Top AMC Exam Mistakes and How To Avoid Them

Most Common Mistakes Students Make in AMC Exams (and How to Avoid Them)

The American Mathematics Competitions (AMC 8, 10, and 12) are designed to challenge students’ logical reasoning and problem-solving abilities—not just their textbook knowledge. While many students study diligently, they often fall short of top scores due to avoidable mistakes during the exam.

In this blog, we highlight the most common mistakes students make in AMC exams and give practical tips to avoid them—so you can move closer to your AIME or Olympiad dreams.

1. Rushing Through the Easy Questions

Mistake:
Students often hurry through the first 10–15 questions thinking they're “easy,” leading to careless calculation errors or misreads.

How to Avoid:

• Slow down even on early questions—accuracy is key.
• Read questions completely, especially word problems.
• Double-check arithmetic even if the answer feels obvious.

2. Ignoring the Scoring System

Mistake:
Attempting every question—even with random guesses—can lower your score, especially in AMC 10 and 12, where blank answers fetch 1.5 points and wrong ones earn 0.

How to Avoid:

• Attempt only if you can eliminate 2–3 answer choices confidently.
• Leave tough or confusing questions blank instead of guessing blindly.
• Use a scoring strategy: maximize points with minimal risk.

3. Poor Time Management

Mistake:
Spending too much time on hard problems in the middle or end, leaving easier ones unanswered.

How to Avoid:

• Target <1 minute for first 10 questions.
• If stuck for over 2 minutes, mark and move on.
• Reserve the final 10–15 minutes for revisiting flagged questions.

4. Memorizing Tricks Instead of Building Concepts

Mistake:
Many students rely on memorized formulas or “shortcuts” instead of understanding problem-solving frameworks.

How to Avoid:

• Focus on why a method works—not just how.
• Practice pattern recognition through past papers.
• Use books like Art of Problem Solving to develop deep logic.

5. Skipping Practice on High-Weight Topics

Mistake:
Students avoid topics they’re weak in—like number theory or geometry—resulting in poor coverage during the exam.

How to Avoid:

• Identify your weak areas early and prioritize them.
• Use spaced repetition for tricky topics.
• Don't just re-solve easy questions—challenge yourself.

6. Misreading the Problem Statement

Mistake:
Overlooking key phrases like “distinct,” “positive integers,” or “at least” leads to incorrect assumptions and wrong answers.

How to Avoid:

• Underline key words while solving.
• Rephrase the question in your own words before jumping to calculations.
• Practice verbal comprehension through logic-based word problems.

7. Lack of Familiarity with AMC Format

Mistake:
Students walk into the exam without understanding the AMC format, scoring, or difficulty curve.

How to Avoid:

• Take at least 5 timed past papers under real exam conditions.
• Review the scoring rules, number of questions (25), and time limit (75 minutes for AMC 10/12).
• Get comfortable with no-calculator problem-solving.

8. Weak Mental Math and Estimation Skills

Mistake:
AMC exams don’t allow calculators, and slow manual calculations can waste valuable time.

How to Avoid:

• Practice mental math daily (multiplication, squares, remainders).
• Learn number properties (e.g., divisibility rules, mod tricks).
• Use estimation to eliminate incorrect answer choices quickly.

9. Failing to Analyze Mistakes After Practice

Mistake:
Many students solve practice papers but don’t review their errors, repeating the same mistakes.

How to Avoid:

• Maintain a “Mistake Log” with:
• The question
• Type of mistake (conceptual, careless, misread)
• Correct approach
• Revisit and re-solve wrong questions weekly.

10. Not Attempting AMC A and B Both

Mistake:
Some students only attempt AMC A version, missing the chance for higher scores or AIME qualification through the B version.

How to Avoid:

• Register for both AMC A and B if eligible.
• Treat AMC A as a full dress rehearsal.
• Use feedback from the first paper to adjust strategy for B.

Conclusion

AMC exams don’t just test your math—they test your discipline, exam strategy, and mindset. Most students lose points not because they don’t know the solution, but because of poor planning and careless errors. Fix your approach, not just your formulas.

Avoid these common mistakes, and you’ll be ahead of 90% of the competition.

We hope this article helps you. Reach out to us by filling out our assistance form if you need any help with the preparations.