Mathematics
Australian Mathematics Competition
(AMC)
The Australian Mathematics Competition is Australia’s longest running, largest and most well-known maths competition for school students.
CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES
AMC 2026
Format
Registration Deadline (NZ Time)
Eligible Years
In-person online
24 July 2026 at 11:00:00 am
NZ Years 4–13
Central Auckland
Competition Date (NZ Time)
6 August 2026 at 4:30:00 am
Location
Kohia Terrace School
Christchurch
Competition Date (NZ Time)
5 August 2026 at 4:30:00 am
Location
Christchurch
East Auckland
Competition Date (NZ Time)
5 August 2026 at 4:30:00 am
Location
Eastview Baptist Church
Northshore Auckland
Competition Date (NZ Time)
4 August 2026 at 4:30:00 am
Location
Massey University
Course Information
Optional preparation courses or resources for this round (if available)
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Submission and Confirmation
Please check your email address carefully before submitting the registration form.
Once you submit the form, you will receive a confirmation email automatically.
All other important communications (including the Exam Instructions, Results and Certificates, etc) will be sent to the email address you submitted to us. Please check your email inbox and junk mail / spam folder regularly!
What Happens Next?
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Registration Received
We will send you a confirmation email
We may review your registration if required
Eligibility Review
You will receive the Exam Instructions closer to the date
Exam Instructions
Participate and do your best!
Competition Day
Competition Overview
Australian Mathematics Competition
The Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC) is the flagship mathematics competition of the Australian Maths Trust. First held in 1978, it is Australia’s longest-running and best-known school mathematics competition, engaging primary and secondary students in Australia and internationally.
Each year, the AMC presents a new set of problems developed by experienced mathematicians and educators. The questions are designed to assess more than routine calculation: students must interpret information, recognise patterns, select appropriate strategies and apply mathematical ideas in unfamiliar situations.
The competition is offered across five official divisions—Middle Primary, Upper Primary, Junior, Intermediate and Senior—and contains 30 questions that become progressively more challenging. Students receive a score, an award outcome and a performance certificate showing how they performed across different areas of mathematics.
The AMC gives students an opportunity to:
apply classroom mathematics to unfamiliar and engaging problems;
strengthen logical reasoning, mathematical interpretation and problem-solving skills;
experience an internationally recognised mathematics competition;
challenge themselves at a level appropriate to their school year;
receive an external benchmark against students in the same year level and region;
identify areas of mathematical strength and opportunities for further development;
gain recognition through certificates, awards and special distinctions; and
explore whether they are ready for more advanced mathematics enrichment or Olympiad-style opportunities.
The problems become progressively more difficult, allowing a broad range of students to engage with the early questions while providing substantial extension for strong problem solvers.
The AMC is suitable for students who:
enjoy mathematics, puzzles, patterns or logical challenges;
want to apply school mathematics beyond routine exercises;
would like to assess their mathematical problem-solving ability;
are participating in an academic competition for the first time;
want a structured challenge without beginning directly at Olympiad level;
are looking for extension beyond the standard classroom programme; or
may be ready to explore more advanced AMT competitions in the future.
It is not limited to experienced competition students. Because the paper increases in difficulty, students with different levels of confidence can attempt meaningful questions while stronger students are extended by the later problems.
Students do not need intensive Olympiad training to participate successfully in the AMC. Preparation should focus on understanding the format, strengthening core mathematics and becoming comfortable with unfamiliar problem-solving situations.
Recommended preparation includes:
reviewing the main mathematics topics appropriate to the student’s division;
attempting official AMC sample problems;
practising previous AMC questions at the correct division level;
studying worked solutions and comparing different solution methods;
practising without a calculator where calculators are not permitted;
developing systematic strategies for diagrams, patterns and counting problems;
completing some practice sets under timed conditions;
learning to skip a difficult question temporarily and return to it later;
checking integer answers carefully before submitting them; and
attempting every question, as incorrect answers do not attract a penalty.
