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Not sure what course to take? Click on the appropriate link below for recommendations.
Grades 5-8, little algebra experience
Grades 6-9, some exposure to algebra
Grades 7-10, mastery of basic algebra (completed algebra I or an equivalent)
Grades 8-12, experienced problem solvers
Calculus
All of our courses will help students prepare for contests such as MATHCOUNTS and the AMC series of tests. In addition to our Introduction and Intermediate series of courses, we also offer classes called Problem Series that are specifically designed for various contests. These contest preparation courses are a survey of useful approaches and methods for tackling problems on the given contests. These contest preparation courses also do not have textbooks, nor do they have assignments that are evaluated by instructors (they do have many practice problems, though!). Therefore, the contest preparation classes are less thorough than the Introduction or Intermediate series of courses, and are intended as supplementary practice rather than a complete mathematics curriculum.
MATHCOUNTS/AMC 8
AMC 10/12
AIME
USAMO
You can see our complete list of classes here.
Students who have worked with square roots, basic variable expressions such as 2x + 3, and basic linear equations like 2x + 7 = 9, but who have not taken an algebra I course or an equivalent, should start with Introduction to Algebra.
Students who have some experience with algebra, but who have not completed an algebra I class or our Introduction to Algebra, should consider starting with our Introduction to Algebra class. Those students who have mastered linear equations and manipulating multi-variable expressions such as x(x+y) - 3xy + y(x-y) are ready for our Introduction to Counting & Probability and Introduction to Number Theory classes. These students should be comfortable taking Introduction to Algebra, Introduction to Counting & Probability, and Introduction to Number Theory in any order.
Students who have completed algebra I or our Introduction to Algebra class are ready for our Introduction to Counting & Probability, Introduction to Number Theory, and Introduction to Geometry classes. Of these three, Introduction to Geometry is the most advanced, so less experienced students may wish to start with the other two classes.
To determine if you are in this category, take the diagnostic tests for each of our Introduction courses. Here are the tests for algebra, geometry, counting & probability, and number theory. If any of these give you difficulty, consider taking the corresponding course or working through the textbook for that course. If these diagnostic tests are not difficult for you, then you are ready for our Intermediate courses. These classes, and the basic pre-requisites, are listed below:
Intermediate Algebra: Students should have completed an algebra I course or our Introduction to Algebra class before taking this course. If a student has had no algebra experience beyond a typical school algebra I class, the student should read the portions of Introduction to Algebra text that were not in their algebra I class prior to taking Intermediate Algebra. (These students may opt to take our Introduction to Algebra course, as well.) Students who have taken algebra II or pre-calculus should find about half of this class to be review, with the other half being challenging problem solving applications of algebra.
Intermediate Counting & Probability: We recommend that students either be currently enrolled in, or have completed, an algebra II course or the Intermediate Algebra class before taking this course. Also, students should have mastered the basics of the Introduction to Counting & Probability class.
Intermediate Number Theory: We recommend that students either be currently enrolled in, or have completed, an algebra II course or the Intermediate Algebra class before taking this course. Also, students should have mastered the basics of the Introduction to Number Theory class.
Intermediate Trigonometry & Complex Numbers: Students should have completed an algebra II course or the Intermediate Algebra class before taking this course. Prior experience with basic trigonometry would be helpful, but not necessary.
We offer a calculus course that is much more challenging than the typical high school calculus course. Our course includes more fundamental theory and many more challenging problems than a typical high school class, and is intended to provide an understanding of calculus beyond the level of rote calculation. We strongly recommend that you read the course description page before signing up, and that students in 7th or 8th grades (and possibly 9th) opt for other problem solving classes prior to taking calculus, even if they are ready for calculus. Some reasons for this are outlined in our articles The Calculus Trap and Why Discrete Math Is Important.
For students just getting started with MATHCOUNTS or the AMC 8, we recommend our Introduction series of classes. Review the recommendation information above to determine which of these classes best fits you. We also have two Problem Series classes for MATHCOUNTS and AMC 8 preparation. If you are just getting started with these contests and find many of the problems very challenging, then we recommend the MATHCOUNTS/AMC 8 Basics course. If you have some experience with MATHCOUNTS and are preparing for the State or National MATHCOUNTS competition, you are probably ready for our Mastering MATHCOUNTS/AMC 8 course.
Our Introduction series of classes will provide students with the tools necessary for all AMC 10 problems and most AMC 12 problems. Our Intermediate series of classes (Intermediate Algebra, Intermediate Counting & Probability, Intermediate Number Theory, and Intermediate Trigonometry/Complex Numbers) covers the remainder of the AMC 10 and AMC 12. Our AMC 10 Problem Series and AMC 12 Problem Series focus primarily on the harder problems on these contests. They are appropriate for students who currently score in the 80-120 range on the AMC 10 and/or AMC 12.
Our Intermediate series of classes covers much of the curriculum and problem solving approaches needed for success on the AIME. For students looking for further practice, we offer the AIME Problem Series A, the AIME Problem Series B, and a Special AIME Problem Series. We also offer Worldwide Online Olympiad Training (WOOT), a 7-month training program during the school year that helps students prepare for both the AIME and the USAMO.
Our Intermediate series of classes includes essential problem solving strategies for beginning Olympiad students. Our Worldwide Online Olympiad Training (WOOT) offers an opportunity to train for the USAMO for 7 months with many of the top students in the United States.
