APSU: American Mathematics Contest Series
AMC 8, 10, 12

AMC 8 (American Mathematics Contest 8) | American Mathematics Competitions

The AMC 8 is a 25-question, 40-minute, multiple choice exam in middle school mathematics sponsored by the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).

Eligibility: Students must be in grade 8 or below and also under 15.5 years of age on the day of the competition.

Competition Details:

• Cost for the competition: $25
• Date & Time: Saturday, January 24, 2026, 9:00am to 11:00am [Register Now!]
• Registration Deadline: January 14, 2026 (Limited seating due to PC lab capacity)
• Location: Austin Peay State University, Maynard Mathematics & Computer Science Building
  • Google Maps Link
  • APSU Parking Map (Green 9 is the closest parking lot; parking is free)
• If you have any questions, email us at codingcamp@apsu.edu, or call CSIT Dept. Office at 931-221-7840 (M-F: 8:00am-12:00pm & 1:00pm-4:30pm, USA Central Time)
• Register Now!

Additional Competition Information:

• IMPORTANT (2‑Step Registration): After you register through the APSU system and pay the required fee, you will receive an email between the registration deadline and the competition date with instructions for completing your registration on the AMC platform. The competition will be administered digitally on the official AMC system and held in our campus computer labs.
• Competition Managers
  • Dr. James Church, Professor, Computer Science & IT (Chief Competition Manager)
  • Dr. Marylu Dalton, Associate Professor, Mathematics and Statistics
• The AMC 8 is a VERY CHALLENGING contest that requires middle school students to apply deeper mathematical understanding and creative problem‑solving. Its problems often demand clever, non‑standard approaches. MMA uses this competition as the first step in a series of contests that ultimately lead to selecting the U.S. team for the International Mathematical Olympiad.
• Founded in 1950, the AMC is the leading math competition for students in grades K–12. Today, hundreds of thousands of students across all 50 states and more than 30 countries participate, building confidence and strengthening their passion for mathematics.
• Coverage
  • The AMC 8 is a 25-question, 40-minute competition designed for students in grade 8 and below. The competition focuses on middle school mathematics topics, including counting and probability, estimation, proportional reasoning, elementary geometry (including the Pythagorean Theorem), spatial visualization, and interpreting graphs and tables. Some of the later questions may touch on beginning algebra topics, such as linear or quadratic functions and coordinate geometry.
  • Past AMC 8 Problems & Solutions (We are not affiliated with AoPS Online)
• Registration Fee
  
  • A registration fee is charged to support the administrative expenses required to operate the event efficiently, primarily those related to human resources.
• Competition Day
  • During the competition, students are only allowed:
    • writing utensils: blank scratch paper - rulers - erasers
  • Prohibited materials include (but are not limited to):
    • calculators - smartwatches - phones - computing devices - compasses - protractors - graph paper
  • Student photos may be taken during the event to celebrate math readiness and recognize student achievements on our social media platforms. If a student places in the competition, their placement will also be highlighted and celebrated on social media.
• Why Math Readiness Matters in Computing and Daily Life!
  
  • Mathematics forms the core foundation of computing and plays a critical role in everyday life in today’s modern society. Strong mathematical skills support essential tasks such as financial planning, budgeting, logical reasoning, and the effective use of modern computing technologies. Unlike many skills that can be acquired quickly, mathematical proficiency is developed through sustained practice over many years.
  • The Department of Computer Science & IT offers several Bachelor of Science degree programs in computing-related fields. Our program educational objectives emphasize preparing graduates to contribute meaningfully to the intellectual, social, and economic development of the state of Tennessee and the surrounding region.
  • Achieving these goals requires students to enter our programs with a solid level of mathematical readiness. One of the most effective ways to build that foundation is to nurture students’ interest in mathematics from an early age. To support this mission, we proudly promote and recognize the mathematical achievements of middle and high school students through competitions and celebratory events. These opportunities help inspire the next generation of learners and strengthen the pipeline of future computing professionals.
• Reference Website: MMA American Mathematics Competitions

Information regarding the AMC 10 and AMC 12 will be released at a later date.

"No employment can be managed without arithmetic, no mechanical invention without geometry." - Benjamin Franklin

“To understand God’s thoughts, we must study statistics, for these are the measure of His purpose.” - Florence Nightingale