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Mathematical Association of America -- American Mathematics Competitions

AMC 12

Esoterica

AMC 12      2010 HS Directory     Esoterica     Current Brochure     Registration     Administration     Homeschool Admin.     Regions     Archive     Sliffe Awards
2010 Date:

For the 2009-2010 school year there will be two official dates on which the contest may be taken: Contest 12A on Tuesday, February 10, 2010 and Contest 12B on Wednesday, February 25, 2010.

Administration on an earlier date is NEVER permitted and will lead to disqualification. Such an administration would jeopardize the validity of all scores from other participating schools.

Official Administration
The AMC 10-A/AMC 12-A will be given officially on Tuesday , February 10 , 2010 . The AMC 10-B/AMC 12-B will be given officially on Wednesday , February 25 , 2010 . Only official participants, their school and their teacher are eligible for National Awards. In addition, official participants are eligible for all intramural awards and for participation in the AIME. Unofficial Administration If you are unable to give Contest A on Tuesday , February 10 , 2010 because:

  1. your school is closed,
  2. your school has an academic conflict,
  3. the class periods have been shortened due to an assembly or other reason,

then you may give the second version of the contests (AMC 10-B/AMC 12-B) on the second official day, Wednesday , February 25 , 2010 (See Contest B Registration Form on page 13). You may still take either exam unofficially on later dates, but those contests will not be eligible for state and national awards and will not be eligible for participation in the AIME. Unofficial participants are still eligible for intramural awards.

It is important to note that the only days eligible for official participation are the two official Contest days: February 10 , and February 25 , 2010 .

2010 Date: For the next school year the plans are to tentatively continue to offer two official dates on which the contest may be taken: Contest 10A on Tuesday , February 9 2010 and Contest 10B on Wednesday , February 24 , 2010 .
Began: 1950 (as the American High School Mathematics Examination). The name was changed in 2000 when we began the American Mathematics Contest 10.
Number of Questions: 25, 6 points each, 150 possible points
Time Allowed: 75 minutes
Type of Exam: Multiple choice
Date Offered:

Two dates, two weeks apart, (a Tuesday and Wednesday) a week on either side of Presidents' Day, in February

For 2009-2010 :

  • Contest 10A on Tuesday, February 10, 2010 and
  • Contest 10B on Wednesday, February 25, 2010.
Scored: Centrally, at the office of the AMC, Lincoln, Nebraska
Grading:

6 points for each correct answer plus 1.5 points for each number unanswered
Maximum Score:

150 points (25 questions, 6 points each)

The AMC 10/AMC 12 has a scoring system which has important consequences for guessing. Unless you are fairly sure of the answer, it is better to leave a question unanswered than to guess. Six points are given for a correct answer, 1.5 points for a blank answer and 0 points for an incorrect answer. If a student can reduce the problem to three possible answers, it is advantageous to guess one of the three possible answers. If a student can only reduce to 4 possible answers by eliminating 1 of the possibilities, then it is not advantageous to guess.

Purpose: To identify and encourage, through friendly competition, students with an interest in and talent for mathematical problem solving.
Material covered: Secondary school mathematics excluding calculus. The problems range from easy to extremely difficult.
Teachers Manual: To see more detailed information on the latest AMC 12 contest rules and guide lines check in the current AMC 10/AMC 12 Teachers' Manual which is included with the contests, answer forms, etc., sent to the teacher. It is also available through the Archives Page.
Registration:

Invitation Brochures for the AMC 12 are mailed to schools each fall. Canadian schools contact your Provincial Directors.

Registration/Standard Shipping, contest A only through December 15 $40
Registration/Expedited (2 day) Shipping Dec. 16 - Jan. 26 $50
Registration/Overnight Shipping - Contest A Jan. 27 - Feb. 3 $60
- Contest B           Jan. 27 - Feb. 18 $60
Cost of School Participation: Registration/Shipping Fee: $40 per school for the AMC 12 A (by December 15 ), and $50 for the AMC 12B (by January 26 ). Check here for the 2010 AMC 10/12 brochure and Registration Information. In addition to the Registration/Shipping Fee there is a $16 per bundle charge (10 contests per bundle) for the AMC 12 contests. The minimum charge to participate in the AMC 12 is $55 (including the registration fee with standard shipping) and would enable 10 students to participate. One school can participate in both the AMC 10 and AMC 12 contests. The school would pay one registration fee, and add one bundle of AMC 10 contests and one bundle of AMC 12 contests. The cost would be $71 (including the registration fee with standard shipping for the A date) and would enable 20 students to participate. A student can not take both the 10 contest and the 12 contest on the same date. There are some overlapping problems on the contests given on the same day (A or B).
Examinations: AMC 12 contests cost $16 per bundle of 10. Minimum of one bundle required.
Eligibility: Any student that is in a program leading to a High School diploma, and under 19.5 years of age on the day of the contest.
If you have questions regarding the AMC 12 please contact your AMC 10/12 State Director
or the American Mathematics Competitions Director at: amcinfo@maa.org.