The Australian Maths Trust provides official sample sets for each division, with six previous AMC problems and worked solutions. Past-paper packs and additional problem-solving resources are also available.
The AMC consists of 30 questions:
25 multiple-choice questions
5 questions requiring an integer answer
Primary Divisions
Middle Primary and Upper Primary students have 60 minutes.
Secondary Divisions
Junior, Intermediate and Senior students have 75 minutes.
Scoring
Questions 1–10: 3 marks each
Questions 11–20: 4 marks each
Questions 21–25: 5 marks each
Questions 26–30: 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 marks respectively
Maximum score: 135 marks
There is no penalty for an incorrect answer, so students are encouraged to attempt every question.
The official competition may be delivered online or as a printed paper. The delivery option available to New Zealand students should be confirmed through the current competition opportunity.
Pocket or scientific calculators are permitted only in the Middle Primary and Upper Primary divisions. Calculators are not permitted in the Junior, Intermediate or Senior divisions. Printed language dictionaries or approved readers may be used in all divisions.
Every participating student receives an award outcome and an electronic certificate. AMC participants also receive a hard-copy performance certificate. The certificate records the student’s result and provides information about their performance.
Participation
Awarded to a student who participates and does not receive a higher award.
Proficiency
Awarded to a student who reaches a preset score and receives no higher award. This recognises competency in mathematical problem solving against Australian standards.
Credit
Awarded to students in approximately the top 55% of their year level and region, or the top 60% in the Senior division, who receive no higher award.
Distinction
Awarded to students in approximately the top 20% of their year level and region, or the top 25% in the Senior division, who receive no higher award.
High Distinction
Awarded to students in approximately the top 3% of their year level and region, or the top 5% in the Senior division, who receive no higher award.
Prize
Generally awarded to no more than one student in every 300 students within a region and year group.
Best in School
Awarded to the strongest eligible result within a school, after adjustment for year level. Minimum entry and achievement conditions apply.
Peter O’Halloran Award
Awarded to any student who achieves a perfect score.
Additional recognition may include AMC Medals and the Cheryl Praeger Medal, subject to the applicable criteria.
Award cut-off scores are determined by comparing students with others in the same year level and region, such as an Australian state or territory or an individual country. Cut-offs vary from year to year depending on the difficulty of the paper and overall performance.
The AMC is a broad-entry mathematics competition and does not itself represent direct entry into the Australian Maths Trust’s Olympiad pathway.
However, a very strong AMC result may indicate that a student is ready for more advanced mathematical problem solving. Students in suitable year levels may consider the Australian Intermediate Mathematics Olympiad (AIMO), a substantially more demanding competition that includes integer-answer questions and written mathematical solutions.
The Australian Maths Trust identifies students for its formal Olympiad pathway primarily through more advanced competitions and programmes. AIMO is specifically described as suitable for students who have scored very highly in the AMC, and AIMO results may be used to identify students for the AMT Olympiad pathway.
Entry into any subsequent competition, programme or selection pathway is separate and is not automatic following AMC participation or an AMC award.
Students do not need intensive Olympiad training to participate successfully in the AMC. Preparation should focus on understanding the format, strengthening core mathematics and becoming comfortable with unfamiliar problem-solving situations.
Recommended preparation includes:
reviewing the main mathematics topics appropriate to the student’s division;
attempting official AMC sample problems;
practising previous AMC questions at the correct division level;
studying worked solutions and comparing different solution methods;
practising without a calculator where calculators are not permitted;
developing systematic strategies for diagrams, patterns and counting problems;
completing some practice sets under timed conditions;
learning to skip a difficult question temporarily and return to it later;
checking integer answers carefully before submitting them; and
attempting every question, as incorrect answers do not attract a penalty.
The Australian Maths Trust provides official sample sets for each division, with six previous AMC problems and worked solutions. Past-paper packs and additional problem-solving resources are also available.