The AMC explained: divisions, scoring and awards

The five divisions

Every division has 30 questions. The first 25 are multiple choice, and the last 5 ask for a whole-number answer with no options to choose from.

What the questions are like

The AMC is about problem solving rather than school tests. The maths behind each question is usually familiar, but the question asks your child to use it in a way they haven't practised. Many questions come with a picture or a diagram. The hardest ones tend to be puzzles that reward careful, organised thinking more than long calculation.

How the paper is scored

The marks rise as the paper goes on, because the questions get harder.

• Questions 1 to 10 are worth 3 marks each.
• Questions 11 to 20 are worth 4 marks each.
• Questions 21 to 25 are worth 5 marks each.
• Questions 26 to 30 are worth 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 marks.

That makes 135 marks in all. There is no penalty for a wrong answer, so an answer is always worth giving. The last five questions carry 40 of the 135 marks, which is why reaching them with time left matters.

Pacing on the day

Thirty questions in 60 minutes is two minutes a question in the primary divisions. In the secondary divisions, 75 minutes gives two and a half. The first ten questions should take less than that, which leaves more time for the last ten. Those carry almost half of the marks. If a question has taken twice its share of time, move on and come back to it at the end.

The awards

Each award compares your child with students in the same year level and region, not with the whole division.

• Prize. Generally no more than one student in every 300.
• High Distinction. The top 3% of their year and region, or the top 5% in the Senior division.
• Distinction. The top 20%, or 25% in Senior.
• Credit. The top 55%, or 60% in Senior.
• Proficiency. Students who reach a set score but no higher award.
• Participation. Everyone else who sat the competition.

The percentages are counted from the top. A Distinction means your child was in the top 20% but not the top 3%. A Credit or better goes to more than half of all students.

What the certificate shows

The front of the printed certificate shows the award. The back carries a result report with:

• the total score, and the score in each of the three parts of the paper
• a percentile ranking for your child's year level and region
• every answer your child gave, next to the correct one
• a summary by area of maths
• how your child compared with the regional average in each area.

Reading the result with your child

Start with the three parts. Marks lost in the first part usually come from slips or misreading, because those questions are meant to be within reach. The later parts are where the competition starts to stretch everyone.

Then look at the areas of maths beside the regional average. An area well below the average is worth a closer look. One just below may be a single question.

Finally, choose two or three questions your child missed and work through them together, using the correct answers on the report. Ask how they first read each question before showing the method. Competition questions are often lost at the reading stage, not the arithmetic.

Entering and getting results

The Australian Maths Trust delivers its competitions through schools. Only teachers at schools, home schools and tutoring centres can register students. If your child's school doesn't take part, the Trust suggests talking to the school about it.

Every student receives a digital certificate through their school, and the AMC also has the printed certificate with the result report on the back. From 2025, the Trust has invited a broader range of high-performing students to its award ceremony.

Common questions

What counts as a good score?
There is no fixed pass mark. The awards rank your child against students in the same year level and region, so the award says more than the raw score.

What does a Proficiency certificate mean?
Your child reached the set score for Proficiency but ranked below the range for a Credit in their year and region. It is a real result, and the report on the back still shows where the marks came from.

Practising for next year

The best preparation is regular problem solving, with full papers against the clock in the weeks before. Our AMC-style practice papers for the Middle Primary to Intermediate divisions are free, and each is marked the moment your child finishes, with a worked solution on every question.

Where the official information lives

The Australian Maths Trust publishes the competition's divisions, scoring, awards and dates at amt.edu.au. Your child's school handles entries and certificates.

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