American Mathematics Competitions AMC 10 / AMC 12

Most sophomores should take AMC 10. Its syllabus stops at the grade-10 curriculum — no trigonometry, logarithms, or complex numbers — which makes both a high score and the AIME cutoff easier to reach, and the AMC 10 track leads to USAJMO. The one reason to take AMC 12 instead is a student who already handles trig and logs fluently and is specifically aiming at USAMO. Students in grades 11 and 12 can only take AMC 12.

A and B are different papers of comparable difficulty and scope, given about a week apart — November 5 and November 13, 2026 for this cycle. A student may sit both, and the better score is what counts for AIME qualification. The only restriction is that AMC 10 and AMC 12 cannot be taken on the same date, though you may mix levels across dates, for example AMC 10A followed by AMC 12B.

For 2026-27 the MAA published a fixed threshold: 100 on AMC 10 or 85 on AMC 12 earns the right to register for AIME. Note that these are announced score thresholds, not percentiles — the older rule of thumb about the top 2.5% of AMC 10 and top 5% of AMC 12 no longer applies, so don't estimate from it. The MAA sets this each year, so check the official site for the current cycle.

On top of the algebra, geometry, number theory, counting and probability that AMC 10 covers, AMC 12 adds trigonometry, logarithms, complex numbers, sequences and series, and elementary analytic geometry. The two papers share roughly 40% of their questions; the rest is largely this upper-level material. A student who hasn't systematically studied trig and logs will usually lose visible ground in the middle and back half of AMC 12.

Yes. Correct answers are worth 6 points, blanks 1.5, and wrong answers 0, out of 150. So leaving a question you have no handle on truly blank beats a random guess: a blind guess among five options is worth 1.2 points on average, below the 1.5 you get for leaving it empty. Eliminate two choices and the expected value rises to 2, at which point you should guess. This is the opposite of AMC 8, where blanks earn nothing and you should fill in everything.

As with AMC 8, registration goes through a school or institution with a registered Competition Manager; students cannot buy a seat on the MAA site. EDUBUS is a registered AMC 10/12 site in Irvine, open to outside families: enroll.edub.us/amc-10-12-2026. Note the AMC 10/12 deadline falls much earlier than AMC 8.

Yes. The rule is grade 10 or below and under 17.5 years old on contest day — there is no lower grade limit, so seventh and eighth graders are eligible, and plenty of Irvine students sit AMC 8 and AMC 10 in the same eighth-grade year. The prerequisite is solid Algebra 1 and plane geometry; without that, a 75-minute paper tends to become a discouraging experience. Run a timed past paper at home first to gauge readiness.

It is one of the few nationally standardized academic markers an admissions officer reads instantly, and it carries real weight for STEM applicants — but only above a threshold. Qualifying for AIME is the recognized dividing line, and Honor Roll (roughly the top 5%) counts for more. It goes in the Honors section of the Common App, which allows five entries; on the University of California (UC) application it goes under Activities & Awards, with related math club or training experience in the description. Simply having participated with an average score adds essentially nothing.