<p>The hierarchy of high school mathematics exams:
SAT I Math
SAT II Math Level I
SAT II Math Level II
AMC12
AIME
USAMO
International Mathematics Olympiad (dam I want to get in sooo bad)</p>
<p>I’d actually put SAT I Math after SAT II Math Level II, because it seems to require a bit more “creativity,” while SAT II Math can be done after a few extra years of school math. I played Tetris on my calculator for the second half of SAT II Math, while SAT I was much more entertaining.</p>
<p>But then again, I hear otherwise from those around me.</p>
<p>The SAT I primarily tests skill, while the SAT II primarily tests knowledge. In that sense you might need more skill on the SAT I. </p>
<p>The problem is it’s still a low level of skill, and the knowledge requirement is minuscule. If you’ve taken Algebra I and you’re good at math, you should be able to get 700+ easily. The SAT II requires that you’ve taken at least Algebra II, and if you haven’t taken Pre-calc, you need to be very good to get a good score.</p>
<p>Yeah. AMC requires no mathematics above precalc (so theoretically, anyone with an 800 MATH IIC score COULD do the problems), but the problem is HOW to solve the stupid problems. They generally turn extremely easy after you figure out how to begin the problem. </p>
<p>However, precalc is up there in high school mathematics, and no math class will teach you random number properties. AoPS 1 is a good book for AMC/AIME. (Hasn’t gotten his hands on AoPS)</p>
<p>you know something…i’d say qualifying for AIME and getting an 800 on the SAT I math is probably around the same level…</p>
<p>getting like more than a 5 on the AIME…that’s where you def breakaway from the SAT I math 800 ranges…</p>
<p>but that’s just me…</p>
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<p>I actually think getting a perfect score on many of the AMCs was harder than getting a perfect score on many of the AIMEs. Reason being- the AMC is a lot less generous with time, and some of the last 5 problems can sometimes be more difficult than the last few AIME problems.</p>
<p>
This is not true. It is far more difficult to get to the AIME, whereas most people who are in, say, Calculus AB or higher get 800s on math. I know tons of people with 800s on math, and many of them did take the AMC, but only a few qualified to aime, and most were not even close to qualification.</p>
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<p>Some are easy once you figure out to begin, but many require complex insight the whole way through, especially towards the end.
Also, while AMC says that it has nothing above precalc, there are problems containing extremely complex geometry topics that is well above anything taught in a highschool Honors Geometry course. I suppose that geometry is technically before precalculus, but the geometry on the AMCs is in my opinion far more difficult to even understand than calculus.</p>
<p>edit: sorry for bump</p>
<p>Also, the only time you could even use calculus on AMC type problems is for finding the min/max value of something (which can also be done using AM-GM =/=) or finding the area of something…</p>
<p>[2011</a> AMC 10/12 Answers](<a href=“American Mathematics Competitions | Mathematical Association of America”>American Mathematics Competitions | Mathematical Association of America)</p>
<p>There shouldn’t even be a comparison with SAT math and AMC…
Standardized testing is very very stupid in the math sections…when MIT looks at your transcript, they won’t really think some 800 SAT math is impressive. That’s fool’s gold.
What they will look at is your 130+ AMC 10/12 score, your AIME score, and your USAMO qualification stuff. In fact, they’ll get to call you a ■■■■■■ if you score 790 on SAT I/II math, but they won’t when they look at stuff like, barely passing into AIME.</p>
<p>Someone on this thread said that the first few AIME problems are about as difficult as the hardest SAT I questions.
That is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve heard on these forums.</p>
<p>AIME is way more difficult than the hardest SAT problems. The first few are still fairly simple, but for me, they start getting tough around #8-9.</p>
<p>Compared to the AIME, SAT/SAT II is a joke. The hardest of those questions are comparable to maybe a #10 on the AMC10/12.</p>
<p>Anyone here doing woot?</p>
<p>I took WOOT in 2010-2011…which sucks because I didn’t even make USAMO that year 
I made it the year before</p>
<p>lol the hardest questions on the SAT (SAT I at least) are comparable to like the first 3 questions of the AMC. For the SAT II, maybe around the 5th question.</p>
<p>The AMC can be weird though; a question around 15 (like this year) can be really easy (especially on the 10)</p>
<p>Lol I don’t think it’s that bad. The hardest three SAT questions are probably comparable to #8-10 on an AMC.</p>
<p>the AMC starts at very low level, simple problems and works up to complex algebra and geometry. (the pattern is easiest first- hardest last) the AIME test is drastically harder, as is show by the 12 mins u get per problem.
For example, this problem was on the test last year:
N is an integer such that a sequence of 1000 consecutive integers begining with 1000*N contains no perfect squares. what is the smallest possible value of N?</p>
<p>that was the only one i got right (i was only an 8th grader). in case u were curious the answer is 282, i believe.</p>
<p>also, this site <a href=“http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/”>http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/</a> has archives of all the past tests.</p>
<p>What do you think of buying just one of the AoPS books? Should I buy the first one, or the second one, or would you really recommend buying both? I’m a junior with a strong (Chinese) mathematics background. I’d like to start preparing now, over the summer. I only got 89 this year without preparation, but I’d like to at least qualify for AIME next year.</p>