The rules have changed for the USA(J)MO qualification! The AMC score is now less of a factor, effectively putting the spotlight and much more pressure on the AIME performance, with the AIME being weighted twice as much as before, according to the official MAA website. Students are shifting their focus, realizing their success hinges more on a standout AIME score. 

“This decision is pretty good because last year I got 150 AMC [out of 150]. I felt like because [the tests] are the same proportion, if I get in [the] 150 AMC, there’s almost no way I cannot qualify,” senior Rachel Chen said. 

Chen shared that she did not review for AIME, which she believes negatively affected her AIME results and qualification outcomes.

“They [put] more weight on AIME, [so] people with good AMC grades, like good scores in AMC, have more pressure for the AIME to do well than just sitting back,“ Chen said. 

She thinks that these changes in the AIME weighting will put more pressure on students to study, based on her experiences over the past year. Senior Katherine Nguyen does not think the changes will affect the students overall. 

Senior Raghav Mani also thinks this will add some pressure on students for the AIME, but does not expect things to change much overall. 

“I think the change in AIME weighting is better, because it rewards students who are more suited for the type of competition at higher levels. This will affect the priorities of students who are studying, but generally, the students who succeeded before will still be able to succeed now,” Mani said. 

Math Teacher Kurt Kleinberg believes there is a trend in the overall math competitions. 

“I know it’s doubling it, but I feel like tests in general, the trends lately, maybe not the AMC, but over the last 10 years, different math leagues have tried to make it easier to gain access to the next level of contest, because they want more students to have that access,” Kleinberg said. 

However, math teacher Kyle McCord believes that the AMC series has been moving in the opposite direction.

“I’m trying to think about the past, it probably will make it a little bit harder, but not a lot harder. I think what will end up happening is, they’ll find that they need to move the cutoff. The cut-off might move a little bit with this move. I think it makes sense, from a statistical perspective, I think how you do on the AIME is going to be a better predictor for how you would do on the next round compared to the AMC,” McCord said.