About

The AMC 12 is a 25-question multiple-choice exam covering the full high school mathematics curriculum — algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and pre-calculus, but not calculus — administered each November in two versions (A and B). Scored on a 150-point scale with 6 points for correct answers, 1.5 for blank, and 0 for incorrect, the structure rewards precision and strategic omission. Students in grade 12 or below and under 19.5 years of age are eligible; registration runs through schools or approved competition managers, not individually.

The AMC 12's significance lies in what it unlocks. Scoring in the top 5% earns an invitation to the AIME — and combined AMC 12 and AIME performance then determines eligibility for the USAMO, the proof-based olympiad from which the six-member US International Mathematical Olympiad team is ultimately selected. For upperclassmen who have outgrown the AMC 10, the AMC 12 is the correct competitive vehicle — and AIME qualification from the AMC 12, while somewhat more accessible than from the AMC 10, remains a meaningful and nationally recognized achievement.

The AMC 12 is the right competition for any junior or senior serious about competitive mathematics — and for the student with genuine olympiad ambitions, it is the first step on the only path that leads to representing the United States at the IMO.