AMC 8 Math Exam

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Wondering who has signed up to do the AMC 8 exam in a couple weeks?

 

I think I've succeeded in signing up my older kids to test at a nearby university. Should be interesting. Not only do they get the challenging math test, but they get to go to a college environment to do it. Definitely a chance to stretch them.

[KAR120C]

Wondering who has signed up to do the AMC 8 exam in a couple weeks?

 

I think I've succeeded in signing up my older kids to test at a nearby university. Should be interesting. Not only do they get the challenging math test, but they get to go to a college environment to do it. Definitely a chance to stretch them.

I think we'll be doing the 10B at the local university in Feb., but the 8 through our homeschool group.

 

Have you done it before?

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I think we'll be doing the 10B at the local university in Feb., but the 8 through our homeschool group.

 

Have you done it before?

 

No, we are total newbies. Next year I plan to do a much better job of coordinating with someone else as the proctor so we can offer AMC 8 and AMC 10 through our coop.

 

This year I'm still getting to know people and didn't really feel like I could specifically ask someone to do this.

 

Fortunately, there is a local college do the AMC 8. Should be quite the experience. Seems like there will be about 60 kids in a packed testing venue. Not sure what the boys will make of it.

 

I did find a cache of old tests with solutions on the AoPS website that I'm planning to have them work through.

[KAR120C]

I did find a cache of old tests with solutions on the AoPS website that I'm planning to have them work through.

I was going to mention that MAA sells old tests on a CD, but they probably wouldn't arrive in time if you ordered now... Glad you found some!

[LNC]

We're signed up but very intimidated. I'm not sure I'm going to make them go. They aren't getting more than 1-2 problems right on their practice sets....

[angela in ohio]

We are doing it with a few friends at a local library. OUr proctor said that she received the tests the other day, so we are ready to go. :001_smile:

 

She has done MathCounts in the past, but this is our first time with the AMC tests (older dd is taking the AMC-10 later this year, too.)

 

I used the 2007 and 2008 tests at this site and the 2009 test from this site. She's done the AOPS books, so I think she will have the concepts down okay, but I wanted her to become familiar with the format.

Edited November 3, 2011 by angela in ohio

[MomsintheGarden]

This sounds very fun for our math-loving ds. Could you ladies please explain how it works for homeschoolers?

 

Also, is the AMC Math 8 test for 8th graders, the Math 10 for 10th graders, and Math 12 for 12th graders?

 

Thanks!

GardenMom, a total newbie to this.

[KAR120C]

This sounds very fun for our math-loving ds. Could you ladies please explain how it works for homeschoolers?

 

Also, is the AMC Math 8 test for 8th graders, the Math 10 for 10th graders, and Math 12 for 12th graders?

 

Thanks!

GardenMom, a total newbie to this.

(to sign up that is - the test itself is quite tricky! :D) It's not too late for this year, in fact -- tomorrow is the deadline -- although you'd have to pay the expedited fee.... Basically for homeschoolers, you have to sign up as an organization rather than an individual, and you need a proctor who is not the parent of any child taking the exam with your group. You also need to arrange for a location (church, school, library) that isn't your home. Then when you register, they send the exams to the proctor, and you have to take them together on Tuesday November 15 and get them in the mail that afternoon. (You might have to the next day - check the official rules - but basically they have to go back right away.) If you're lucky enough to have a college nearby that is offering the exam, you can skip all of that and sign up directly with them.

 

The 8 is for kids up to 8th grade (or 14.5 as of test day), the 10 is for kids up to 10th grade (16.5), etc. Younger kids are always allowed.

[MomsintheGarden]

Thank you, Erica. That info is exactly what I need. I appreciate the advice on how to sign up this year. I'm looking into it for next year, so it's great to have advance notice. It was encouraging to find a couple of participating colleges within a somewhat reasonable driving distance of us (we live on the fringe of the boonies).

