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Olympiad Preparation

On "Goodly Maths" (Math Problems Online)

Your Numero Uno Resource for Math Problems

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The best thing to do to prepare is to practice by doing old AMC problems. The AMC has provided some sample questions from 2003, 2002, and 2001, which you will find by following the respective links. There are several years of old AMC problems available on this site at the AMC Archive. After that, more problems are available for purchase from the AMC; you may order by printing out the order form sheet and sending it to the address provided on the linked webpage. Of particular interest are the Contest Problem Books, which each contain between five and ten years worth of AMC exams.

Consider working on some AMC problems without a time limit, and taking some full AMC exams under the proper time limit (75 minutes). This will help you get used to taking an AMC exam under test conditions.

You may also wish to practice by doing math problems from other contests, such as MATHCOUNTS (several years of MATHCOUNTS problems are available on this site at the MATHCOUNTS Archive). Although they may have a different format, they use similar concepts and will help your problem-solving skills. Also, there are a number of problems posted on the Art of Problem Solving forums. Consider hanging around the forums there and solving some problems.

Another thing you can do to prepare is to read books devoted to improving your problem solving skills. I highly recommend The Art of Problem Solving books (by Richard Rusczyk and Sandor Lehoczky), which not only teach new techniques for solving problems (ranging from quadratic equations, the Power of a Point theorem, basic transformation geometry, and other useful topics that appear often on math contests like the AMC), but also include over 1000 problems from actual competitions. (A list of topics is available for Volume 1 and Volume 2).

Other good books include The Art and Craft of Problem Solving, by Paul Zeitz; Geometry Revisited, by Coxeter and Greitzer; and Problem-Solving Strategies, by Arthur Engel, although these books are fairly advanced and are generally useful for higher-level competitions.

Still another way to prepare for the AMC exams is to learn from the experts by taking a problem solving class, such as the Art of Problem Solving Online Classes. If you take one of these, you get lessons, problems, and challenge sets. AMC-level classes include MATHCOUNTS/AMC Number Theory, MATHCOUNTS/AMC Counting, MATHCOUNTS/AMC Geometry, AMC/AIME Algebra, and AMC/AIME Trigonometry/Complex Numbers. Or, you may wish to attend a mathematics summer program, such as Canada/USA MathCamp, MathPath, PROMYS, or the Ross Program. (A more complete list is available here.)

I hope this document has given you some ideas for how to prepare for the AMC. If you have further questions, ask around on the AMC Forum or consider contacting me by e-mailing goodlymaths@netscape.net.

Good luck!