The American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) are a series of prestigious mathematics competitions held annually for students in the United States. There are two exam levels, the AMC 10 and the AMC 12. They are both exams that last for 75 minutes and have 25 questions, but the AMC 10 is geared towards students in 10th grade or below, while the AMC 12 is geared towards students in 12th grade or below. Most years, about ten problems are the same between the AMC 10 and the AMC 12.

Each exam has two tests, the A exam and the B exam. They are entirely different problem sets with traditionally other topic distributions. These exams are taken by tens of thousands of high school students each year. These exams have national awards for exceptionally high scoring students, and some top U.S. universities even allow students to state their exam scores on the application.

In 2023, the AMC 12A was marred by a significant leak of confidential exam materials. The leak occurred just days before the exam was scheduled to be administered, and it allowed some students to see the exam questions and practice them in advance.

The leak was met with widespread condemnation from the mathematics community. Many students and educators expressed concerns about the fairness of the competition and the potential impact on students’ scores. Some students accessing the leaked materials could score significantly higher than had they not. This gave them an unfair advantage over other students who didn’t have access to the leaked materials.

The leak also tarnished the reputation of the AMC and cast doubt on the integrity of the competition. It could have a long term impact on the AMC, as it may discourage some students from joining the competition. Additionally, students who meet a top 5% cutoff for the AMC 12 would be able to take the AIME or American Invitational Mathematics Exam. The leaks may significantly affect who gets into the exam and may give some spots to undeserving students.

The MAA took several steps to address the leak. The MAA launched an investigation into the leak to determine how it occurred and discover the perpetrators of the leak. The MAA also took steps to mitigate the leak’s impact on the 2023 AMC 12A. This included invalidating the scores of students who were suspected of cheating.

The MAA also announced that it would strengthen its security protocols to prevent future leaks, including reviewing exam preparation and administration procedures. In the near future, they will make the entire exam taking process take place digitally and release the exam to proctors on the contest day. Their hope is these actions will help eradicate cheating in these competitions.

The AMC is known for being a valuable competition that can help students develop their mathematical skills and prepare for college and careers in STEM fields. The MAA stated they are committed to ensuring that the AMC remains a fair and equitable competition for all students.