Out of the 100 Diamond Bar High School students that took the AMC test, six students qualified for the next-level AIME test on Feb. 7. Each year, only certain students with enough merit in their math classes can qualify for the American Mathematics Competition (AMC) and the American Invitational Mathematics Exam (AIME) in hopes of then qualifying for the United States National Math Olympiad Team. The AMC and AIME exams offer opportunities for capable students to showcase their mathematical proficiency and receive recognition for their dedication, hard work, and passion.

“If I qualify for the USAMO, I’ll probably feel kind of happy,” senior Jason Kim said. “At this point, I recognize the qualification is a good achievement, but I don’t see it as having a particularly special value.” 

Students are given three hours to answer 15 challenging math questions with answers that range from 0 – 999 as whole numbers. 

“I think that I probably had a similar performance to previous AIMEs,” Kim said after taking the test. “I expect around seven points. I came up with more than seven answers. But on a hard test like this or on any math contest, it’s common to miss some you think you solved.” 

Previously Kim had been taking similar math tests, and most of the preparation for the recent contests including the AMC and AIME came from previous experiences.

“I didn’t do much to prepare this year, honestly,” Kim said. “I’ve taken a lot of the math contests offered at school this year.”

 Kim mentions, that he has taken different math contests and courses through middle school and high school and believes that competition math does not have any specific time restriction but admits that it has helped him while he was taking the tests. He believes that the knowledge and skills that are required to excel in math competitions can be gained through persistent efforts and practice.

 Students with a keen interest in mathematics and prior exposure to similar tests, such as Jason Kim, work to possess the skills necessary to continuously meet the challenges posed by these exams. 

“ I believe math has a lot of beauty,” Kim said. “It’s logical, and there are multiple right methods. Math is in life all of the time, so it’s a really important subject.”