Is your child an athlete that regularly competes in a sport or a creative artist who enjoys entering contests? Believe it or not, the same opportunities exist for math! Math competitions are a unique way to encourage and grow your math lover’s interest. Or, if your child is less than enthusiastic about math and needs a new way to engage in the subject, math competitions are a non-traditional way to reignite that spark. Math competitions give students the best of both worlds; they allow for not only academic engagement but can serve as a social interaction tool as well.
There are numerous national and international math competitions that take place throughout the year, but one of the most well known is the Mathematical Association of America’s American Mathematics Competitions.
The American Mathematics Competitions are for middle and high school students in grades 8 to 12. To qualify, participants must pass problem-solving focused exams. The exams are divided by grade level, with the first test, the AMC 8, designed for middle school students. The test is 40 minutes long and is comprised of 25 multiple choice questions. Next is the AMC 10 test for high school students in grades 10 or below. This exam tests standard 9th and 10th grade math curriculum. The student must be 17 ½ years of age or under on the day of the test to qualify.
The final test administered is the AMC 12. This test reviews high school curriculum covered from grades 9 to12, excluding calculus. Students must be in grades 12 or below and be under 19 and ½ years of age on the day of the test to qualify.
The test must be administered in a public building, such as a school or library, by an unrelated adult, such as a teacher or administrator of a school or math coach registered with the Mathematical Association of America. Registration is required for the tests along with a registration fee. Competition dates for the AMC 8 are scheduled for the Fall and the AMC 10 or 12 are scheduled for February of 2021.
Students who meet the age and grade requirements can take both competitions if the school or learning center registers for both competition dates. Sample practice questions are available for both tests as well. The tests can be taken in French and Spanish and large print and braille for students who may require accommodations.
Students who do well on the AMC 10 or 12 test can be invited to participate in 2 invitational events leading up to the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO). The first event is the American Invitational Mathematics Exam (AIME), second is the USA Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO) and the Junior Mathematical Olympiad (USAJMO). Participants with the best scores in either the USAMO or USAJMO are invited to participate in the Mathematical Olympiad, an invitational that occurs the summer after the competitions. Participants are then eligible to be chosen for a six-person team to represent the United States at the IMO. Let’s take a quick look at the invitationals in more detail:
The USAMO and USAMJO are exams administered over 2 days, comprised of 6 questions and a 9-hour essay test. The top AMC-10 participants are eligible to take the USAJMO while the top participants of the AMC-12 exam qualify for the USAMO. Scores are determined based on the combination of the AMC and the AIME placements, with the top 2.5% of AMC-10 scores qualifying and the top 5% of all AMC-12 scores qualifying. Tests are administered with the same requirements as the AMC 8, 10 or 12 exams. Understanding how important a future with women in STEM will be, the AMC invites the best scoring female AMC participants to both competitions for the chance to qualify for the more advanced competition offerings.
More information can be found about the AMC, qualifying Mathematical Olympiad invitationals and the IMO at www.maa.org/math-competitions.
If your child has more advanced math skills, in math competitions they will find students with like-minded interests, as well as a reward for utilizing their math skills instead of feeling their ability is something to hide.
Let our Mathnasium Center help bring out the math Olympiad in your child. We offer in-person and online math coaching that is individualized to meet your child where they are in their math journey. Give us a call today or drop us an email! We would love to hear from you!
(303) 979-9077
(303) 979-9077
