<p>I'm a junior this year, I've been doing competitive math since summer of 2013. When I took the AMC 12B, I answered 16 questions, but later checked my answers and realized I got only 13 right, with 3 really stupid mistakes (2 involving misreads) making my score a 91.5, so I'm super nervous about my chances of making it to the AIME, since the last time the cutoff for B was that low was in 2010 (88.5). I've practiced so hard on the AMC past exams, getting 100+'s every time, but this was time was different, and I feel so bad. I did good on all my school exams and classes, but after this AMC I'm feeling like such a huge failure :(
Basically, to others who took the AMC 12b, what did you think about it? Do you think there is any decent chance of the cutoff being <91.5? I don't know, but the only chance that this test could have been as difficult as the one in 2010 was if a lot of people messed up the first half of the test due to careless errors. Missing qualification by a few points really stings. Also, is a 91.5 even worth putting on a college application? I love math, and consider it my 2nd best extracurricular. Will this score make me look bad?<br>
And how do I avoid feeling like a big failure for messing everything up so bad... I used to think that my academic abilities were pretty strong (3.7 gpa(3.9 w/only 10th, 11th), all a's in all ap's, 230+ psat)) ive never experienced such a terrible predicament like this before.
it feels like the world is turning upside down.. how will I pick myself up from something like this? I would never quit math, but this seems so difficutl, and I trained reall yhard too</p>
<p>@crtexxx
I’ve been through what you’re going through. On the AMC 10 2012, I messed up really bad. I was the favored winner for my “state” (not really because its just so small LOL), but epically failed the test and got a score even lower than what I got my sixth grade year. Anyways, it was a huge disappointment, but the best way to get over it is to learn. The AMC test is a really difficult test. I can practice on some tests and get a near perfect, but on certain days, I can barely get over a 90 on other tests. One 75 min period of solving 25 challenging questions will not affect you mathematical abilities, and it most certainly does not reflect your true mathematical abilities. Just pick yourself up and go look out for more math competitions! There are several out there you can do. Think of this test as a reminder that you need to work harder and become better. That’s what I did, and as a senior, I’ve achieved my best score on the AMC 12B this year! Just believe and work hard, and everything will follow after that</p>
<p>I’m sorry to disappoint you, but realistically, there is a zero chance of a cutoff less than 93. The B test was easier than the A this year (which had a 93.0 cutoff) and the cutoff for the B test is nearly always higher than the A test owing to the fact that fewer schools offer the B test. </p>
<p>Study hard for next year, and you’ll be fine. </p>
<p>I missed by 1 question on both the A and B dates. I can relate.
Math competitions are a sport, not a measure of innate ability. Without training, it’s tough to be good (unless you’re a natural, just like in any sport).</p>
<p>Wow, I just took the AMC 12B for the first time also, and my situation is almost EXACTLY the same as yours! I also failed, making even more careless errors than you did, if that makes you feel better. I’ve never done well on math contests, and since the AMC this year was my last chance to turn things around, I put a lot of dedication in the last two months into studying for it. Since we’re allowed to discuss the answers now, I’ll tell you about the dumb mistakes I made:</p>
<p>1) (C) 2) (C) 3) (E) 4) (B)
5) (no answer) I had the equation 2x+8=10x+6 instead of the desired 2x+10=10x+6 for each side of the window.
6) (D)
7) (C) I forgot the case for 15/(30-15)=1.
8) (B) I accidentally made the assumption that A and B were consecutive integers…
9) (B) 10) (D)
11) (D) I assumed that 8 appeared twice instead of three times.
12) (B)
13) (no answer)
14) (D) 15) (C) 16) (E) 17) (E)
18) (no answer)
19) (no answer)
20) (E) Forgot about the log domain…
And didn’t even get to the last five.</p>
<p>I felt like quitting on math too, but for me it’s the closest thing I have to a talent, so I think it’s still best to stick with it. I agree with some of the posters above that these sorts of contests are not truly tests of your mathematical ability, since the problems are all sort of arbitrary and are not encountered in actual math research. If you spent a long time preparing, the upside is that you definitely learned a lot from it. I know that I sure did.</p>
<p>thx to everyone for all the comments. It feels better seeing others like me who barely miss the cutoff. I’ve decided there’s no use in worrying about the cutoffs; the best thing to do is keep studying and enjoying math</p>