MAA Invitational Competitions
Information Overview
Students who perform exceptionally well on the AMC 10 or AMC 12 are invited to continue participating in the MAA AMC series of examinations that culminate in the selection process for the USA International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) team.
Invitational Competition Sequence
The first in this series is the American Invitational Mathematics Exam (AIME), followed by the USA Mathematical Olympiad and Junior Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO and USAJMO).
The top USAMO and USAJMO participants are invited to the Mathematical Olympiad Program (MOP) in the summer after the competition for mathematical development.
Based on testing at MOP, a select group of students is invited to participate in the Team Selection Tests (TSTs), a series of exams to determine the teams that will represent the USA at the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) and the European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad (EGMO).
American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME)
The American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME) is a challenging competition offered for those who excelled on the AMC 10 and/or AMC 12.
Description: The AIME is a 15-question, 3-hour examination, in which each answer is an integer number between 0 to 999. The questions on the AIME are much more difficult than those on the AMC 10 and AMC 12. Top-scoring participants on the AIME are invited to take the USAMO or USAJMO.
AIME I vs. AIME II: The AIME is given on a primary date (AIME I), and an alternate date (AIME II) to accommodate those unable to participate in the AIME I. Students may only take the AIME once; any student who takes both the AIME I and II will be disqualified.
AIME Competition Timeframe:
- Administered between 1:30 pm ET and 5:30 pm ET on Competition Day.
AIME Administration Resources:
The AIME II Registration Form and the Change of Venue Form are located under “Competition Resources” on the dashboard of the AMC Platform. Only competition managers may fill out these forms.
- AIME II Registration Form: Students who qualify for the AIME will automatically be registered to take the AIME I. Competition managers who cannot administer the AIME I or have students who cannot take it on that date must register for the AIME II. Complete the AIME II Registration Form by the deadline stated in the form.
- AIME Change of Venue Form: Students who qualified for the AIME must take either the AIME I or AIME II at the institution where they took the AMC 10 and/or AMC 12. If the competition manager is unable to offer AIME I or II or a student absolutely cannot take the AIME at the same competition location, it is the competition manager’s responsibility to make arrangements with a different competition manager for their student and complete the Change of Venue Form by the deadline stated in the form.
Competition Managers who are administering both the AIME I and AIME II have the ability to switch students between the two competitions on the AMC platform.
FAQs for the AIME
Qualification parameters for AIME vary with the results of the AMC 10 and AMC 12 competitions. For AMC 10, invitations are issued to at least the top 2.5% of all scorers. For AMC 12, invitations are issued to at least the top 5% of all scorers. The numerical cutoffs will depend on the difficulty of each individual competition.
The USA Mathematical Talent Search program run by our partners at the Art of Problem Solving provides a separate path to receiving an invitation for AIME.
AIME students will be proctored by a teacher (preferably a mathematics teacher) or administrator at the school; a college or university teacher of mathematics, or a responsible adult such as a math club coach or librarian. The proctor should not be related to any of the participants.
As with the AMC 10 and AMC 12, AIME scores are available on the AMC Platform 24 hours after submission. The USAMO and USAJMO qualifiers and awards reports will be available within 3 to 4 weeks on the AMC Platform, along with the finalized and official scores for print & scan participants.
Students are to take the AIME at the same testing location where they took the AMC 10 or AMC 12 whenever possible. If a student cannot do so, they are to make arrangements with a different AIME Competition Manager, and ask their current Competition Manager to complete the “Change of Venue” form on their behalf. Students can contact amcinfo@maa.org for assistance.
USA Mathematical Olympiad and Junior Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO and USAJMO)
The United States of America Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO) and the United States of America Junior Mathematical Olympiad (USAJMO) are the national-level invitational competitions that serve as a key step in the International Mathematical Olympiad team selection process.
Description: The USAMO and USAJMO are six-question, two-day, 9-hour essay/proof examinations. The top-scoring AMC 12 participants (based on a combination of AMC 12 and AIME scores) are invited to take the USAMO. The top-scoring AMC 10 participants (based on a combination of AMC 10 and AIME score) are invited to take the USAJMO.