 

I really appreciate your help, and I would love it if you, Sebastian, and anyone else who is participating in the AMC this year would do follow-up posts on how it went. I'd love to hear absolutely anything you would like to share!

 

I hope this competition is fun and profitable for your children. Several children in our family have done other types academic competitions (chess, spelling bees, and Chemistry Olympiad), and they have been excellent. I'm looking forward to trying this one.

 

GardenMom

[Kathy in Richmond]

Just a quick FYI in addition to the thorough details supplied by Erica above. Homeschoolers are allowed to participate as individuals w/o being part of an organization. I've done this for my kids and other kids for many years, as recently as last spring. They will assign your homeschool an official number and treat you just like any school.

 

To all of you participating in the AMC-8 this month: Have fun and good luck! The AMC's provided my students with an amazing learning experience and lots of fun over the years.

[angela in ohio]

Just a quick FYI in addition to the thorough details supplied by Erica above. Homeschoolers are allowed to participate as individuals w/o being part of an organization. I've done this for my kids and other kids for many years, as recently as last spring. They will assign your homeschool an official number and treat you just like any school.

 

That's what we're doing. You just have to have a non-relative give the test in a public place. And you have to pay for 10 tests minimum so I invited some other families to join us.

[KAR120C]

Just a quick FYI in addition to the thorough details supplied by Erica above. Homeschoolers are allowed to participate as individuals w/o being part of an organization.

You're absolutely right! Sorry - I was mixing it up with Math Olympiads!

[Kathy in Richmond]

You're absolutely right! Sorry - I was mixing it up with Math Olympiads!

 

Yeah, we never did the elementary Math Olympiads for that very reason. :)

[Kathy in Richmond]

So everyone, how did it go yesterday? Hope your kids enjoyed the challenge!

[Violet Crown]

So everyone, how did it go yesterday? Hope your kids enjoyed the challenge!

Middle Girl got a 6 last year, but a 14 this year. :party:

Most importantly, she went from being anxious and certain she'd do poorly last year to being calm and having fun this year.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I wasn't able to come up with a neutral proctor. But at the last minute I saw that the college down the road was one of the colleges doing testing. Turned out that the testing was actually being done at a private learning center founded by a math prof at the college. Way on the other side of town.

For me the worst part of the exam was trying to get from one side of the DC area to the other in rush hour. Wow. It took 2 hours to get 40 minutes down the road.

 

It was an interesting cross cultural experience to be with a group of people who were actively studying for such exams. The woman in charge had the test dates and deadlines for the local magnet schools memorized.

 

It sounds like the kids did ok, but not wonderfully. My oldest said he guessed on the last ten. My middle son guessed on about the same number after narrowing the choices down to two possible answers. It sounds like many of their answers were on the right track, but that their speed answering left a lot to be desired. (It also sounds like many of the other students were taken by surprise by the "10 seconds" announcement.)

 

I was incredibly proud of them for giving it a try, since this was pretty far outside anything I've asked them to do in the past.

[Kathy in Richmond]

I wasn't able to come up with a neutral proctor. But at the last minute I saw that the college down the road was one of the colleges doing testing. Turned out that the testing was actually being done at a private learning center founded by a math prof at the college. Way on the other side of town.

For me the worst part of the exam was trying to get from one side of the DC area to the other in rush hour. Wow. It took 2 hours to get 40 minutes down the road.

 

Oh my goodness...you should get extra credit for even making it to the test. Driving around DC always unnerves me! Once I missed my exit on the way to a math meet in MD and found myself in a tunnel near the mall area. I had two teens trying to figure out where I was on the map while I tried to keep us alive and pointed north. We eventually made it out the other side of the city somehow.:tongue_smilie:

 

It was an interesting cross cultural experience to be with a group of people who were actively studying for such exams. The woman in charge had the test dates and deadlines for the local magnet schools memorized.

 

Yes, the math competition culture up there is really something to witness. My son took the USAMO at TJ high school one year. Man, those kids and their coaches were seriously involved in training and supporting one another. It was fun to see after doing this basically by ourselves down here in Richmond for years!

