How to register for the AMC

You register through a test site, not the MAA

The American Mathematics Competitions are administered through approved test sites. A test site is an institution — a school, a college, a math circle or an authorised learning centre — that is recognised to host the exam, register its candidates and supervise them on exam day. Individual students and families cannot create an account with the MAA and enter on their own.

In practice this means there are two routes in. If your school already runs the AMC, you register through your school. If it does not, you register through an authorised education institution that acts as your test site — the same body then handles your seat, your papers and your results.

China region versus the US and international

Where you register depends on where you are enrolled. Students based in mainland China register through the China-region channel and sit bilingual papers, with the question text available in both English and Chinese. The China region is run on its own calendar and is separate from the main US dates, so the two do not clash.

One important limit: students enrolled at American or Canadian schools cannot sit the exam in the China region. They take the AMC through their own school or an international test site instead. If you are unsure which channel applies to you, the China-region page below explains eligibility and the local schedule in full.

When registration opens

The AMC runs on a fixed annual rhythm, so you can plan around it even before a season is confirmed:

• AMC 8 is held in January, with registration opening in the preceding autumn and closing shortly before the exam.
• AMC 10 and AMC 12 are held in November, in two sittings (an A date and a B date), with registration opening earlier in the autumn.

The exact registration windows, deadlines and fees are set fresh each season and differ between the China region and the US. We confirm the current dates and costs each season, so contact us to confirm the live window before you plan around a specific date.

What you need, and what to expect on exam day

To register you will need the student’s full name, date of birth and current grade — the date of birth matters because each level has an age limit on exam day (under 15.5 for AMC 8, under 17.5 for AMC 10 and under 19.5 for AMC 12). Your test site will tell you exactly what else it requires and how to pay.

On the day itself, the AMC is a single multiple-choice paper — 40 minutes for AMC 8, 75 minutes for AMC 10 and 12 — with no calculator. Depending on the test site, you will either sit it online from home under supervision or on campus at a test centre. Your registration confirmation will say which format applies and when to arrive or log in.