MSU Hosts National Math Competitions as Montana Students Struggle With Proficiency

BOZEMAN — With less than one-third of Montana high school students testing as proficient or advanced in mathematics, Montana State University is offering an opportunity for the state’s most mathematically gifted students to compete on the national stage.

MSU will host the American Mathematics Competition 10/12 on Wednesday, Nov. 5, and Thursday, Nov. 13, providing free access to prestigious national mathematics contests that could open doors to further academic recognition.

The competitions come as Montana faces significant challenges in mathematics education. According to 2023-2024 state proficiency data, 39.79% of high school students scored as novice proficient in mathematics, while 29.53% were nearing proficient. Only 16.8% achieved proficient status, and 13.88% reached advanced proficient levels.

“Competitions are challenging yet presented in a friendly and supportive environment,” organizers said in announcing the contests. “Organizers hope the contests will help students gain self-confidence, recognize their talents and foster a love for mathematics.”

The American Mathematics Competition 10/12 contests, hosted by MSU’s Science Math Resource Center in the College of Education, Health and Human Development, were developed by the Mathematical Association of America. The competition series provides an opportunity for high school students to develop improved analytical thinking, problem-solving and advanced mathematics skills.

Both exams consist of 25 multiple-choice questions administered over 75 minutes. The AMC 10 exam covers the high school mathematics curriculum through grade 10, while AMC 12 covers high school math including trigonometry, advanced algebra and advanced geometry, but excluding calculus.

Students may register for either contest or both. The Nov. 5 (Test A) and Nov. 13 (Test B) examinations are designed to be equal in difficulty and distribution of topics, but feature unique questions.

Students through 10th grade and under 17½ years old are eligible to participate in AMC 10. Students through 12th grade and under 19½ years old may participate in AMC 12.

High-performing students will advance to the next level of national competition. Those who score among the top national participants will be invited to take the American Invitational Mathematics Examination. Top scorers will also receive gift cards.

The contests are administered in person on MSU’s Bozeman campus, with results submitted online and measured against a national competition pool.

Registration is free for Montana students and remains open until Oct. 29 for the Nov. 5 tests and until Nov. 5 for the Nov. 13 tests.

For more information, visit MSU website or contact the MSU Science Math Resource Center at [email protected] or 406-994-7476.