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What Is a Good AMC Score? Percentiles, Cutoffs, and Honors
If you are aiming for the AMC 8, AMC 10, or AMC 12, the question "What counts as a good score?" is trickier than it seems. Some students are laser focused on an AIME invitation. Others want their name printed on the Honor Roll. Many just want to beat their score from last year.
The truth is that "good" depends on where you stand now, where you want to go, and how you plan to get there. Let's break it down.
Understanding AMC Scoring
Every AMC contest shares the same basic shape: twenty five multiple choice problems, escalating in difficulty, with no partial credit.
On the AMC 8 you earn one point for each correct answer. That's it.
On the AMC 10 and AMC 12 the system is different. You get six points for a correct answer, one and a half for leaving a question blank, and zero for an incorrect choice. Since there is no penalty for skipping, it is often wiser to leave a problem blank than to gamble on a random guess.
The maximum score is twenty five on the AMC 8 and one hundred fifty on the AMC 10 and 12. Historical cutoff scores can be found through archives compiled by competition training resources and past contest records. Reviewing them is a smart way to set targets and see how difficulty varies from year to year.
What Is a Good Score on the AMC 8?
The AMC 8 is designed for middle school students in grades six through eight. Most participants land somewhere between ten and eighteen points.
Score around nineteen or higher and you are typically in the top five percent nationwide. That earns a spot on the Honor Roll.
Score twenty three or higher and you are probably in the top one percent, which means a Distinguished Honor Roll certificate.
Students in grade six or below who reach fifteen points also receive a Certificate of Achievement.
The point is, you do not need perfection to stand out. A strong AMC 8 performance is about reasoning well, avoiding careless errors, and pacing yourself over the forty minute sprint.
What Is a Good Score on the AMC 10 and AMC 12?
These contests open the door to the AIME. Qualifying is a significant achievement in the math competition world.
Each year the MAA sets AIME cutoffs, and they shift slightly depending on the test's difficulty and national performance trends. Recently the AMC 10 cutoff has hovered between about one hundred and one hundred fifteen points. For the AMC 12, the range is often ninety to one hundred ten.
If AIME is your goal, aim for or above those numbers. Our AIME qualifying guide walks through the details.
Even if you fall short of the cutoff, a score in the mid eighties to low hundreds is still strong. It places you well above average and may qualify you for Honor Roll recognition if you are in the top five percent, or Distinguished Honor Roll if you reach the top one percent. These honors appear on official score reports and can be excellent additions to an academic résumé.
Percentiles and How to Use Them
Percentiles tell you how your score stacks up. A percentile of ninety means you outperformed ninety percent of students who took the same contest.
They are especially useful if you compete multiple times. You might not hit a specific cutoff this year, but if your percentile rises from eighty to eighty eight, that's real, measurable progress. And progress is the currency that buys future breakthroughs.
Final Thoughts
A good AMC score is not a single number. It is a moving target shaped by your goals. For one person, it is the AIME qualifier. For another, it is an Honor Roll listing. For many, it is proof that their problem solving skills are sharper than they were a year ago.
Whatever your target, the strategy is the same: practice deliberately, track your growth, and treat every contest as a chance to learn.
At Math Prep Pro, we specialize in exactly that. Our free AMC practice tests and detailed analytics show you where your accuracy is strong, where your timing can improve, and how to close the gaps.
A good score starts with good preparation. And the best time to start is today.
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| Test Name | Action |
|---|---|
| AMC 8 Style | Take AMC 8 Practice Test |
| AMC 10 Style | Take AMC 10 Practice Test |
| AMC 12 Style | Take AMC 12 Practice Test |
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