Thirteen students qualified for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME), an international math competition administered by the Mathematical Association of America (MAA), which took place in Hazy 230 on Feb. 5.
“AIME is a very challenging math competition. In order to solve them, you need to choose tons of ideas and put them together,” said math teacher, Math Club president, and AIME proctor Katya Malikov. “The fact that we have a considerable amount of students able to do that makes me excited.”
AIME is a three-hour, 15-question exam. To qualify, students must take the American Mathematics Contest 10 (AMC 10) or the American Mathematics Contest 12 (AMC 12) and score in the top 2.5% or 5%, respectively. Fewer than 5% of students qualify for AIME.
“I reviewed past AMC 10/12 exams, focusing on the last few problems since those are the ones that are the hardest and most time-consuming,” Joshua Bie ’28 said. “I also practiced solving problems under timed conditions to get used to the test’s pace.”
Most students took specialized courses for the AIME, with many attending classes through Art of Problem Solving, an online math academy. Others studied at various programs that offered AIME prep, including some in languages other than English. Many also prepared through the Middle School Math Club.
“I am very proud of them. I am proud of not only the fact that they qualified for the AIME, but because of how well the students prepared,” Malikov said. “It is very hard going through a 3 hour long test. I am proud of the student’s maturity and how they strived to do their absolute best.”
