<p>I am a senior about to take the AMC 12 for the first time. I received a 5 on both AP Calc tests, AB in 10th grade and BC in 11th (as far as my school would let me advance). On old AMC 12s I am getting scores in the 120-125 range, though I have not 'mastered' the AMC topics. To prepare for the AIME would I be able to skip the Art of Problem Solving Volume I and move on to volume II or is Volume I necessary?</p>
<p>Wish I could help ya bro. I’d ask on the AOPS forum if I were you.</p>
<p>120-125 is definitely good enough to go on to volume 2. Skip volume 1, but if you’ve never had experience with competition math, you might want to study some basic combinatorics and number theory. </p>
<p>Word of warning, volume 2 is much harder than the first. It’s for high schoolers while the first is aimed at middle schoolers mostly.</p>
<p>Just do practice ones. And read Paul Zeitz’s “The Art and Craft of Proof”</p>
<p>Thank you, that sounds helpful. Practicing has helped me so much for the AMC. Probability and Series stuff that I didn’t understand become clear just from going through the problems and solutions. And AoPS has been a great resource online so I have a lot of faith in their books.</p>
<p>Yeah AoPS Volume 2 is really amazing, make sure you know polynomial equations, combinatorial inside out, I’d recommend geometry as well, but that’s a tough subject to learn and know, you’re aiming to get around 8-9 if you want to take the Olympiad, though I doubt you’re prepared to do that, but nonetheless it’s a fun experience, Here’s a link to do previous year;s AIMES AND solutions for them, 
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<p>AMC 12 Practices: [AMC</a> 12 Problems and Solutions - AoPSWiki](<a href=“http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Wiki/index.php/AMC_12_Problems_and_Solutions]AMC”>Art of Problem Solving)</p>
<p>For Aimes: [AIME</a> Problems and Solutions - AoPSWiki](<a href=“http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Wiki/index.php/AIME_Problems_and_Solutions]AIME”>Art of Problem Solving)</p>