Once a year, students gather in Benilde-St. Margaret’s Great Hall to participate in the American Math Competition, also known as the AMC. This year, it was held on Tuesday, February 9, from 8:50 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. with a total of 80 students signed up.

The AMC is a no-calculator test comprised of non-standardized questions and is out of 150 points. If a student scores 100 or above on the AMC, that student moves on to the American Invitational Math exam, and with a successful completion of that test, there is an opportunity to move onto the U.S. Math Olympiad.

As far as recognition goes for doing well on this exam, prospects for scholarships open up and BSM gives awards to the high scorers as well. “You can get an award for having the highest score in your school, highest score in your grade. We recognize the best female and male students, just an incentive for taking it,” said Mr. Dan Bowler, math teacher.

The AMC exam is made for all grades starting in junior high. There is an AMC 8, for seventh to eighth graders, an AMC 10 for freshmen to sophomores, and an AMC 12 for juniors and seniors.