Changes in the 2010 USAMO/ Announcing the 2010 USA Jr. MO

[simo14]

^ They are proof question, but at 13-15 AIME level Is this definite?[/i]

[benzi455]

Actually,

[mathking123]

1) Can 10th graders qualify for blue MOP through USAJMO?
2) If so, how will these 10th graders be compared to those (10th graders) who took the USAMO in terms of MOP qualification?

[MellowMelon]

Questions about the USAJMO question format have been addressed here by AMC officials.

mathking: I have not seen this answered for sure. But if USAJMO contestants could qualify for blue MOP the whole idea would be laughably stupid. Based on what the USAJMO difficulty sounds like, most blue MOP qualifiers should be able to get a perfect on it, and people not at blue level would probably be able to as well.

[AMCDirector]

[Hamster1800]

As someone who essentially qualified for the USAMO in 9th grade because of the expansion and who met the blue mop cutoff (although was placed in red mop, which I feel was better for me), I am somewhat biased against this change. Even as a ninth grader, I felt like the AMC10 was uninteresting, having gotten a 146.5 on it the year before (that was before the 2.5->1.5 score change). Therefore, I only took the AMC12 my freshman year, even though I realized that it may hurt my chances of making USAMO. I ended up with a 144/6, for a 204 index. The cutoff that year was 197.5 (If I remember correctly), but if the expansion were not in place, I feel like I would not have qualified. What worries me is that I took the AMC12 because I find easy problems uninteresting, not because it would help qualifying for any future exam, so I am not sure that I would have taken the AMC10 at all even with this new rule. I would strongly object to having no way to qualify for USAJMO having only taken the AMC12. Actually, I am worried that you might accidentally miss some 10th graders who are worthy of blue mop (as would have been the case if I had been a year older), whereas with the expansion this is pretty much impossible.

I do realize that I am by far the exception, and you won't miss more than one or two such people, but I definitely feel that it's doing a disservice to that minority of underclassmen who would want to take the AMC12 rather than the AMC10 for the interesting problems and are worthy of making USAJMO but not necessarily USAMO, or those ninth graders who are ready for red mop but miss the USAMO cutoff and didn't try for the USAJMO cutoff.

[mathboy0]

I took 2 AMC12s both 9th and 10th grade for the same reason. I didn't qualify in 9th though I got an 8 on the AIME.

I think it should be at least part of the objective of the selection processes to have people taking the most challenging tests they will do reasonably well on. I see no reason for someone who will get a 0 on the USAMO to take it instead of an easier test, but that isn't true on AMC10/12 for anyone with a remote chance of making either Olympiad. We can all do the AMC12, and the selection process shouldn't make us waste our time on the AMC10.

(For the record, I'll be an 11th grader next year and be mostly unaffected by the exact process.)

[BOGTRO]

There is no possible solution that will leave everybody happy. The AMC committee or whatever attempts to find the solution that satisfies the most people. This is what they came up with. Obviously, there will always be some people who don't like their decisions. Personally, I think it is a good move. I will be in 7th grade and will take the AMC 12 next year based on this change. This is what the AMC committee is looking for. They are encouraging taking the AMC 12.

[doyu007]

Does this mean that AMC 12 is gonna get much harder?(Since we will only see AMC 12 index)

[PerpetualMotion]

Because 10th graders in USAJMO can't qualify for blue MOP, doesn't that mean that USAJMO is essentially a dead end for 10th graders?

[Silverfalcon]