Build the reasoning skills the AMC 8 actually tests. AI-guided practice on competition-style problems, plus access to every past AMC 8 problem from 1985 to today.
The AMC 8 (American Mathematics Competition 8) is a 25-question, 40-minute multiple-choice math competition for middle school students. It is open to any student in grade 8 or below who is under 14.5 years old on the competition day. The test is administered every January by the Mathematical Association of America (MAA), the same organization that runs AMC 10, AMC 12, AIME, and USAMO. The AMC 8 is the entry point to the entire US math olympiad pipeline.
The test format: 25 problems, multiple choice with 5 answer choices (A-E), 40 minutes total. Each correct answer is worth 1 point; there is no penalty for wrong answers or blank answers (this is a recent change — pre-2002 AMC 8s had a small wrong-answer penalty). So the rational strategy is to answer every question, even if you have to guess. Calculators are not permitted.
The AMC 8 problems test the standard middle school math curriculum (arithmetic, number theory, basic algebra, geometry, counting and probability, logic) but emphasize creative reasoning over procedural fluency. Problems 1-15 are roughly grade-level — a strong 7th grader should handle them. Problems 16-20 require deeper middle school understanding. Problems 21-25 require olympiad-style insight that most middle schoolers will not have seen in their school curriculum, and these are where the test separates competitive scorers from casual takers.
The AMC 8 traces its history back to 1985, when the Mathematical Association of America launched a new competition for middle school students. Originally called the American Junior High School Mathematics Examination (AJHSME), it was created as a feeder competition for the older AHSME (American High School Mathematics Examination), which had been running since 1950. The first AJHSME drew approximately 30,000 student participants from across the United States.
The competition was renamed AMC 8 in 2000 as part of a broader reorganization of MAA competitions: the AHSME was split into AMC 10 (grades 9-10) and AMC 12 (grades 11-12), and the AJHSME was renamed AMC 8 to align with the new naming convention. Today the AMC 8 draws over 150,000 student participants annually from more than 5,500 schools across the United States, plus international participants in countries that have arrangements with the MAA.
The AMC 8 has produced an impressive roster of alumni who later became distinguished mathematicians, scientists, and competitors. Many US International Math Olympiad (IMO) gold medalists first competed at the AMC 8 level in grades 6-8, including Reid Barton (only person to win 4 gold medals at the IMO), Evan Chen (now a popular AoPS author), and numerous Putnam Fellows. Terence Tao — Fields Medalist and one of the most accomplished mathematicians of the 21st century — competed in equivalent middle school competitions in Australia and won a bronze medal at the IMO at age 10.
The cultural importance of the AMC 8 has grown significantly in recent years. For families targeting elite US college admissions in STEM (MIT, Caltech, Harvard, Stanford, CMU), strong AMC 8 results in grades 6-8 are now seen as an early signal of mathematical talent — followed up by AMC 10/12 in high school, AIME qualification, and ideally USAMO selection. AMC 8 prep has accordingly become a $100M+ industry in the United States, with major training companies including the Art of Problem Solving (AoPS), AlphaStar Academy, Areteem Institute, Think Academy, and Russian School of Mathematics (covered on our Russian Math page).
Start in grade 5 or 6, not grade 8. The reasoning skills the AMC 8 tests are built over years, not weeks. Students who start AMC 8 prep in grade 5 or 6 routinely outperform classmates who start in grade 8. If your child is younger, gentler competitions like Math Kangaroo (grades 1-12) and MOEMS (grades 4-8) build the same problem-solving muscles with less pressure.
Use past AMC 8 problems as your main study material. Every AMC 8 from 1985 to last year is freely available on the MAA website and on the Art of Problem Solving (AoPS) Wiki. The AoPS Wiki version is especially valuable because it includes student-submitted solutions with multiple approaches and explanations. Work through one past test per week — untimed first for understanding, then timed at 40 minutes to simulate test conditions.
Master the core content categories. AMC 8 problems cluster into about six categories: arithmetic and number theory (~30%), algebra and word problems (~25%), geometry (~25%), counting and probability (~15%), and logic puzzles (~5%). A strong AMC 8 student is comfortable in all six. The AoPS textbook series — particularly Introduction to Counting & Probability and Introduction to Geometry — is the standard reference.
Develop competition speed. The AMC 8 gives you about 1.6 minutes per question. Students who can solve problems but not within the time limit benefit from timed mini-sessions (10 problems in 16 minutes) rather than full practice tests. Speed comes from familiarity with common problem patterns, not from rushing.
