, with 15 questions. The AMC 12 and AMC 10 contests are 75 minutes and are 25 questions in length, with approximately 12 questions in common to both contests. The AMC 8 is 25 questions in length and takes only 40 minutes. - Will I have to pay a $60 registration fee? Do I have to buy a test?
The host (that's SMMG!) pays the registration fee and purchases exams for the whole group. You do not need to worry about ordering exams-- it is the responsibility of the hosting organization (SMMG) to order bundles of exams and administer the tests.
