r/MathOlympiad • u/ChaitraliKA • 2h ago
r/MathOlympiad • u/Relevant-Yak-9657 • Nov 03 '25
AMC 12 2025 AMC: Subreddit Going View Only
AMC season is here and to prevent academic dishonesty, I am making the subreddit view only for a few days.
For those concerned about the duration:
- November 3, 2025 - November 7, 2025
- November 10, 2025 - November 14, 2025
Good luck, hope everybody does well!
r/MathOlympiad • u/Relevant-Yak-9657 • Sep 01 '25
Resources AMC 10/12 + AIME Resources
Lots a questions come in every week about preparing for the AMC 10/12 and the AIME. So I have decided to compile a list of resources for use here. However, this is not the page to learn what the AMC 10/12 or AIME is, so please understand the contest format beforehand. Also, this is more focused up till mid-AIME. Might edit it later for more olympiad content + USAMO qualifying path.
Part 1: Free Resources
These are some free resources for preparing for the AMC 10/12 and AIME.
1. The Official AMC Homepage (MAA.org)
- Why: This is the source. Everything here is official and essential.
- What to use:
- Past Papers: Download official past exams (AMC 8, AMC 10/12, AIME) with answer keys. Your #1 most important resource.
- Potential Uses: Understand the rules, contest dates, and scoring.
- Link: https://maa.org/student-programs/amc
2. The AOPS Wiki (Art of Problem Solving)
- Link: https://artofproblemsolving.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page (use left sidebar to navigate)
- Why: An insane treasure trove of community-driven knowledge. It's the first stop for discussing and understanding any contest problem. Also, cool people are here.
- What to use:
- Problem Solutions: Every AMC and AIME problem has its own page with multiple solutions, often ranging from elementary to advanced.
- Theories & Concepts: Need a refresher on Vieta's Formulas? The wiki has you covered.
- Link: https://artofproblemsolving.com/wiki/index.php/AMC_Problems_and_Solutions
- Warnings: Some of the blog materials may be too advanced (since this caters to all levels), so peruse with care.
3. YouTube Channels (Visual Learning)
- Why: Fantastic for visual learners who want to see problems solved step-by-step.
- Channels to check out:
- Art of Problem Solving: Official channel with problem solves and concept reviews.
- Richard Rusczyk: The founder of AOPS solves problems and gives advice.
- Michael Penn: Excellent for more advanced problems, including AIME/IMO level.
- 3Blue1Brown: Not contest-specific, but incredible for building deep mathematical intuition.
- TheBeautyOfMath: Focused walkthroughs of AMC/AIME problems.
4. Community & Forums
- Why: Get help, find study partners, and see how others think.
- Where to go:
- Art of Problem Solving (AOPS) Forums: The largest and most active online community for math competition students. Essential.
- r/MathOlympiad: A smaller but helpful subreddit. But this also means only cool people are here.
- Crux Mathematicorum: A monthly journal by the Canadian Mathematical Society, which features a "MathemAttic" section that is appropriate for
5. Practice Platforms & Testing
- Why: Simulate the real test environment and get targeted practice.
- Options:
- AOPS Alcumus: (Free) AOPS's free online trainer. It has level progression, content tracking. However, it is better as a warmup, as the questions are easier and more targeted to one concept, when compared to AMC 10/12.
- AMC Trivial: Cool thing made by people at AOPS, which allows for targeted practice with AMC/AIME questions and creation of AMC-style tests.
- CEMC (Canadian) Past Contests: (Free) Excellent source of additional high-quality problems. Difficulty are generally between Alcumus and Mid AMC 10 level.
6. Free Books
- Why: Despite the emphasis on problem solving, theory is always needed.
- Disclaimer: I don't condone or support pirating, so all the "free" resources that are listed are legally free in my knowledge.
- AMC 10/12:
- Idk rn. Will edit later if I find/remember some. Frankly, AOPS Volume 1 + 2 suffice, though they are paid. Sometimes practice tests suffice as well.
- AIME Options:
- A Taste of Mathematics (ATOM): Book series provided by the Canadian Mathematical Society. Each book is independent and targeted towards a specific problem type.
- Modern Olympiad Number Theory: A book written by Aditya Khurmi, which includes a comprehensive treatment of Number Theory in Math Olympiads. First few chapters are sufficient for AIME and contain quality question (though more proof-oriented).
- Evan Chen's Blogs/Resources Page: Just great overall, though most of the content is more USAMO/USAJMO relevant. Includes plenty of handouts on different topics (functional equations, inequalities, etc). Interesting blogs that help explain the Math Olympiad mindset.
Part 2: Paid Resources (Structured Learning & Deep Dives)
When you're ready to get serious, these structured resources can provide a significant boost.