Pair AMC 8 prep with broader enrichment. Russian-Math-style reasoning practice (see our Russian Math page), Singapore Math bar modeling (Singapore Math), and even Vedic Math for arithmetic speed (Vedic Math) all strengthen different sub-skills the AMC 8 indirectly tests. Many top AMC 8 scorers have spent years on at least one of these enrichment programs.
Consider cost. AoPS Online AMC 8 prep courses cost $400-700 for a 12-week course. AlphaStar and Areteem charge similar amounts. Private tutoring runs $60-150/hour. iMasterly offers AMC 8 problem practice as part of a $5/month subscription that also includes Russian Math, Singapore Math, Vedic Math, Abacus, the standard K-8 curriculum, and 30 state test prep modules. iMasterly is not a replacement for AoPS at the highest competitive levels, but it is a strong daily-practice complement at a fraction of the cost.
The AMC 8 (American Mathematics Competition 8) is a 25-question, 40-minute multiple-choice math competition for middle school students in grades 6, 7, and 8 (or younger, as long as the student is under 14.5 years old on the day of the competition). It is administered each January by the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) and is the entry point to the US olympiad math track: AMC 8 → AMC 10/12 → AIME → USAMO/USAJMO → MOP → International Math Olympiad team selection.
The AMC 8 is administered each year in mid-to-late January over a one-week window. The exact dates vary by year and by school — your child's school must register to administer the AMC 8 (it is not a public test you can take individually). The MAA publishes the official competition window each fall on their website. Score reports and certificates are released within 6-8 weeks after the competition.
The AMC 8 tests problem-solving across the standard middle school math curriculum: arithmetic, number theory, geometry, algebra basics, counting and probability, and logic. But the format rewards reasoning rather than memorization — most problems can be solved with a single creative insight, and the hardest problems require recognizing structures middle schoolers do not see in their school curriculum. Problems 1-15 are roughly grade-level; problems 16-20 require strong middle school math; problems 21-25 require olympiad-style insight.
There is no qualification — any student in grade 8 or below (under age 14.5 on competition day) can take the AMC 8, as long as their school registers to administer it. Many schools register automatically; if your school does not, you can ask the math department to register, or take the AMC 8 at a nearby school that does. Some homeschool co-ops and public libraries also administer it.
The AMC 8 is scored out of 25. The mean score in recent years has been around 10-11. The Honor Roll cutoff (top 5% of all takers) is typically around 18-19, and the Distinguished Honor Roll cutoff (top 1%) is typically 22-23. A perfect score of 25 is rare — usually fewer than 100 students in the United States achieve it each year. For students aiming at the competition track, a score of 20+ in grade 6, 22+ in grade 7, or 23+ in grade 8 is considered a strong signal.
Most successful AMC 8 competitors begin serious preparation in grade 5 or 6 — about 1-2 years before their first attempt. Earlier preparation (grades 3-4) using gentler competitions like Math Kangaroo and MOEMS builds the foundation. Last-minute prep in the few months before the test can help with familiarity but rarely produces dramatic score improvement. The reasoning skills the AMC 8 tests take years to develop.
The two essential resources are (1) past AMC 8 problems, available free from the MAA website and the Art of Problem Solving (AoPS) Wiki — there are over 800 past problems going back to 1985; and (2) the AoPS textbook "Introduction to Counting & Probability" and similar foundational AoPS books. Beyond those, structured prep options include AoPS Online courses (gold standard, $400-700 per 12-week course), private tutoring with an AMC 8 specialist ($60-150/hour), or platforms like iMasterly that include olympiad-style problem practice. The most important thing is consistent practice — 30 minutes a day for a year beats 4 hours a day for a month.
AMC 8 (grade 8 and below) is the entry point. Students who score well typically move to AMC 10 (grades 9-10) and AMC 12 (grades 11-12) in November of the following years. Top AMC 10/12 scorers qualify for AIME (American Invitational Math Examination), a 15-question free-response test. Top AIME scorers qualify for USAMO or USAJMO (USA Mathematical Olympiad or Junior version) — a multi-day proof-writing test. The top 30 USAMO finishers are invited to MOP (Math Olympiad Summer Program), which selects the six-student US team for the International Math Olympiad (IMO).
Both are math competitions for middle schoolers, but they have very different feels. AMC 8 is focused on competition-track US students — it is shorter (40 min vs. 75 min), harder on average, and emphasizes classical math (geometry, number theory, combinatorics). Math Kangaroo is global, friendlier, and serves grades 1-12 — its problems often have whimsical setups and the test is designed to be enjoyable. Many serious students take both. See our full breakdown on the [Math Olympiad Prep](/math-olympiad-prep) page.
AI-guided practice on past AMC 8 problems plus competition-style enrichment. For grades 6-8.
Start AMC 8 Prep Free