Should You Sit Both AMC Dates? How A and B Interact in November

Yes, a student may sit both the AMC 10A and AMC 10B, or both the AMC 12A and AMC 12B, on their separate November dates. The AMC 10 and AMC 12 are 25-question, 75-minute math competitions run by the MAA. AMC 10 eligibility needs grade 10 or below and age under 17.5; AMC 12 needs grade 12 or below and under 19.5. For 2026-27 the A contests fall on November 5 and the B contests on November 13.

One clarification matters first, because the SERP for "amc exam eligibility" is crowded with the Australian Medical Council. This page covers the American Mathematics Competitions, the MAA's AMC 10 and AMC 12 that feed the AIME. Every eligibility, format, and qualifying-score claim below comes from the Mathematical Association of America.

AMC 10 and AMC 12 Eligibility Rules: Grade, Age, and Which Version You Can Enter

The AMC 10 and AMC 12 are MAA-administered math competitions with two eligibility gates each: a grade ceiling and an age ceiling on the contest date. The AMC 10 opens to students in grade 10 or below who are under 17.5 years old on the contest date. The AMC 12 opens to grade 12 or below, under 19.5 years old.

Both exams run 25 multiple-choice questions in 75 minutes. The AMC 10 covers algebra, basic geometry, number theory, and probability but leaves out trigonometry and advanced algebra; the AMC 12 covers the full high school curriculum except calculus, per the MAA.

The overlap zone. A student in grade 9 or 10 who is under 17.5 meets both sets of criteria, so they may enter either the AMC 10 or the AMC 12. That's a genuine choice, not an accident of the rules. The trade-off is content against threshold: the AMC 12 adds trigonometry and advanced algebra but asks for 85 to qualify for the AIME, while the AMC 10 stops short of those topics and asks for 100.

If you are in grade 10 or below and still deciding, AMC 10 versus AMC 12 when your student can sit either walks through the choice.

Confirming eligibility is the easy part. The harder work is a plan targeting the qualifying threshold, which is where structured AMC 10 and 12 preparation built around the AIME score you need fits. In our coaching, every plan starts from a timed past-paper diagnostic before any topic work begins.

Can You Sit Both AMC A and B Dates, and Should You?

AMC A and AMC B are two separate November contest dates with different question sets, not two difficulty tiers.

The MAA lets eligible students take both an A exam on November 5 and a B exam on November 13, so AMC 10A and AMC 10B, or AMC 12A and AMC 12B.

The number that drives the decision: scores are not combined. A sitting that reaches the AIME qualifying score of 100 on the AMC 10 or 85 on the AMC 12 qualifies you, so a second date buys a second attempt, not a higher total.

Mixing versions. A student eligible for both exams may also sit AMC 10A and AMC 12B in the same year, or AMC 12A and AMC 10B. The MAA's rule is only that a student may not take both the AMC 10 and the AMC 12 on the same day. That flexibility helps a grade-10 student test whether the AMC 12 route is reachable while keeping the AMC 10 as a floor.

Sitting both dates can help a student calibrate pacing and question-selection instincts on the first date, so they walk into the second with real data rather than nerves. The decision still comes down to your gap to the threshold.

When sitting both AMC A and B dates makes sense:

1. Your practice scores sit within about 15 points of the qualifying score (an IvyStrides rule of thumb), where a single good day flips the result.

2. You have time to prepare properly for both dates rather than splitting thin preparation across two.

3. A bad-luck first sitting, a careless slip or a timing error, would otherwise end your AIME run for the year.

4. You are eligible for both versions and want to test the AMC 12 route without losing the AMC 10 safety net.

If your practice scores already sit comfortably above the threshold, or far below it with no realistic path to close the gap this cycle, the second sitting adds a contest day without changing the outcome.

What the AIME Qualifying Score Means for AMC 10 and AMC 12 Students

The AIME qualifying score is the AMC result that earns an invitation to the American Invitational Mathematics Examination. The MAA publishes it before the contests as a fixed qualifying threshold: 100 or above on the AMC 10 and 85 or above on the AMC 12, alongside its other eligibility requirements.

The AIME itself changes this cycle. The MAA is moving it to Pearson testing centers on February 5 and 6, 2027, as a computer-based exam of 15 questions in two 90-minute parts, 8 then 7. Each qualifier may take it once, and schedules a time directly with Pearson after receiving an invitation.

Treat the qualifying score as a target for timed past papers. Before contest day, read the scoring rules in the official instructions your competition manager provides: they decide whether guessing or leaving a question blank is the better play.

After the AIME, the MAA invites more than 400 students to the USAMO and USAJMO each year, chosen primarily on AIME scores. How many points it takes to qualify for the AIME covers what changes once you are in.

Students in grade 8 or below take the AMC 8 instead, a 25-question, 40-minute contest held January 21 to 27, 2027, with its own grade and age rules.

AMC Exam Dates and Registration: November A and B Deadlines

For 2026-27, the AMC 10A and AMC 12A fall on November 5, 2026, and the AMC 10B and AMC 12B on November 13, 2026. The MAA sets the dates each year, so confirm them at maa.org before you register.

Registration is not something a student does directly with the MAA the way they register for the SAT. Schools and approved contest managers administer the AMC, so most students sign up through a teacher or a local competition center.

How to register for the AMC 10 or AMC 12:

1. Confirm your grade and age against the eligibility rules for your chosen version.

2. Find your school's AMC coordinator, usually a math teacher or club advisor.

3. If your school does not offer the AMC, locate an approved contest center that accepts outside registrants.

4. Decide whether you are entering one sitting or both the A and B dates, and tell the coordinator before the earlier deadline.

5. Check the current AMC A and AMC B dates and registration deadlines at maa.org.

Outside the US and Canada, students take part through the MAA's AMC International program where their country participates. Either way, ask your coordinator about registration details for your site.

FAQ: AMC Exam Eligibility and the November Dates

What are the eligibility criteria for AMC?

The AMC 10 requires grade 10 or below and age under 17.5 on the contest date. The AMC 12 requires grade 12 or below and age under 19.5. Students in grades 9 and 10 who are under 17.5 may choose either version. The MAA administers both exams in November.

What is the AMC qualifying score?

There is no single passing score. The number that matters is the AIME qualifying score: 100 or above on the AMC 10, or 85 or above on the AMC 12.

How difficult is the AMC exam?

The AMC 10 and AMC 12 are demanding competition exams. Questions draw on algebra, geometry, number theory, and probability, and the AMC 12 adds trigonometry and advanced algebra. In our coaching, students aiming for the AIME usually plan several months of timed past-paper practice.

How long does it take to prepare for an AMC exam?

IvyStrides suggests roughly three to six months of structured practice, working through past contest problems by topic, with timed full-length practice closer to the contest date.

Your Next Step on AMC Eligibility and the A/B Decision

You can confirm eligibility from two numbers, your grade and your age on the contest date, and decide the A-versus-B question from one gap: how far your practice scores sit from 100 or 85.

• Check your grade and age against the version you want to enter.
• Run a timed past paper to see where you land against the qualifying threshold.
• Decide one sitting or both based on that gap, not on habit.
• Verify the current AMC A and AMC B dates and deadlines at maa.org before you register.