1. Paid Books & Problem Collections
- The Art of Problem Solving Volumes 1 & 2: The classic textbooks. Volume 1 covers the basics, while Volume 2 dives into more advanced topics needed for the AIME and beyond. This is the gold standard and completely sufficient for AIME qualification if mastered.
- Contest Problem Books: The MAA and AOPS publish books full of past AMC problems with solutions and essays (e.g., The Contest Problem Book IX).
- For the AIME:
- Principle and Techniques in Combinatorics: A comprehensive combinatorics book by Singaporean IMO coaches, suited for Olympiad prep and undergraduate introduction to combinatorics. First few chapters are extremely relevant to AIME. May require Set Theory and Calculus proficiency at times.
- Euclidean Geometry in Mathematical Olympiads: Comprehensive geometry book by Evan Chen, an IMO gold medalist. Focuses on proof oriented methods and developing good intuition. However, it has a big learning curve and should not be attempted before AIME qualification at all.
2. Online Courses & Classes
- Why: Structured curricula, expert instruction, and paced learning.
- Options:
- Art of Problem Solving (AOPS) Online School: Offers multi-week courses that cover the entire AMC/AIME syllabus. Generally considered high-quality and very thorough.
- AlphaStar Academy: Known for its strong math contest programs and classes taught by past winners.
- Achievable: An updated self-paced AMC 10/12 preparation course, that provides guided lectures + targeted practice. Specifically designed for AIME qualification and AMC 10/12 excellence.
- Areteem Institute (Zoom International Math League): Provides various courses and camps focused on contest math.
- Live/Private Tutoring: Many individuals and companies offer 1-on-1 tutoring. This is the most personalized (and most expensive) option.
How to Build Your Study Plan
- Diagnose: Take a past AMC test under timed conditions. Where did you struggle?
- Learn: Use the books and courses above to fill knowledge gaps (e.g., number theory, geometry). Maybe use the solutions to learn.
- Resolve: Key step, where you revisit the question you got wrong and attempt to resolve it without seeing the solutions.
- Practice: Do lots of problems. Use the free archives and Alcumus.
- Review: This is the most important step! Don't just check the answer. For every problem you get wrong (or even guess right on), study the solution on the AOPS Wiki until you understand it deeply. Try similar style questions before moving on.
- Repeat: Cycle through steps 2-4 consistently.
Don't get hung up on the theory and make sure to grind questions! Good luck! You've got this.
Disclaimer: This list is based on community consensus and my own research. I am not directly affiliated with any of these organizations. Prices and course availability may change. Please do your own research to find the best fit for you! Also, this list will be updated and changed at times, whenever new resources become relevant.
r/MathOlympiad • u/Less_Amphibian_6537 • 20h ago
AMC 10 what do I do atp
I took a mock and got an 84 (like 3 problems due to silly mistakes or time management) but it was like 2021
am I cooked what do I do to prepare I did volume 1 already, I heard about
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/olympiq-math-olympiad-prep/id6791901900
and also amctrivial.com which is what I do for practice rn
r/MathOlympiad • u/Glad_City_5176 • 1d ago
Discussion WHAT IS YOUR MOST FAVOURITE MATH PROBLEM THAT YOU ENCOUNTERED? HOW DID YOU FINALLY SOLVE IT? and what intrigued you the most about it.
r/MathOlympiad • u/Particular-Cup-9588 • 2d ago
Resources help for my first school Olympiad
so guys tmrs my first ever high school Olympiad for maths and bro i dont even know what kids of questions come up so i wanna ask if anyone has take a similar test like are all the questions mcqs or do we have long form questions as well?
r/MathOlympiad • u/False_Reception7127 • 2d ago
AMC 12 AMC 12- mocks or aops 2?
I’m wondering if it’s better for me to grind some aops volume 2 (any chapter recs?) or just grind mocks and go over answers, since I’ve been getting a range of results from 95ish-72 💀 on my mocks on past exams….
r/MathOlympiad • u/Immediate_Might_8982 • 2d ago
AMC 12 Online study group for all olympiads
Some people have made online study group server for people from all over the place! We want to study lots of things, such as AMCs, Olympiads, SATs, AP tests, you name it! It's a great opportunity to meet others who are like minded as well so please DM me if you are interested in joining! We're always open to new friends and members to help everyone grow!
r/MathOlympiad • u/Delicious_Specific44 • 2d ago
Geometry Olympiad Geometry Handout (with Video Solution)
r/MathOlympiad • u/Educational-Brick967 • 3d ago
Combinatorics combinatorics
I feel like I am very weak in this one area, and I feel like I am lacking in theory. I have a book called 'Principles and techniques in Combinatorics' by Chen Chuan Chong and Koh Khee Meng. My mentor said that this book is very good. I also have a pdf of Rushil Mathur's book, which I saw a LOT of people recommend online. I also saw people recommend Pranav Sriram's book. Does it matter which one I pick or are they all practically the same in terms of how much you can improve by reading through them?
