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.

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 Noon and 6:30 pm ET on each of two competition days.

USAMO and USAJMO Change of Venue Form:

The Change of Venue Form is located under “Competition Resources” on the dashboard of the AMC Platform. Only competition managers may fill out this form.

Qualifying students are automatically registered at the institution where they took the AIME. If the competition manager is unable to offer the USAMO/USAJMO or a student absolutely cannot take the USAMO/USAJMO 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.

    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 AIME and USAMO/USAJMO

    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.

    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 will be based on the USAMO index which is defined as AMC 12 Score plus 10 * AIME Score. Selection to the USAJMO will be based on the USAJMO index, which is defined as AMC 10 Score plus 10 * 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.

    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.

    Grading of the USAMO takes place approximately 10 days after the competition, with awarding thresholds posted on the website soon thereafter. About 2-3 weeks after the USAMO and USAJMO, Competition Managers will be able to find the USAMO and USAJMO solutions and student scores in the AMC Portal. Note that the AMC does not return your USAMO and USAJMO papers to you.

    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. 

    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 competition manager who has the materials to proctor the exam, and who will complete the “Change of Venue” form on their behalf. Students should reach out to schools near them, using last year’s Competitions Locations page as a resource.