About this competition
The AMC 8 is the introductory contest in the Mathematical Association of America's (MAA) AMC series. It's a 40-minute, 25-question multiple-choice test covering material accessible to anyone in grade 8 or below — though the questions reward creative problem-solving far more than school-curriculum knowledge.
AMC 8 is the standard entry point to the U.S. olympiad math pipeline. Strong AMC 8 performers typically progress to AMC 10/12, AIME, and eventually USAMO.
Season & deadlines
Administered each January at participating schools; school registration opens in fall.
Season window: January through January.
Cost
Varies — Schools pay a small per-student fee (~$5-$10); free for students at participating schools.
Prizes & outcomes
Honor Roll, Distinguished Honor Roll, Achievement Roll
Prep resources
- Official rules and game manual · website
- Art of Problem Solving — AMC 8 problems and discussion · past problems
Summer math camps for middle schoolers
Strong AMC 8 prep often starts at summer math enrichment programs.
Building toward AMC 8?
AMC 8 / MATHCOUNTS Bootcamp is forming the next pilot cohort. Join the interest list — no commitment, no payment, we'll reach out personally.
Related competitions
Natural next step: American Mathematics Competitions 10/12