Students aiming to qualify for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME) through the American Mathematics Competition 10 (AMC 10) have two chances this season: the A contest on November 5, 2026, and the B contest on November 13, 2026. The Mathematical Association of America (MAA), which administers the competition, has published the qualifying score in advance: 100 points on the AMC 10. This guide is written for students in grades 7 to 10 and their parents, and covers the exam format, the season calendar, realistic score targets, and the mistakes we see most often.

Format and Scoring

The AMC 10 is a 25-question, five-choice multiple-choice exam with a 75-minute time limit. Calculators are not permitted. A correct answer earns 6 points, a blank earns 1.5 points, and an incorrect answer earns 0 points, for a maximum score of 150. Students must be in grade 10 or below and under 17.5 years of age on the day of the contest.

The syllabus stops at the grade 10 curriculum: algebra, plane geometry, number theory, counting and probability. Trigonometry, logarithms, and complex numbers are not tested, which is the main difference from the AMC 12.

The A and B contests use different problems of comparable difficulty. A student may take both, and AIME qualification is based on the better of the two scores. The only restriction is that a student may not sit the AMC 10 and the AMC 12 on the same day.

Key Dates for the 2026-27 Season

Students cannot register themselves. Registration is handled by a Competition Manager, the teacher or staff member at a registered school or institution who administers the contest.

  • September 2, 2026: MAA registration opens for the season.
  • October 15, 2026: regular registration deadline, and the final deadline for new Competition Managers.
  • October 28, 2026: late registration deadline, open to returning Competition Managers only.
  • November 5, 2026: AMC 10 A and AMC 12 A.
  • November 13, 2026: AMC 10 B and AMC 12 B.
  • February 5 and 6, 2027: AIME, administered at Pearson testing centers rather than as separate AIME I and AIME II sittings.

Setting a Score Target

For 2026-27, MAA has stated that a score of 100 on the AMC 10, or 85 on the AMC 12, earns the right to register for the AIME. This is a fixed threshold announced before the contest, not a percentile cutoff calculated afterward, so families no longer need to estimate a rank.

A score of 100 corresponds to roughly 17 correct answers, or 16 correct answers plus several deliberate blanks. The training priority therefore is a clean sweep of questions 1 to 15, followed by two or three reliable solves in the range of questions 16 to 20. Attacking the final five problems first is rarely the efficient path.

Four Common Mistakes

  • Estimating the cutoff by percentile. The threshold is now a published number; older percentile rules of thumb will mislead.
  • Guessing without eliminating. With no options eliminated, a guess is worth 1.2 points on average, less than the 1.5 points a blank earns. Once one or more options are eliminated, guessing becomes the better choice. This is the opposite of the AMC 8, where wrong answers cost nothing and every question should be filled in.
  • Practicing only hard problems. Speed on questions 1 to 15 determines how much time remains later, so full 75-minute timed sets matter.
  • Sitting only one contest. Taking both the A and B contests doubles the opportunity and does not affect qualification.

A Twelve-Month Rhythm

  • December to February: close gaps in Algebra 1 and plane geometry, and build mental arithmetic habits.
  • March to May: work by topic through counting and probability, number theory (modular arithmetic, divisor counts, units digits), and geometry techniques.
  • June to August: one full past paper each week under strict timing, tracking where points are lost by question number.
  • September to October: move practice tests to the contest time slot, confirm registration with a testing site, and review errors.
  • November: sit both the A and B contests, then use the results to set the next set of topic goals.

What EDUBUS Recommends

For students in Irvine on a science or engineering track, we suggest completing a first full timed AMC 10 before grade 9, because the eligibility window is only two to three years long. If a student already answers questions 1 to 15 reliably, the focus should shift to counting and number theory; if not, strengthening coursework first is more productive. Our staged program is described on the math competition track page, and the contest rules are summarized on the AMC 10 / AMC 12 page.

Sources

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