5 tips for AMC 8 competition to help ensure a better exam result!

It is widely acknowledged that the AMC 8 is a difficult math competition. Only a small percentage of participants end up being in the top percentile. However, this does not mean that students cannot improve the second time around! If your child was unhappy with their score from a previous AMC exam. This article is here to provide some AMC 8 competition help and advice on how to boost their results! 

What is the AMC 8?

Full name: American Mathematics Competitions 8

Purpose: To promote the beauty of math and get kids excited about the subject. It is also an opportunity for students to show off their math skills and test their critical thinking abilities. Many students who perform well at the AMC 8 end up achieving success in AMC 10, AMC 12, and even AIME. 

Subject: Students in grade 8 and below.

Exam Structure: 25 multiple choice with 40 minutes time limit.

Topics: Potential topics include counting and probability, estimation, proportional reasoning, elementary geometry including the Pythagorean Theorem, spatial visualization, everyday applications, and reading and interpreting graphs and tables. Furthermore, some of the later questions may involve linear or quadratic functions and equations, coordinate geometry, and other topics traditionally covered in a beginning algebra course.

Register for 2024 AMC 8 In-person Exam at the Think Academy

Before we go ahead and prepare for the AMC 8, the first step is to register for the 2023 AMC 8 Exam. The Think Academy is holding the 2023 AMC 8 in-person exam. Currently, the available locations include Cupertino CA, Bellevue WA, and Manhattan NY.

• Pick the test center from the list below and click it to sign up:
  • Cupertino
  • Fremont
  • Bellevue
  • Manhattan

**Please note that some of our test centers may already be full, so we recommend securing your spot as soon as possible!

If our testing sites are not conveniently located for you, please use this link to find the nearest exam location, and register for exam on the MAA official website. 

How to get fully prepared for the 2024 AMC 8 Exam?

After registering AMC 8 Exam, let’s talk about how to get prepared for it. Here are five tips for students.

1. Improve Number Sense Skills

Number sense skills are incredibly useful for solving problems 1-15 on the AMC 8 exam. Since these questions are usually school math problems that can be solved in two different ways. The technique that is taught in your typical school math class will most likely take longer to get the correct answer. 

Because of this, learning tricks to improve number sense abilities is key! High-level number sense skills enable students to be able to solve problems quicker. Remember, participants only have 40 minutes to solve 25 problems. Every minute counts during the AMC 8 exam!

2. Organize Your Scratch Paper

A successful test performance starts with great organizational skills! If a student is taking too much time to locate their work from earlier problems. Their chances of getting through all of the questions within the 40-minute timespan become slim.

Organizing your sheet of scratch paper during the exam will allow you to go back and review previous problems more efficiently. One way to organize your scratch paper is to divide it into four separate sections. Label each section with a question number and keep your work for that specific question in there. That way, if you need to double check your work from an earlier question, it is easy to find! 

3. Practice Makes Perfect

Before exam day, it is very important to make sure that you have no weak spots. Practicing problems from every AMC 8 topic will help ensure that no question is too difficult to solve. For example, if you missed a question from your practice session because you did not understand the concept. Make a note of it and take it upon yourself to learn how to solve that specific problem. 

Around two weeks before the exam, revisit the questions you missed on your practice test. Doing this will further solidify your skills and help you retain the knowledge that you learned regarding these tougher subjects. In addition, write important formulas, problem-solving strategies, and techniques into your notebook. As always, challenge yourself and never give up!

You can click here to download FREE AMC 8 practice problems.

4. Take Mock Tests

One of the best ways to prepare for the AMC 8 is to take as many mock tests as possible! Mock tests are as close to the real deal as you are going to get and will better prepare you for what to expect on exam day. 

In addition, make sure to replicate a testing environment by setting a timer for 40 minutes. Within those 40 minutes, have your child try to solve 25 questions from previous AMC 8 exams. Parents can especially help with this activity by playing the role of the test proctor! 

From September to January next year, Think Academy offers both online and in-person FREE AMC 8 mock tests. You can click here to register for our mock tests.

5. Get a Math Tutor or Register for an AMC 8 Camp Class

Tutors and prep classes are especially helpful with math competition preparation. Instead of having your child spend hours trying to understand a problem, which will eventually lead to frustration. Math tutors and prep classes are able to guide students through the problem-solving process step by step and provide them with tools on how to effectively find the solutions to calculations or equations. 

On top of that, tutors and prep classes have access to the best mock tests and practice problems. Overall, either option will help your child study for math competitions such as the AMC 8 in a more efficient and less stressful manner. 

Currently, Think Academy is offering AMC 8 camp classes targeting different award levels in AMC 8.

• Achievement Roll Camp: to obtain a score of 15+ in the AMC 8 Exam
• Honor Roll Camp: to obtain a score of 18-22 in the AMC 8 Exam
• Distinguished Honor Roll Camp: to obtain a score of 22+ in the AMC 8 Exam

Please check our AMC 8 page about the camp classes.

Win Awards of AMC 8 at the Think Academy

Last year, the Think Academy was the TOP 1 test center that has the biggest number of students getting awards in the 2022 AMC 8 exam.

Among the students who took the exam at the Think Academy, 160 of them got the achievement roll, 50 of them got the honor roll, and 18 of them got the distinguished honor roll. In addition, as for Think Academy students, 87 got the achievement roll, 39 got the honor roll, and 11 got the distinguished honor roll.

Think Academy’s Classes

For those who are interested, we provide numerous different math courses for children in grades K-8. We have short-term basic math classes that can help improve your child’s fundamental math skills. These courses last only about four weeks. 

In addition, we also have K-8 long-term classes to ensure that students master the math material in their respective grades. These semester-long courses are available on three different levels (Advancement, Mastery, ACE) to account for all learning speeds!

To learn more about AMC 8 exam, please contact Think Academy at info@thethinkacademy.com or +1 (844) 844-6587.

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