Should I sit AMC 10 or AMC 12?

If you are eligible for both, the AMC 10 has a lower AIME cut-off and an easier back half, but the AMC 12 is the only route to USAMO. Many students in grade 10 sit the AMC 10 A and the AMC 12 B in the same year.

Do AMC 12 solutions differ from AMC 10 for shared problems?

The problem statements are identical for shared questions, but the AMC 12 rewards the faster method because your remaining time budget is tighter. Our walkthroughs show both the safe route and the competition-speed route.

AMC 12 Past Papers & Solutions

American Mathematics Competition 12

AMC 12 A and B past papers with worked solutions covering trigonometry, complex numbers, logarithms and advanced counting.

Eligibility: Grade 12 and below (age 19.5 or under)
Format: 25 multiple-choice questions
Duration: 75 minutes
Scoring: 6 points correct · 1.5 points blank · 0 for incorrect (150 max)

MAA AMC official page

The AMC 12 shares roughly a third of its problems with the AMC 10 but adds trigonometry, logarithms, complex numbers and conic sections, and the back ten questions climb noticeably faster. Past papers are the fastest way to learn which techniques actually pay: recognising when a problem wants a clever substitution instead of a page of algebra is a trained reflex, not talent.

Past papers by year

Each year page lists the official paper source (paper A and paper B), the answer key location, difficulty notes and how to review your solutions.

AMC 12 2025 AMC 12 2024 AMC 12 2023 AMC 12 2022 AMC 12 2021 AMC 12 2020 AMC 12 2019 AMC 12 2018 AMC 12 2017 AMC 12 2016 AMC 12 2015 AMC 12 2014 AMC 12 2013 AMC 12 2012 AMC 12 2011 AMC 12 2010

Stuck on a AMC 12 question?

Send us the question number. A mentor who has sat and medalled in AMC 12 will reply with a step-by-step walkthrough and the faster competition method.

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What the paper tests

Advanced algebra

Logarithms, polynomials, Vieta's formulas, functional equations.

Trigonometry & complex numbers

Identities, roots of unity, De Moivre, geometric interpretation.

Combinatorics

Recursion, bijections, generating-function shortcuts, invariants.

Geometry

Trigonometric area methods, circles, three-dimensional reasoning.

Number theory

Orders, Fermat's little theorem, Diophantine equations.

Where it leads: Top 5% (or a 100+ index) qualifies for the AIME, and from there USAMO. See our coaching programme.

Book personalised AMC 12 classes

Past papers show you the gap; a mentor closes it. Our AMC 12 mentors are medal winners who walk through every solution 1-to-1, then set targeted practice on the archetypes you lost marks on.

View the AMC 12 course

Want the full AMC 12 paper pack and score guide?

Tell us your target and we will send the AMC 12 paper list, the official scoring rules and a preparation plan built around the questions you keep losing marks on.

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Frequently asked questions

Should I sit AMC 10 or AMC 12?: If you are eligible for both, the AMC 10 has a lower AIME cut-off and an easier back half, but the AMC 12 is the only route to USAMO. Many students in grade 10 sit the AMC 10 A and the AMC 12 B in the same year.
Do AMC 12 solutions differ from AMC 10 for shared problems?: The problem statements are identical for shared questions, but the AMC 12 rewards the faster method because your remaining time budget is tighter. Our walkthroughs show both the safe route and the competition-speed route.

Related paper libraries

AMC 10 past papers AIME past papers UKMT SMC past papers

Preparing beyond past papers? See our 1-to-1 Maths Olympiad tutoring hub for the full UKMT, BMO, AMC and AIME pathway with verified expert mentors.