What is the best way to prepare for the AMC 12?

<p>Is this easier than AMC 10?
I hear many people here have high AMC scores. How do you guys prepare?
Has anyone heard of the book :
Art of Problem Solving Volume 1? Have you used this book?</p>

<p>AMC 12 has harder problems, but is easier to place for the AIME becuase they take the top 5% on the AMC 12 as opposed to the top 1% on the AMC 10.
As far as studying, I don't, but then again, I don't do so hot. My guess would be just doing math problems like the ones found in something like the Art of Problem Solving is good preparation.</p>

<p>I wouldn't be so quick to say that "many" people have high AMC scores here. I took the AMC 12 for the first time my senior year (the first time my school offered it), so MIT actually didn't even know about it when they admitted me. Sure, MIT has probably more AIME/IMO winners than most schools...but it's by no means a prerequisite to admission, let alone a guarantee of it.</p>

<p>If your son or daughter is interested in learning more about solving complex and tricky math problems, buying him or her a book on that subject would probably help; but don't push too much.</p>

<p>@ WorrieMom,
Art of Problem Solving Volume 1 and Volume 2 are great books. Volume 1 is adequate for AMC10 and AMC12. Volume 2 is very good for AIME. I bought the books for my kids. My D1, a high school senior, did AMC10 and 12 for a few years and did OK (AMC10 in 8th grade and AMC12 in high school). But I have to confess that D1 did not study that much at all for AMC.</p>

<p>to do well in AMC you sorta have to be used to problem solving problems... like not just the normal math hw problems. problem solving is using like simple concept to solve complex problems. There are old tests on AoPS which would definitely help (even though i never get around to doing any). I think , as long as you are used to thinking the problem solving ish way and learn to look for patterns in number, it's not that hard to get to AIME.</p>

<p>Doing old problems always helps also! </p>

<p>Sorry to hijack your thread, but anyone think the cutoff for AMC12 will be lower this year due to their new no-calculator policy?</p>

<p>I HOPE SO I GOT A 99 GRRRRRRRR lol</p>

<p>I heard a rumor that it will be lower. My school usually has like 10-20sh people take the AIME, this year there was only 2, and both only got 100.5, and I'd imagine the trend is pretty simliar nationwide. I hope they lower it cuz I got a 99 too, for the second year in a row ahhh.
and i know what i missed, and it was cuz of a stupid arithmetic error argghhhhhh. if they dont lower the cutoff, i almost wish i would have missed more than 1 so that I know I dindt miss the cut cuz of something stupid.</p>

<p>Is it possible to take both A and B test? My son's school doesn't pay for B. What should my son do? He wants to take B badly.</p>

<p>Go get Art of Problem Solving I and II. When you get really good and want to prepare for the USAMO, get Problem Solving Strategies by Arthur Engel. PSS and AoPS are also good for AIME practice. For both, just do a whole bunch of practice problems.</p>

<p>Thank you Domnu! But can someone answer my previous post please? Thanks again</p>

<p>I thought it wasn't bad. I did better than last year.
I think we have a frosh who got 150 on the 10
one or two 144 for the 12 and several 130s. </p>

<p>yes you can take both A and B for the AMC (but only one for the AIME) . if your sons school doesn't offer it, then he'll have to find a school that does. If he can't, then he can't take it.</p>

<p>There are probably other schools around yours which offer the B. I remember that my school didn't offer the A and I went over to another school to take it. Usually, they're pretty nice about it. But do anything in your possible power to get your son to take the A and B... this will improve his chances drastically. For example, if he's one point off qualification on the A, he can take the B and qualify. Best of luck!</p>

<p>Yeah.... I had a really stupid sign error that cost me one problem. The sad part: it was problem 6, an easy problem :-(. lol</p>

<p>Anyway, totally am signing my school up for B. If your school doesn't pay for it, you could just find a teacher to administer it and raise money - it costs $76 for 10 AMC 12s by mail, $66 if you register online, so if you find ten people to take it, that's <$8 each. You could have a fund raiser. That is what I am doing with my classmates who scored in the 90s and also want to retake the test.</p>

<p>My stupid mistake on the AMC 12 was living in Ohio, where it snows.</p>

<p>In terms of pure difficult, I think it was comparable to last year, possibly a bit easier. However, I personally thought that there was much more time pressure because problems that could have been done in a few seconds on the calculator took a minute or so to calculate by hand. In particular I remember the TV 1 involved a lot of arithmetic, then I got to the end and realized that my answer was not there so I had to go through all my work to find a stupid arithmetic error. That's at least a few minutes right there that would have not been wasted the year before.</p>

<p>I totally agree with that!
I didn't really get much time to do a lot of the calculations. I spend a significant amount of time to check my answer instead of thinking how to solve some harder problems. Because I am used to calculator now that I am doubting my arithmetic abilities.
the TV one is a lot easier if you just use a 3-4-5 Triangle.
I only had like time to do and double check 1- 18. luckily they are all right.
I don't get how people can get too all 25 problems and like still do them right without calculator.</p>

<p>The next day, we had a Power ARML party xP with pizza and all.</p>

<p>Good Luck on B!!!
I wish I get some time to study, but too busy with Robotics right now =|</p>

<p>some people just DO NOT make errors. that doesnt necessarily mean they are smarter though, becuase if they dont know how to solve the problem in the first place then it doesnt do them any good that they wont make ne careless errors. that being said, I have never met ne1 who was a "computing machine" who also not just very good at figuring out the problems as well.
It really is scary how perfect some peole are with their calculations. I don't care how well I know something, I am never 100% confident that I got everything right just becuase of stupid stuff. For example, the other day I had something like sqrt(n)=5, and for some stupid reason I said n=sqrt(5). Taht is, I meant to square and I squarooted, and I was going so fast that I didnt catch myself. I hate myself for it, especially when others just will never ever make mistakes like that. Its so frustrating!!!!!! argh!</p>

<p>If you are interested in getting into math competitions like AMC, you need to go to artofproblemsolving.com and sign up. The resources there are a must-have for any serious math people. Also, AOPS Volume 1 & 2 are very very helpful books. Most people who score well (like over 130's on AMC 12) have been doing math since they were young... so if you are thinking of trying to make USAMO in high school, it's kind of late. But, it is definitely possible with lots of effort.</p>

<p>To kind of get back to one of the original questions, I have to agree with ak-paul that having a good score on the AMC is by no means a prerequisite for getting into MIT. I mean, if your school offers the test, then do well on it, but I personally had never heard of the thing until I saw it on the application. The phrase "don't worry about this if you don't know what we're talking about" in the directions definitely applied.</p>

<p>Hope you guys all did well, though! I have no idea what these numbers you're talking about mean, but I'm sure you're all awesome.</p>