AMC 10 Preparation Programme

The AMC 10 is the entry point to the most competitive mathematics pathway in the world — the route that runs through the AIME to the USA Mathematical Olympiad and, ultimately, the International Mathematical Olympiad. Around 300,000 students sit the AMC series each year. This page sets out exactly what the examination tests, how it is scored, what the AIME cutoff means, and how to prepare for it.

AMC 10 2026 dates and registration deadlines

The AMC 10 runs in two sittings each cycle. A student may sit both, and only the higher score counts toward AIME qualification.

• AMC 10A — Thursday 5 November 2026
• AMC 10B — Friday 13 November 2026
• Regular registration deadline — 15 October 2026
• Late registration deadline — 28 October 2026 (returning competition managers only)
• AMC 8 — 21 to 27 January 2027
• AIME — February 2027

Registration is handled by schools and approved competition managers, not by students directly. If your school does not host the AMC, you will need to find an approved centre — and internal school deadlines are often weeks earlier than the official cutoff. Confirm all dates against the Mathematical Association of America before relying on them.

Who can sit the AMC 10?

The AMC 10 is open to students in Grade 10 or below who are under 17.5 years of age on the day of the competition. There is no lower age limit — able younger students regularly sit it, and many strong candidates begin in Grade 8 or 9.

Students above these limits sit the AMC 12 instead. Younger students typically begin with the AMC 8 in January.

AMC 10 format and time limit

The examination is 25 multiple-choice questions in 75 minutes, with five answer options per question. No calculators are permitted. That works out at three minutes per question on average — but the questions are not evenly difficult, and treating them as though they are is one of the most common causes of a disappointing score.

Questions 1 to 10 are broadly accessible to a well-prepared student. Questions 11 to 20 require genuine competition technique. Questions 21 to 25 are designed so that most candidates will not finish them.

How the AMC 10 is scored

The scoring system is where most preparation goes wrong, because it rewards a behaviour that feels counter-intuitive.

• 6 points for each correct answer
• 1.5 points for each question left blank
• 0 points for an incorrect answer
• Maximum score: 150

A blank scores more than a wrong answer. This means a careless guess actively costs you marks against the alternative of leaving the question alone. A student who answers 15 questions correctly and leaves 10 blank scores 105. A student who answers the same 15 correctly and guesses randomly at the other 10 will, on average, score close to 102 — and can easily do worse.

Disciplined question selection is therefore worth points on its own, independently of mathematical ability. It is a trainable skill, and we train it directly.

The AIME cutoff — what it actually takes

Students scoring above an annually determined threshold are invited to the American Invitational Mathematics Examination. The cutoff is not fixed in advance: it is set from the national score distribution after the papers are sat, and it differs between the A and B sittings.

In recent years the AMC 10 threshold has generally fallen somewhere between the mid-90s and around 120 out of 150. Reaching it usually means solving roughly 15 to 17 questions correctly with very few careless errors.

That last clause matters more than most students realise. A candidate who can solve the hardest problems but drops four marks to arithmetic slips will miss a cutoff that a steadier, less ambitious candidate clears comfortably. Accuracy under time pressure is not a personality trait — it is a skill, and it responds to training.

AMC 10 syllabus by topic

The AMC 10 covers mathematics through pre-calculus. There is no calculus. What makes it difficult is not advanced content but the depth of reasoning applied to familiar material.

Algebra

Linear and quadratic equations, systems, inequalities, functions and graphs, sequences and series, polynomial manipulation, word problems requiring translation into algebra, ratio and proportion, and rates.

Counting and probability

Systematic counting, permutations and combinations, the pigeonhole principle, complementary counting, casework technique, expected value, geometric probability, and problems requiring careful avoidance of double-counting.

Number theory

Divisibility rules, prime factorisation, greatest common divisor and least common multiple, modular arithmetic, remainders, base representation, and digit problems.

Geometry

Triangle properties and similarity, circle theorems, the Pythagorean theorem and its extensions, area and perimeter, coordinate geometry, three-dimensional solids, and the analytic techniques that convert a geometry problem into an algebra problem.

AMC 10A or AMC 10B — which should a student sit?

Both, where possible. The two papers are separate examinations with separate registrations, set at comparable difficulty, and only the higher score counts toward AIME qualification. Sitting both is the single easiest way to improve the odds of qualifying, because it removes the risk that one bad morning decides the outcome.

If a student can sit only one, the A paper in early November leaves slightly more recovery time should something go wrong; the B paper allows eight further days of preparation.

