AMC 10 and AMC 12
American Mathematics Competitions 10 and 12
The 75-minute exam that opens the door to the US math olympiad ladder.
Run by Mathematical Association of America
Key facts
- Eligible grades
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AMC 10: grade 10 and below. AMC 12: grade 12 and below.
Two separate competitions with separate grade limits. A student in grade 9 or 10 is eligible for both. There is no minimum grade.Source, checked 2026-08-31
- Official divisions
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Two separate contests set by grade. AMC 10 is open to grade 10 and below and covers material through intermediate algebra and geometry, with no trigonometry or calculus. AMC 12 is open to grade 12 and below and adds trigonometry, advanced algebra and advanced geometry. Choose by the mathematics you have covered: a student in grade 9 or 10 may sit either.
Based on the organiser's own divisions.
- Eligible ages
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AMC 10: under 17.5 years old on competition day. AMC 12: under 19.5 years old on competition day.
The MAA sets an explicit maximum age for each level in addition to the grade limit, and both conditions must be satisfied. Age is assessed on the day of the competition rather than at registration.Source, checked 2026-08-31
- Individual or team
- Individual · Individual, though schools often field an informal team score.
- Where it runs
- In person · United States, Canada
- Entry cost
- $75 registration for the competition manager at the regular deadline, or $115 at the late deadline. Competition bundles cost $30 for ten student licences.These are the charges to the registering school or centre. A student sitting both AMC 12 A and 12 B needs two licences. What the school passes on to students, if anything, is set locally.
- Registration deadline
- Regular registration closed 15 October 2026, which was the final deadline for new competition managers. Late registration closed 28 October 2026 and was open to returning competition managers only. 36 days leftAdditional bundle deadlines were 4 November 2026 for AMC 12 A and 12 November 2026 for AMC 12 B. These are the MAA's deadlines for the manager; your school may impose an earlier internal one.
- Competition dates
- AMC 10 A and AMC 12 A: 5 November 2026. AMC 10 B and AMC 12 B: 13 November 2026. A competition manager may choose either date or enter students for both.
- Difficulty
- CompetitiveSerious preparation over a season. Advancing past the first round separates prepared students from unprepared ones.
- Prizes
- Recognition and AIME qualification, no cashRecognition is by certificate, roll designation and AIME qualification rather than a published prize schedule.
What AMC 10 and AMC 12 is
The AMC 10 and AMC 12 are 25-question, 75-minute multiple-choice exams taken at a registered school or testing centre each November. They are the entry point to the United States olympiad pathway: score in the top few percent and you are invited to the AIME, and from there to the USAJMO or USAMO. Millions of students worldwide sit an AMC exam, and a strong score is one of the few universally recognised signals of mathematical ability on a college application.
How the competition works
The AMC 10 and AMC 12 are 25-question, 75-minute multiple-choice competitions. Each is offered in an A and a B version on different dates. Strong scores qualify students for the AIME.
Eligibility notes
There is no minimum grade. Younger students regularly sit the AMC 10 early. If you are eligible for both, the AMC 12 has an easier AIME cutoff percentage but harder questions.
Is AMC 10 and AMC 12 right for you?
- Experience needed
- Comfortable school algebra and geometry. No olympiad background needed for a respectable score.
- Time commitment
- Two to three months of past papers, a few hours a week.
- What you actually do
- 75 minutes, 25 multiple-choice questions, no calculator, sat at your own school. Most students answer roughly half.
A good fit if
- You want the standard route into US competition mathematics
- You like puzzles more than computation
- Your school already runs the AMC
Probably not for you if
- Students who have not yet met algebra
- Students wanting a team experience
Common mistakes
- Guessing randomly. Blank answers score points and wrong ones do not, so unanswered is better than a wild guess.
- Spending 20 minutes on question 24 and never reaching easier ones later.
- Preparing with hard olympiad problems instead of past AMC papers, which are free and exactly calibrated.
How to register
- Ask your maths teacher whether the school is already a registered AMC competition manager. Most that host the AMC have done so for years.
- If the school does not host it, use the MAA list of registered institutions and learning centres to find a nearby university, math circle or tutoring centre that accepts outside students.
- Create a student account on the MAA site so you can view your scores afterwards. Students do not register for the exam itself; the competition manager enrols you.
- Decide whether to sit A, B or both. Sitting both is allowed and common, and it doubles your chance of clearing the AIME cutoff.
- Confirm your seat at least a week before the date. Independent testing centres fill up.
What skills you need
- Algebra
- Counting and probability
- Number theory
- Plane geometry
- Speed and time management
- Strategic guessing
Recommended resources
-
AoPS AMC problem archive with community solutions
Every AMC problem since 1950 with multiple solutions per problem. This is the single most valuable free resource in competition maths.
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MAA AMC official page
Dates, rules, eligibility and the list of registered testing sites.
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AoPS Introduction series textbooks
Introduction to Algebra, Counting and Probability, Number Theory and Geometry map almost exactly onto the AMC 10 syllabus.
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Alcumus adaptive practice
Free adaptive problem generator from AoPS. Set the difficulty to AMC 10 level and work by topic.
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Khan Academy algebra and geometry
Use this to fill genuine content gaps, not for contest practice. It is not pitched at competition difficulty.
Past problems and materials
Only materials the organiser or an authorised archive publishes openly are listed here.
- AMC 10 problems and solutions, all years
Published openly by AoPS with permission arrangements. Includes official answer keys.
- AMC 12 problems and solutions, all years
Same archive, AMC 12 papers.
Helpful videos
- AoPS official YouTube channel
Walkthroughs of AMC and AIME problems by the people who write the standard textbooks.
- 3Blue1Brown
Not contest prep, but the geometry and probability intuition transfers directly.
Frequently asked questions
Can I register for the AMC myself?
No. In the United States and Canada the MAA only accepts registrations from schools, universities, math circles and authorised learning centres. A student or parent cannot register directly. If your school does not host it, contact a nearby university or learning centre that appears on the MAA list of registered sites.
Should I take the AMC 10 or the AMC 12?
If you are in grade 10 or below, take the AMC 10. The content is more limited and the AIME cutoff is reachable with less material. Grade 11 and 12 students must take the AMC 12. Some strong grade 10 students take the AMC 12 because its AIME cutoff catches the top 5% rather than the top 2.5%, but its questions assume trigonometry, logarithms and complex numbers.
What score do I need to qualify for the AIME?
The cutoff is set after each exam is scored and changes every year, so no fixed number exists. Historically it has landed somewhere between 100 and 120 out of 150 on the AMC 10 and slightly lower on the AMC 12. Treat 100 as a working target and check the MAA announcement after the exam.
Is there an age limit?
Yes. The AMC 10 requires you to be under 17.5 years old on competition day and in grade 10 or below. The AMC 12 requires you to be under 19.5 and in grade 12 or below. There is no lower limit, and younger students do sit the AMC 10.
Reviews, tips and resources from other students
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