The American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME) rewards months of steady, deliberate practice far more than a last-minute cram, which is why a clear AIME preparation timeline matters so much.
The AIME is the second step on the Mathematical Association of America's competition ladder, sitting between the AMC 10/12 and the USAMO/USAJMO. It is a 15-question, 3-hour exam in which every answer is an integer from 0 to 999. There is no multiple choice, no partial credit, and no calculator — just fifteen problems of increasing difficulty. Because qualification and the exam itself are anchored to a fixed seasonal calendar, you can plan backward and build a realistic schedule. This guide walks through that calendar so students and parents know what to do, and when.
Understanding the AIME calendar
The math competition season follows a predictable rhythm. The AMC 10 and AMC 12 are held in November, qualifying scores and invitations are released soon after, and the AIME is administered in February. Students who excel on the AIME may then be invited to the USAMO or USAJMO in the spring. You qualify for the AIME by ranking among the top scorers on the AMC 10 (roughly the top 2.5%) or the AMC 12 (roughly the top 5%); the MAA publishes the exact cutoffs each year, and they shift with exam difficulty, so always confirm current thresholds and dates on the official MAA site.
The AIME is offered as AIME I (primary date) and AIME II (alternate date). You may take only one — sitting both results in disqualification. Plan which date fits your schedule early, and check the official registration details rather than relying on hearsay.
A month-by-month AIME preparation timeline
The most effective preparation does not begin in February. It begins long before you even know whether you have qualified, because the skills that earn an AIME invitation are the same skills the AIME tests at a deeper level.
Summer and early fall: build the foundation
- Master the core AMC topics — number theory, combinatorics, algebra, and geometry — since these are the same domains the AIME probes more rigorously.
- Work through past AMC 10/12 problems untimed first, then under time pressure, to convert knowledge into speed.
- Begin a problem journal: record every problem you miss, the concept behind it, and the cleaner solution.
November: take the AMC 10/12
- Sit the AMC with the goal of qualifying. Treat it as a checkpoint, not a finish line.
- Immediately after, review every problem while it is fresh — your November mistakes are your December curriculum.
December and January: shift into AIME mode
- Move from multiple-choice strategy to full, exact integer answers. On the AIME there is no guessing your way to credit.
- Practice with real past AIME papers under authentic conditions: a quiet room, three hours, no calculator.
- Drill the topics that historically carry the AIME — clever counting, modular arithmetic, and coordinate or synthetic geometry.
- Build stamina. Three hours of sustained concentration is itself a skill, and many strong students lose points late in the exam simply from fatigue.
The final two weeks: sharpen, don't expand
- Stop learning brand-new topics. Reinforce what you already know and eliminate careless errors.
- Practice answer-entry discipline — writing leading zeros correctly (for example, 7 as 007) so a right answer is never marked wrong.
- Take one or two full timed papers, then rest. Sleep matters more than one more late-night problem set.
Consistency beats intensity. A student who solves a few challenging problems daily for months will almost always outperform one who attempts a frantic February sprint.
Habits that separate qualifiers from finishers
Strong AIME scorers share a few habits worth adopting early. They review more than they attempt, treating each missed problem as a lesson rather than a verdict. They simulate real exam conditions instead of practicing only in comfortable, untimed settings. And they keep the bigger picture in view — the AIME is preparation for olympiad-level mathematics, so the proof-style thinking they build now pays off later. For students who enjoy this kind of structured problem-solving, the same rigor transfers naturally to fields like competitive programming and independent research.
If you want a guided path through this timeline — diagnostics, curated problem sets, and timed mock exams — explore BIAA's AMC and AIME preparation track and find the program that fits your goals.