AMC Policies
The American Mathematics Competitions are run to a single set of rules set by the Mathematical Association of America — who may sit each paper, what may be brought into the room, and how the exam is supervised. This page sets out the durable policies. The MAA publishes and updates the official rules each year, so always confirm the current specifics with your organiser.
Who is eligible
Each paper has a grade limit and an age limit, both checked on the day of the exam:
- AMC 8 — grade 8 or below, and under 15.5 years old on exam day.
- AMC 10 — grade 10 or below, and under 17.5 years old on exam day.
- AMC 12 — grade 12 or below, and under 19.5 years old on exam day.
A student may sit only one competition per date, but may take both the A and the B paper of a level — for example AMC 10 A and AMC 10 B, or AMC 10 A and AMC 12 B — provided they meet the grade and age limits. The top AMC 10 and AMC 12 scorers are invited to the AIME, and the strongest AIME performers go on to the USA(J)MO.
Conduct on exam day
The AMC is a closed-book examination and every candidate agrees to the same conditions. Calculators are not permitted on any AMC paper, nor are phones or similar electronic devices — no problem requires a calculator. The only items allowed are writing utensils, blank scratch paper, a ruler and an eraser.
During the exam there must be no communication with anyone other than the supervisor, and no unauthorised aids of any kind. Candidates must not share or discuss live exam content while the competition is still open, as papers are sat across different locations and time zones. A student learning English may use a hard-copy, non-technical translation dictionary, but it must be handed to the supervisor for inspection beforehand and earns no extra time.
The MAA treats cheating seriously. A candidate found to have cheated is disqualified, their score is removed, and they may be barred from the rest of the cycle. Supervisors are required to report any suspicious behaviour.
How registration works
You do not register with the MAA directly. The exam is administered through a recognised test site — a school, college, math circle or authorised learning centre — which enters its candidates and supervises them on the day under a designated competition manager. Parents and guardians of participants may not run the exam, and homeschools cannot register as a site. Individual students therefore enter through their school or an approved education centre rather than on their own.
The China region
Where you register depends on where you study. Students enrolled at American or Canadian schools cannot sit the AMC in the China region — they take it through their own school or an international test site instead. The China region runs on its own calendar with bilingual papers; the page below explains local eligibility and the schedule in full.
These policies are durable, but the MAA sets and updates the official rules — and the exact dates, deadlines and fees — each year, and they differ between the China region and the United States. Always confirm the current specifics with your organiser before you plan around them.
Studying in China?
The China region has its own schedule, bilingual papers and eligibility rules — including who can and cannot sit it locally. See the full China-region guide before you register.
China-region details