The Ultimate Guide to Qualifying for the AIME

A practical 8-week AMC-to-AIME study plan

1. Weeks 1–2 — diagnose. Take one timed, recent AMC paper. Sort missed and guessed questions by topic, then label each miss as a concept gap, setup error, arithmetic slip, or time choice.
2. Weeks 3–4 — repair foundations. Rotate algebra, geometry, number theory, and counting. For each weak topic, learn one method, solve a short untimed set, then revisit it a few days later without looking at notes.
3. Weeks 5–6 — build selection and pacing. Practice in timed blocks. Secure questions you can solve cleanly, mark uncertain ones, and return with remaining time. Do not spend half a contest forcing one problem.
4. Weeks 7–8 — rehearse and review. Take full mocks under exam conditions. Spend at least as long reviewing as taking the test: reproduce each solution from a blank page and write down the clue you missed.

Use mocks to find repeatable patterns

A score is a snapshot; your review log is the study plan. Record the problem, the first point where your reasoning diverged, the correct idea, and a short cue for next time. Re-solve missed questions after a delay, then again a week later. If you only reread the solution, it can feel familiar without becoming retrievable.

For harder geometry questions, draw a clean diagram and mark equal lengths, angles, and cyclic relationships before choosing a theorem. For number theory, test small cases, identify a pattern, then prove why it continues. For counting, define exactly what one outcome represents before multiplying cases.