AMC 10 or AMC 12?

Eligible students sometimes ask whether to sit the AMC 12 instead for prestige. Generally, no. The AIME cutoff is calculated separately for each competition, and the AMC 10 route is usually the more reliable path to qualification for a student in Grade 10 or below. The AMC 12 additionally examines trigonometry, logarithms and advanced algebra that the AMC 10 does not.

Sitting the AMC 10 outside the United States

The AMC is an international competition, and students in India, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Malaysia, the United Kingdom and Australia sit it every year — usually through their own school if it is a registered centre, or through an approved external centre.

• India — Many international and IB schools host the AMC directly. Students at CBSE and ICSE schools frequently sit through an external approved centre. Strong AMC candidates in India often also prepare for the IOQM, which draws on overlapping technique.
• United Arab Emirates — Widely available through international schools in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. The AMC is particularly valuable for expatriate families whose children will apply to universities in the United States.
• Singapore and Malaysia — Commonly sat alongside local and regional olympiads. The AMC carries more weight in US admissions than most regional competitions.
• United Kingdom — Sat by students who are also entering the Senior Mathematical Challenge and the British Mathematical Olympiad. The technique transfers in both directions.
• Australia — Frequently sat alongside the Australian Mathematics Competition and AIMO.

Time zones do not prevent participation: the competition is administered on a fixed date, and approved centres run it locally. If your school is not a registered centre, begin looking for one before the October deadline rather than after it.

A realistic preparation timeline

Serious AMC 10 preparation is a matter of months, not weeks, because the skill being built is pattern recognition across hundreds of problems.

• Six months out — Establish the baseline with a full timed past paper. Identify which of the four topic areas is genuinely weakest, rather than which feels hardest.
• Four to six months — Topic-by-topic work at competition depth. Standard school mathematics is not sufficient here; the AMC rewards technique that school syllabi do not teach.
• Two to four months — Mixed problem sets. This is where pattern recognition develops, because the student no longer knows in advance which technique applies.
• Final two months — Full timed papers under real conditions, followed by pacing analysis. The objective at this stage is accuracy and question selection, not new content.

Where marks are most commonly lost

• Careless arithmetic on questions already solved. The most expensive error in the competition, and the most fixable.
• Spending twelve minutes on question 22 while questions 14 to 18 sit unattempted.
• Guessing without elimination. A blank is worth 1.5 points. A guess with no reasoning behind it is usually worth less.
• Misreading the question. The AMC deliberately includes answer choices matching common misreadings.
• Practising untimed. A student who has never worked under 75-minute pressure will not perform as they do at home.

How we teach the AMC 10

Preparation is one-to-one, scheduled around the student's existing school commitments. There is no batch, so the pace follows the student rather than the group.

• Diagnostic first. A full timed paper before any teaching, so the plan targets real gaps rather than assumed ones.
• Competition technique, not school revision. Taught to the depth the AMC actually requires.
• Timed mock papers with pacing analytics showing where time was lost, not merely which answers were wrong.
• Six-quiz reinforcement on each topic before advancing, so understanding is demonstrated rather than assumed.
• Past-paper archive with full worked solutions, written as teaching rather than as answer keys.

Frequently asked questions

How many questions are on the AMC 10?

25 multiple-choice questions, to be completed in 75 minutes.

Is a calculator allowed on the AMC 10?

No. Calculators have not been permitted on the AMC 10 or AMC 12 for many years. All arithmetic must be done by hand.

What is a good AMC 10 score?

Any score above 100 is strong, and typically places a student in contention for AIME qualification depending on the year and the sitting. A score above 120 is excellent. The median score nationally is considerably lower than most parents expect.

Can a student sit both AMC 10A and AMC 10B?

Yes, and it is generally advisable. They are separate registrations, and the higher of the two scores is used for AIME qualification.

What happens after qualifying for the AIME?

Qualifiers sit the AIME in February — 15 questions in 3 hours, with integer answers from 000 to 999 and no multiple choice. A combined AMC and AIME index then determines invitation to the USAMO or USAJMO.

When should a student start preparing?

Four to six months before the November sitting is realistic for a student aiming at AIME qualification. Students starting later can still improve substantially, but the gain comes mainly from pacing and accuracy rather than new technique.

Book a free strategy session

Every family begins with a free consultation before any commitment. We assess your child's current standing against the AMC 10, set out a realistic timeline to the November sitting, and tell you honestly whether we are the right fit.