Things you did not know about Math Competition

Posted by James Cooper on November 18th, 2019

There is a certain level of anxiety and excitement in appearing for high school competitions. It gives you a broader perspective about the subject and also enlarges your horizon to look at it. Competitive exams, as much exciting as they are, do tend to take in a lot of effort and time on the part of the students. 

For many, it’s a dream to achieve, and for others, it’s just any other competition. Well, indeed, in any way, it is quite fruitful for the growth of your mind. The American math competition is a series of contests which are quite famous for their elaborate program and syllabus. There are a lot of benefits and rewards for cracking it. Well, there are certain things that you need to know about math competitions if you want to ace it:

1.   Don’t Expect the same old school – A math competition is quite different in term of its syllabus in comparison to your graduate level. It’s not just about mathematical learning or straightforward calculations but pure mathematics. It’s more about individual solving, experimenting and pushing your limits. 

2. Application of Mathematical Theories – This is perhaps the reason why most of the students deem these competitions as boring. It has a lot to do with applying literature and using techniques to unravel the answers. It’s much lengthier and requires you to be patient. 

3. Three Levels– Yes, you heard that right. There are usually three levels that you need to cross in an American math competition. Students are given grades according to their performance. If you perform well on the AMC 10 or AMC 12, then you are invited to the American Invitational Mathematical Examination (AIME). Students who ace in the AIME, then are invited to participate in the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO). 

4. Benefits and Rewards – There are a lot of awards and worldwide recognition which is given to the students. A participation certificate is given, and there are different benefits for clearing different levels. After making the AMC 8 or AMC 10, you get a certificate of honour, a gold, silver or bronze for outstanding achievement. But most importantly, a list of these students is given to the best universities, who want to take in students that are bright in academics. 

Well, these were certain things that will help you know more about the math competitions and so that you can make an informed decision.