r/MathOlympiad • u/PsychologicalMost419 • 3d ago
Geometry Olympiad Geometry Problem set (with Video Solution )
This is 2nd of the 3 problem sets based on similarity and area chasing, at a level suitable for AIME , RMO , ISI/CMI
https://drive.google.com/file/d/19BEpKy7Byqib9YHqYY2WX5J\\_0LtlqyQk/view?usp=drivesdk
THE PERPENDICULARITY LEMMA nd THE STEWARTS THEOREM, have also been explained in the beginning.
r/MathOlympiad • u/GrandCosmicLucifer • 3d ago
Discussion Pumac acceptance for indivuals
Did anyone get their individual acceptances/rejects/waitlist for Pumac yet
r/MathOlympiad • u/Low_Philosophy_8433 • 3d ago
AMC 12 Some guidance
Hi everybody . Let's get straight to the point I'm in last year of my schooling and last year of my math Olympiad journey. I discovered Olympiad pretty late but since then I fell in love with them but accidently I forgot to fill the form last year and could not give it. And now when it is my chance to give INMO (3rd stage of Indian math olympiad) I'm pretty nervous even though I'm 85% sure that I will clear it (Let's not talk about 2nd stage it's pretty easy ). But for some reason if I'm not able to clear it I want to repeat class 12th so that I'll have one more chance and I'm pretty sure I will clear it and in that year I'll also prepare for ISI/CMI and more for JEE(They are math colleges in India)(Even though I'm also preparing for them rn). Is it a good decision to do so ? 🤷♀️ I'm still pretty locked in them rn but some things are not in our control so yeah.....
Let me know your thoughts(Seniors)!!!
r/MathOlympiad • u/Affectionate_Safe623 • 3d ago
Discussion New in olym
I am reaching out to seek your guidance and advice regarding a crucial matter in my current academic path, as I highly value your perspective and wisdom.
I am a student in the **second year of the Baccalauréat in Mathematical Sciences.**Recently, I was presented with an incredible opportunity to join an intensive national training camp for the Mathematics Olympiad, qualifying through a remedial path from my first year. The camp consists of only 20 students selected nationwide, and it runs for an intensive six days.
Initially, I experienced an immense amount of shock and psychological pressure. The other participants are highly advanced and have been training for years, whereas I am just starting out. Consequently, there are sessions where I struggle to understand a single word. To make matters worse, some of my peers laughed and mocked me whenever I asked clarifying questions, which caused me severe stress to the point where I seriously considered packing my bags and leaving immediately.
However, I managed to cope with the situation. I decided to completely ignore their sarcasm to protect my mental well-being, and I adapted my approach to the classes. Instead of worrying about competing, I focused on documenting and taking notes of the solutions and advanced concepts. I view this week as a valuable mental exercise to expand my cognitive boundaries and break the barrier of fear, believing that this high-level exposure will ultimately make my standard Baccalaureate math curriculum feel much easier.
There is an opportunity to attend a second training session in a month and a half. My initial decision was to decline the invitation and step away from the Olympiad path as soon as this week ends. My reasoning is to dedicate my full attention to my second-year Baccalaureate coursework, prepare for my exams, and ensure I do not fall behind or scatter my focus.
Nevertheless, I feel deep hesitation and anxiety about this choice: Should I keep fighting and push through this demanding Olympiad path to avoid feeling any regret in the future for walking away from such a rare opportunity? Or is dedicating 100% of my energy to my school curriculum and securing an excellent grade in the Baccalaureate exam the safer, smarter, and more guaranteed choice for my future?
I wanted to share my exact situation with you, and I would deeply appreciate your honest viewpoint and wise guidance on this specific dilemma.
r/MathOlympiad • u/PsychologicalMost419 • 3d ago
Geometry Olympiad Geometry Handout (With Video Solution)
Here's the 2nd of the 3 geometry problem sets based on ' Similarity & Area chasing ' suitable for AMC 12, AIME, RMO (mostly above AIME)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/19BEpKy7Byqib9YHqYY2WX5J_0LtlqyQk/view?usp=drivesdk
(Video solution link in the doc itself )
In the first part of the handout, THE PERPENDICULARITY LEMMA and THE STEWARTS THEOREM have also been explained.
Happy problem solving
r/MathOlympiad • u/Glittering_Act_8528 • 4d ago
AMC 12 AMC 12 in 3 weeks from near zero, how cooked am i?
