User:Aoum/AMC 10
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AMC 10
What is the AMC 10 Contest
The AMC 10 is a math contest organized by the Mathematical Association of America (MAA). The AMC 10 contest contains 25 multiple choice questions that must be completed within 75 minutes. You get 1.5 points for every question that is left blank, so remember to not guess blindly.
The top 2.5% (approximately) students on the AMC 10 are invited to take the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME).
Who can take the AMC 10
Students in grade 10 or below and under 17.5 years of age on the day of the contest can take the AMC 10. Note that even students in elementary schools are eligible to take the contest.
Where can you take the AMC 10
Many middle/high schools host the contest in their school. If your school doesn't offer the contest, you can try requesting your math teachers or principal to consider becoming a hosting site. You can also search for nearby locations hosting the contest using this zip code search.
The Mathematical Association of America also requests its member institutions of higher learning to consider offering the AMC 10 to students whose schools will not be offering the contest. You can find a list of alternate locations in your area here.
If you are in a school which does not host the contest, you can also reach out to math teachers in nearby high schools and check if any of them will allow outside students to take the contest.
How to score high on the AMC 10
So, how can you score well on the AMC 10? Here are four key things to focus on:
- Understanding all the content: The problems go beyond the school curriculum, so if you're new to competition math you will need to learn a variety of concepts from Algebra, Number Theory, Combinatorics, and Geometry
- Being able to apply concepts to tricky problems: AMC 10 problems are not straightforward like in school math, so the problems require creative thinking and that's something that can only be achieved with significant practice
- Solving the problems accurately: You need to simulate test conditions to learn how to avoid common mistakes like calculation errors, silly mistakes, misreading the questions, etc.
- Working quickly: You need to finish 25 problems in 75 minutes, and you need to learn good time management so you can attempt most of the questions without getting stuck.
