On Aug. 26, 2026, the Mathematical Association of America (MAA), which administers the nationally-renowned American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) and the accompanying Invitational Competitions, released a series of major changes to the format of the competition series. The changes include moving the administration of the first in the Invitational Competition series to Pearson Testing Centers and changes to the eligibility requirements for students to participate and advance in the competitions.

The Invitational Competitions consist of three exams: the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME), the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO), and its accompanying Junior Mathematical Olympiad (JMO) for students in grades 10 or lower. Top competitors in the USAMO and JMO are among the students selected to represent the United States at the famed International Mathematical Olympiad.

Pearson Testing Centers are secure and proctored facilities that host certification and academic exams, including the Law School Admission Test and the Graduate Management Admission Test, entrance exams for law school and business school respectively. Testing rooms are divided into individual cubicles, each with an on-site computer, monitored by test proctors and security cameras. This testing environment is contrasted to that of past years, where students took the AIME at their high school and were often proctored by a single teacher. Students will only be allowed to use laminated paper and dry-erase markers for scratchwork, as is the standard for any exam held at a Pearson center. This is primarily to prevent students from writing or etching illicitly-obtained responses on blank pieces of paper, and then using those papers as scratch paper during the test.

Instead of an uninterrupted session, the exam will be split into two 90-minute sections, one with eight questions and one with seven questions. Competitors will not be allowed to return to the first section after the first 90 minutes have elapsed. The sections will be administered consecutively, and students will not have the opportunity to use the bathroom or exit the room except during a short break between sections.

According to investigations conducted by the Tatler, during the AIME, students used electronic devices including smart watches and phones hidden in jackets or bathroom stalls to access test answers after they were solved by generative AI tools mid-test. This year, students will not have the opportunity to use the bathroom or exit the room except during a short break between the two sections of the exam.

To qualify for the AIME, students must first attain a score high enough on the AMC. In past years, the MAA used an adjustable “cutoff” score to determine which students would advance to the next competition in the series. As a result of widespread cheating, the 2025-26 competition season saw significantly higher cutoff scores compared to previous years, leading many competitors and their families to call for major changes in the ways competitions were conducted.

This year, instead of an annually-adjusted cutoff to determine selection for the AIME, a score of 100 on the AMC 10 and an 85 on the AMC 12 will be enough to be invited. Additionally, while in past years the MAA combined AMC and AIME scores in an index to determine which competitors were eligible to participate in the USAMO and JMO, this year, the MAA will only use AIME scores to do so, effectively reducing incentive to cheat on the AMC.

The upcoming move to Pearson testing centers gives rise to questions surrounding accessibility. There are approximately 210 such centers in the United States, with Idaho, Maine, and North Dakota having no official centers. States including Hawaii, New Hampshire, Wyoming, Montana, and Mississippi have only one, and states such as Nevada and New Mexico have only two. Washington state has four, in Seattle, Renton, and Yakima.

Previously, the AIME was held in two different iterations, called the AIME I and the AIME II. Each iteration consisted of 15 problems, and a competitor could freely move between any of the 15. Proctors, often high school teachers, used to receive exams 30 minutes prior to the nationally-coordinated start of the exam. Competitors were given regular printer paper for scratchwork and could take the exam digitally or on paper. The three uninterrupted hours of testing started at the same time nationwide. Now, only one instance of the AIME will be administered annually, and competitors will choose a three-hour slot to take the exam over a period of two days.

Within hours of the MAA’s press release, students were already discussing the changes on messaging platforms such as Discord. There was a general sense of surprise; however, Raymond Z. ’27, who has participated in the AMCs since elementary school, said that parents on WeChat were expecting this change, especially the shift to testing centers. Raymond added that the changes were long overdue, in part due to the MAA’s prestige as the organization that sends the United States’ team to the International Math Olympiad. According to him, “if they [the MAA] don’t improve, then there are other organizations like OMEGA Math that are going to take their place.”

Other students expressed mixed feelings. On one hand, Terence W. ’29, a five-time AIME qualifier, said that “it’s kind of scary if you split it in half,” while Sophia X. ’30, an AMC competitor with five years of experience, expressed that she was glad the AIME cutoff became fixed and that there is less incentive to cheat. Raymond and Terence both decided that the MAA is making a necessary tradeoff between the less-favorable changes (such as the $85 fee) and the increased security.

With these new changes in mind, students are beginning to shift priorities and adjust their competition strategy. Terence mentioned that he started doing AIME mock exams in the new format, which helped him get used to the changes and realize that he still had ample time to check his answers. Eason D. ’29, a three-time AIME qualifier, said that he’s “probably going to start focusing a lot more on [the] AIME instead of focusing on [the] AMC 10,” since qualification for the USAMO and USAJMO are now based only on AIME scores.

In response to the long-standing issue of cheating, the MAA has made a visibly greater effort than in recent years to enforce the security of its competitions — though with some trade-offs. There is much uncertainty around how successful the MAA’s changes will be, which Raymond expressed succinctly with one question: “They’re learning from their mistakes, but who knows if it is enough?”