 

It sounds like the kids did ok, but not wonderfully. My oldest said he guessed on the last ten. My middle son guessed on about the same number after narrowing the choices down to two possible answers. It sounds like many of their answers were on the right track, but that their speed answering left a lot to be desired. (It also sounds like many of the other students were taken by surprise by the "10 seconds" announcement.)

 

I was incredibly proud of them for giving it a try, since this was pretty far outside anything I've asked them to do in the past.

 

Good for them! Sounds like they did a very respectable job.:)

Edited November 17, 2011 by Kathy in Richmond

[Kathy in Richmond]

Middle Girl got a 6 last year, but a 14 this year. :party:

Most importantly, she went from being anxious and certain she'd do poorly last year to being calm and having fun this year.

 

Yay for Middle Girl!! That's quite an improvement in one year.

 

My dd had to learn to deal with her nerves, too. It's a great thing when it starts to become fun. :001_smile:

[Sebastian (a lady)]

It was also an interesting cross cultural experience. The learning center was started by the prof after he tutored his son into Thomas Jefferson. Then evidently, he started up study classes through the local Hindu temples. The three kids whom I'd signed up were the only test takers who weren't from this circle.

 

Unfortunately it was all dads standing around waiting, except for the woman in charge of the test. I was thinking that in the right circumstance, I might have been able to figure out what I'm doing wrong with my curry chicken.

 

Definitely not a subset of parents who are willing to just let their kids slide.

[MomsintheGarden]

Thanks to all who shared their experiences! This sounds like it will be fun for next year.

 

It was also an interesting cross cultural experience. The learning center was started by the prof after he tutored his son into Thomas Jefferson. Then evidently, he started up study classes through the local Hindu temples. The three kids whom I'd signed up were the only test takers who weren't from this circle.

 

Unfortunately it was all dads standing around waiting, except for the woman in charge of the test. I was thinking that in the right circumstance, I might have been able to figure out what I'm doing wrong with my curry chicken.

 

Definitely not a subset of parents who are willing to just let their kids slide.

:) We've become acquainted with the academic competition subculture. It has been fun, and we've learned a lot. Chess tournaments were our first intro. The team from TJ is a powerhouse, and the coaches are very, very serious. Other schools from the D.C. area are not far behind.

 

You are right about parents having high expectations. Our 3rd graders competed last spring in Mastispell, a spelling bee for elementary children held in the D.C. suburbs. We had a good time at the competition; the organizers were earnest, pleasant, and patient with the children. The other day I received an email from the same folks about a "spelling camp" they are hosting for children over Thanksgiving weekend. The camp will be held Thursday-Sunday from 1 PM-4 PM. That's right; the children will be practicing for spelling competitions on Thanksgiving Day.

 

GardenMom

[angela in ohio]

So everyone, how did it go yesterday? Hope your kids enjoyed the challenge!

 

My 9 yo got 4 of the problems correct, plus the ones he guesssed correctly! :D

 

My middle dd doesn't want me to share her score with anyone, because she thinks she did poorly. She is my nervous one, and she made careless mistakes on several questions. She did well enough that I will have her take the AMC-10 definitely, though.

 

My darling friend was such a great proctor - she is a blessing!

[Sebastian (a lady)]

So everyone, how did it go yesterday? Hope your kids enjoyed the challenge!

 

I just got word that my 7th grader got a silver certificate for the group he tested with. Woo Hoo.

 

Can't wait to hear actual scores.

[wapiti]

I just got word that my 7th grader got a silver certificate for the group he tested with. Woo Hoo.

 

Can't wait to hear actual scores.

:hurray::hurray::hurray:

[Sebastian (a lady)]

So my kids got a 14 and a 15. The high score among the 65 students taking the test at their site was a 19. The average was around 11.

 

I also got this breakdown of the scores from our site:

Top 1% - 19

Top 5% - 18

Top 25% - 14

 

This is only percentages for the students at our location. I don't know how that relates to scores on a national level. We had one room of 8th graders, two rooms of 7th graders and a room of 6th grade and under.