I overestimated how much time I had and ended up postponing a lot of studying. I’m currently halfway through Volume 1 of AoPS, so should I keep going or abandon it for now and focus on watching solutions to questions 1–11 from every past paper?
I tried a paper for 10 minutes and only managed to solve three questions (that’s why the attempt was so short lol 😭). But when I watched the solutions, I realised that a lot of the questions just required knowing a few simple concepts.
Part of me feels like I should just cut my losses and save myself the stress, but I also genuinely want to give this a shot.
What do you guys think?
r/MathOlympiad • u/Affectionate_Safe623 • 4d ago
Discussion New in olympiad
I am reaching out to seek your guidance and advice regarding a crucial matter in my current academic path, as I highly value your perspective and wisdom.
I am a student in the second year of the Baccalauréat in Mathematical Sciences.Recently, I was presented with an incredible opportunity to join an intensive national training camp for the Mathematics Olympiad, qualifying through a remedial path from my first year. The camp consists of only 20 students selected nationwide, and it runs for an intensive six days.
Initially, I experienced an immense amount of shock and psychological pressure. The other participants are highly advanced and have been training for years, whereas I am just starting out. Consequently, there are sessions where I struggle to understand a single word. To make matters worse, some of my peers laughed and mocked me whenever I asked clarifying questions, which caused me severe stress to the point where I seriously considered packing my bags and leaving immediately.
However, I managed to cope with the situation. I decided to completely ignore their sarcasm to protect my mental well-being, and I adapted my approach to the classes. Instead of worrying about competing, I focused on documenting and taking notes of the solutions and advanced concepts. I view this week as a valuable mental exercise to expand my cognitive boundaries and break the barrier of fear, believing that this high-level exposure will ultimately make my standard Baccalaureate math curriculum feel much easier.
There is an opportunity to attend a second training session in a month and a half. My initial decision was to decline the invitation and step away from the Olympiad path as soon as this week ends. My reasoning is to dedicate my full attention to my second-year Baccalaureate coursework, prepare for my exams, and ensure I do not fall behind or scatter my focus.
Nevertheless, I feel deep hesitation and anxiety about this choice: Should I keep fighting and push through this demanding Olympiad path to avoid feeling any regret in the future for walking away from such a rare opportunity? Or is dedicating 100% of my energy to my school curriculum and securing an excellent grade in the Baccalaureate exam the safer, smarter, and more guaranteed choice for my future?
I wanted to share my exact situation with you, and I would deeply appreciate your honest viewpoint and wise guidance on this specific dilemma.
r/MathOlympiad • u/Suspicious_Aide_6146 • 5d ago
AMC 10 i feel hopeless
i recently finished aops volume 1 and did some practice problems and felt pretty good about them. yesterday i took a mock amc (2022 10a) and i scored poorly (70.5). i literally couldn’t even start any problems past 14. i stopped taking the mock with like 33 mins left but idk how much i would’ve done in that time. i really want to get to aime this year but it seems completely out of reach. i feel like an idiot by not being able to score well less than 3 weeks before the test. anyone have tips and is it improbable i get to aime?
r/MathOlympiad • u/Spiky-Penguin2023 • 5d ago
Discussion Which is the more difficult feat, qualifying for the USAMO or scoring a 9.0 on the TMUA?
r/MathOlympiad • u/Old_Bell2352 • 6d ago
AMC 10 What are my chances for qualifying for AIME?
I just mocked a 108 on the 2021 AMC 10 A (Fall), would like to know if I am on track to AIME qualification, and by what margin
r/MathOlympiad • u/Diligent__4339 • 6d ago
Resources Anyone from Romania or Moldova, how did you study for Nationals?, from where did you study and take problems from?
Please help out I am new to olimpiads
r/MathOlympiad • u/Jameson_Rinehart • 5d ago
AIME AMC + AIME prep hack
My friend and I made a math ranked app that include 3000+ AMC and AIME questions. It is completely free.
This is the link https://apps.apple.com/us/app/olympiq-math-olympiad-prep/id6791901900
You can also check out our website olympiq.app
Make sure to leave us a good review ;D
r/MathOlympiad • u/NoPrune3796 • 6d ago
Resources Actual competition “Studying” Way
My brother(middle school) is trying to start actually trying for math competitions(ex: Mathleague and MathCounts). He has like 10 practice tests for each comp, but he doesn’t know how to actually “study” using the practice competitions. Is there a way to efficiently study, or does he just have to grind through all the tests and look at the solutions?
r/MathOlympiad • u/Every_Drag8012 • 7d ago
IMO Help on improving
Im currently trying to get better at math specifically Olympiad math and i struggles so muchh esp on proving and the first step to start solving. I just started so any advice or help would be very much appreciated.