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Failed AIME cutoff by 2 points — how do I actually improve?

by Tyler B. 77 views3 replies
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Tyler B.OP
May 27, 2026

So I took the AMC 10B last month and scored a 96, which put me just below the AIME cutoff. Honestly I was devastated — I'd been studying for about six weeks and thought I was ready. My weak spots are definitely combinatorics and number theory, which is kind of brutal because those show up constantly.

I've been looking at AIME practice test problems from previous years and they feel like a completely different language compared to AMC. Like, I can follow the solution once I read it, but I'd never get there on my own under timed conditions. Has anyone found a study guide that actually bridges that gap? I don't want to just grind 200 past problems without any structure.

I'm planning to try again next year and I have about 10 months. Aiming for at least qualifying and maybe cracking a 6 or 7 on the actual AIME. Is that realistic if I put in maybe 5-6 hours a week? Any exam tips from people who made the jump from AMC to AIME would be huge right now.

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James R.
May 27, 2026
Completely been there. The jump from AMC to AIME is real — it's not just harder problems, it's a totally different problem-solving mode. What worked for me was Art of Problem Solving's Introduction to Counting & Probability before touching any timed practice. Once the theory clicked, past AIME problems stopped feeling impossible. Give yourself until December before you start full timed mocks, seriously. Building foundations first saved me probably 3 months of spinning my wheels.
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Megan P.
May 28, 2026
Honest take: 5-6 hours a week is enough if you're deliberate about it. Don't just do problems — after every problem you miss, write out WHY you missed it. Was it a concept gap, a computational error, or did you just not see the right approach? I kept a mistake journal and it sounds corny but my score went from a 4 to a 9 over one summer. Combinatorics specifically — learn generating functions early, it unlocks so many AIME problems that look impossible otherwise.
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Chloe W.
May 28, 2026
6 or 7 is totally realistic in 10 months if you stay consistent. I qualified my junior year after failing twice. The biggest exam tip nobody tells you: on AIME, if you're stuck after 8 minutes, skip it. Time management matters way more than it does on AMC. Good luck!

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