The MAA AMC champions inclusivity within our program and competitions. As we work towards creating a mathematical community to empower students of all genders, we invite the top-scoring AMC girl-identifying students to our USAMO and USAJMO each year. These students are placed on an ambitious path to potentially qualify for MOP, EGMO, and ultimately the IMO.
USAMO and USAJMO Competition Timeframe:
- Administered between 1 and 5:30 pm ET on each of two competition days.
USAMO and USAJMO Venues:
The USAMO/USAJMO will now be held only at select official testing sites. Qualifying students will be invited to register at a nearby site as soon as AIME scoring is complete.
Awarding: For the USAMO, the AMC awards Gold prizes to at least approximately 6%, Silver to at least approximately 12%, and Bronze to at least approximately 18% of competitors. For the USAJMO, we name winners and recognize approximately 20% of contestants. For both USAMO and USAJMO, each additional contestant with 14 points or more will receive an Honorable Mention distinction. Each year, the Student Selection Committee will decide the exact percentages and number of awards.
FAQs for the USAMO/USAJMO
Qualification parameters for USAMO and USAJMO vary with the results of the AMC 10 and AMC 12 competitions and AIME competitions. Selection to the USAMO and USAJMO will be based on the following indices:
USAMO Index = AMC 12 Score + 20 x AIME Score
USAJMO Index = AMC 10 Score + 20 x AIME Score
The committees calibrate the difficulty level for the 6 competitions each year and may determine different cutoffs based on the exam version if there are significant differences in score distributions.
After MAA has issued invitations to USAMO/USAJMO based on AMC 10/12 and AIME scores, we invite our partners at the Art of Problem Solving (AoPS) to nominate a small number of additional students from their USA Mathematical Talent Search program. The criteria for these additional nominations are set by AoPS and not MAA.
We use the higher numerical score. We match both AMC scores with the AIME score using the student’s ID number generated after registering on our AMC Platform.
The USAMO / USAJMO will be held on two consecutive days, March 21 and March 22, with each day consisting of three problems to be solved within a 4.5-hour session. These sessions will take place synchronously at 29 locations across the US and Canada.
- Day 1: Saturday, 1:00 – 5:30 ET / 10:00 – 2:30 PT
- Day 2: Sunday, 1:00 – 5:30 ET / 10:00 – 2:30 PT
The current list of USAMO / USAJMO sites can be found here.
When USAMO / USAJMO invitations are extended to top AIME students, we will assign qualifiers to the site we believe they should attend based on registration information. Students may request to change sites if our information on their current location is incorrect.
Shortly after USAMO / USAJMO invitations are issued, student/parent contact information will be shared with the site directors who will reach out directly to the students for that site. Students will receive information traveling to campus and other logistics at that time.
Students should bring a photo ID and should provide their own straight edge and compass if they would like to use one. Students will not be allowed to have any communication device in the testing room, and will not be allowed to carry paper in or out of the testing room. The site directors will all provide paper, pencils and water bottles for the competition itself, and each site is organizing its own activities/food/snacks beyond these bare essentials. The site director will communicate other details directly.
The sites have been chosen so that 95% of students will be within 120 miles of their assigned site; however, we recognize that this leaves a significant number of students who may be further away. Thanks to our sponsor (Jane Street) we will be able to provide some funds for an overnight hotel stay on Saturday or even an airplane ticket in extreme circumstances. The initial invitation to USAMO / USAJMO qualifiers will include information on how to apply for these funds.
No. The selection process for USAMO/USAJMO qualifiers will remain the same. The rules, including permitted materials, remain unchanged, and each site has agreed to maintain the standard testing guidelines.
The USAMO and USAJMO must be taken on the scheduled competition dates of March 21 and 22, 2026. All sites will be taking the competition synchronously between 1 and 5:30 pm ET on each of the two competition days. Administering the competitions on the same dates at all official competition sites is essential to maintaining fairness and protecting the integrity of the exams. There are no alternate dates or make-up administrations, and no exceptions will be made for those who are unable to participate at the appointed date, time, and location.
About 3 -4 weeks after the USAMO and USAJMO, you will be able to see your score in your student portal. Note that the AMC does not return your USAMO and USAJMO papers to you.