 

ETA: Actually, looking at the AMC website, those may be the score cutoffs for percentages across all test takers. But I'm not seeing a full page of general statistics for 2011 yet. 2010 is here.

Edited November 28, 2011 by Sebastian (a lady)

[MBM]

Congrats to all your kids! :)

One thing I noticed is that many kids will make large leaps from one year to the next. For those who didn't score as well as they would have liked, just keep that in mind. Next year's score will probably improve quite a bit.

Some of you might also like MathCounts, a math competition for 6th- to 8th-graders (or 5th to 8th? I'm forgetting.) Here in Illinois, we have some strong homeschool teams. The competition is a load of fun and gives kids the opportunity to be with others who like math. I think you can order practice tests from here as well as get more information about registering, dates, etc.

 

https://mathcounts.org/sslpage.aspx

[Tattarrattat]

Congratulations to your kids, Sebastian, and to all the other homeschooled kids who did well!

 

Here's the current 2011 statistics that will continue to be updated daily as more contests are scored.

 

http://amc.maa.org/amc8/2011/stats/2011-amc8stats.shtml

Edited November 28, 2011 by Tattarrattat

[angela in ohio]

We tested with a group of homeschoolers, and my dd got Silver. She only scored about 3/4 of what she was scoring in the practice tests, though. This is the second time something like that happened, and I think we may have to deal with some test anxiety here. :glare:

 

The 9 yo had 9 right total.

[Kathy in Richmond]

Congratulations to everyone! It's wonderful to see so many homeschoolers enjoying the AMC contests now.:)

 

My 9 yo got 4 of the problems correct, plus the ones he guesssed correctly! :D

 

My middle dd doesn't want me to share her score with anyone, because she thinks she did poorly. She is my nervous one, and she made careless mistakes on several questions. She did well enough that I will have her take the AMC-10 definitely, though.

My darling friend was such a great proctor - she is a blessing!

 

We tested with a group of homeschoolers, and my dd got Silver. She only scored about 3/4 of what she was scoring in the practice tests, though. This is the second time something like that happened, and I think we may have to deal with some test anxiety here. :glare:

The 9 yo had 9 right total.

 

Very nice, Angela! I had a sweet retired schoolteacher from church proctor the AMCs for me for many years. It is a blessing to have a kind and reliable friend. Tell your daughter not to worry. My dd was also nervous at first, but the anxiety lessened over the years with experience. Your 9-year-old did fantastic! My daughter also started young, wanting to keep up with her older sibling.:)

 

I just got word that my 7th grader got a silver certificate for the group he tested with. Woo Hoo. Can't wait to hear actual scores.

 

So my kids got a 14 and a 15. The high score among the 65 students taking the test at their site was a 19. The average was around 11.

 

I also got this breakdown of the scores from our site:

Top 1% - 19

Top 5% - 18

Top 25% - 14

 

This is only percentages for the students at our location. I don't know how that relates to scores on a national level. We had one room of 8th graders, two rooms of 7th graders and a room of 6th grade and under.

 

ETA: Actually, looking at the AMC website, those may be the score cutoffs for percentages across all test takers. But I'm not seeing a full page of general statistics for 2011 yet. 2010 is here.

 

Congrats to your sons, too; those scores are super! I had to go look up what the silver certificates were about; they're new since the days when we participated. Thanks for posting the statistical summary, too.

 

Congratulations to your kids, Sebastian, and to all the other homeschooled kids who did well!

 

Here's the current 2011 statistics that will continue to be updated daily as more contests are scored.

 

http://amc.maa.org/amc8/2011/stats/2011-amc8stats.shtml

 

And a final congrats to your child, too (saw what you wrote pre-edit & he did quite fine!). Wow, so the AMC is doing live updates of results now? That's so cool; I love how the bell curve is shaping up. Thanks for sharing.