The USAMO (United States of America Mathematics Olympiad) provides a means of identifying and encouraging the most creative secondary mathematics students in the country. It serves to indicate the talent of those who may become leaders in the mathematical sciences of the next generation. The USAMO is part of a worldwide system of national mathematics competitions, a movement in which both educators and research mathematicians are engaged in recognizing and celebrating the imagination and resourcefulness of our youth.

The USAMO is a six question, two day, 9 hour essay/proof examination. This school year, it will be held on Tuesday & Wednesday, April 24-25, 2012. All problems can be solved with pre-calculus methods. Approximately 270 of the top scoring AMC 12 participants (based on a weighted average) are invited to take the USAMO. Approximately 230 of the top scoring AMC 10 participants (based on a weighted average) are invited to take the USAJMO. U.S. citizens and students legally residing in the United States and Canada (with qualifyng scores) are eligible to take the USAMO & USAJMO.

Changes to the Qualification Rules for the USAMO & USAJMO

In 2011 we will have slightly revised qualification rules for the USA Mathematical Olympiad and USA Junior Mathematical Olympiad. The goal is to select approximately 500 students total for the two Olympiads, split approximately 270 for the USAMO and 230 for the USAJMO respectively. Selection for the 2011 USA Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO) and 2011 USA Junior Mathematical Olympiad (USAJMO) will be made according to the following rules:

USAMO and USA Junior Mathematical Olympiad Selection Protocol:

1. U.S. citizens and students residing in the United States and Canada (with qualifying scores) are eligible to take the USAMO and USAJMO.
2. Selection to the USAMO will be based on the USAMO index which is defined as AIME-qualifying AMC 12 Score + 10 * AIME Score. Selection to the USAJMO will be based on the USAJMO index which is defined as AIME-qualifying AMC 10 Score + 10 * AIME Score.
3. Only AMC 12 A or AMC 12 B takers who are U.S. citizens and students residing in the United States and Canada will be eligible for the USAMO.
4. Only AMC 10 A or AMC 10 B takers who are U.S. citizens and students residing in the United States and Canada will be eligible for the USAJMO. This automatically limits Junior Math Olympiad participation to 10th graders and below. Students who take ONLY the AMC 10 test, whether AMC 10 A or AMC 10 B or both, will NOT be eligible for the USAMO regardless of their score on the AMC 10 or the AIME.
5. The approximately 260-270 individual students with the top AMC 12 based USAMO indices will be invited to take the USAMO. These indices will be selected from the pool of AMC 12 takers with an AIME score.
6. The approximately 230-240 individual students with the top AMC 10 based USAMO indices will be invited to take the USAJMO. These indices will be selected from the pool of AMC 10 takers with an AIME score after removing students who also took an AMC 12 test and qualified for the USAMO in rule 5. This means young students MUST take the USAMO if they qualify through an AMC 12 index.
7. We will select the student with the numerically largest index, whether AMC 10 based USAJMO index or AMC 12 based USAMO index, from each US state not already represented in either the USAMO or the USAJMO. The student will be invited to the USAMO if the numerically highest index in the state is AMC 12 based, and invited to the USAJMO if the index is AMC 10 based.

---

The members of the Committee on the American Mathematics Competitions (CAMC) are dedicated to the goal of strengthening the mathematical capabilities of our nation's youth. The CAMC believes that one way to meet this goal is to identify, recognize and reward excellence in mathematics through a series of national contests called the American Mathematics Competitions. The American Mathematics Competitions include: the American Mathematics Contest 8 (AMC 8) (formerly the American Junior High School Mathematics Examination) for students in grades 8 and below, begun in 1985; the American Mathematics Contest 10 (AMC 10), for students in grades 10 and below, begun in 2000; the American Mathematics Contest 12 (AMC 12) (formerly the American High School Mathematics Examination) for students in grades 12 and below, begun in 1950; the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME), begun in 1983; and the USA Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO), begun in 1972.

The twelve top scoring USAMO students are invited to a two day Olympiad Awards Ceremony in Washington, DC sponsored by the MAA, and the Akamai Foundation. Six of these twelve students will comprise the United States team that competes each summer in the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) . The IMO began in 1959; the USA has participated since 1974.

Frequently Asked Questions regarding the USAMO:

Please visit our FAQ page.