AIME Compared to AMC 12
The AIME is the next step after the AMC 12 in the American Mathematics Competitions series. While they cover similar topics, their format and difficulty create very different experiences.
AIME vs. AMC 12
| AIME | AMC 12 | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Identify students with exceptional mathematical ability for Olympiad qualification. | A broad-participation contest to promote interest and identify talent. |
| Format | 15 free-response questions. | 25 multiple-choice questions. |
| Answers | Integers from 0 to 999. | Five choices (A-E). |
| Scoring | 1 point per correct answer, 0 for incorrect/blank. | 6 points for correct, 1.5 for blank, 0 for incorrect. |
| Time Pressure | 12 minutes per problem on average; depth over speed. | 3 minutes per problem on average; speed is a factor. |
| Calculator Use | Not permitted. | Not permitted. |
Which Mindset to Adopt
The AMC 12 rewards broad knowledge and quick thinking, allowing students to use process of elimination and strategic guessing. The AIME, in contrast, demands deeper, more rigorous thinking. A single AIME problem may require more time and ingenuity than several AMC problems combined. Success on the AIME depends less on speed and more on the patience to explore a problem thoroughly and the precision to execute a complex solution without error.