The OTIS Mock AIME
Satisfactory. Keep cooking.
About#
The OTIS Mock AIME is an annual 3-hour exam consisting of 15 problems whose answers are integers between $0$ and $999$. As the name suggests, it is yet another unofficial paper intended to emulate the American Invitational Mathematics Exam.
The defining characteristic of the OTIS Mock AIME is that all the problems are composed by students from the OTIS program. That is, Evan runs this annual exam as a way to give his students a chance to try their hand at problem composition.
In general2 the OTIS Mock AIME will be somewhat harder than the actual AIME, by perhaps 2 to 4 problems. But more tangibly, it will also have significant artistic license.1 Problems will freely assume IMO-style background throughout the test, and intentionally stretch the boundary of what constitutes an “AIME problem”.
Thanks to missfit.ann for contributing the cover art.
Current edition#
We’re live!
Logistics:
- The 2026 problems are now posted.
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Errata: at Sun Dec 21 03:57:36 AM UTC 2025, we realized the numbers in problem 13 led to an impossible configuration. We have updated the numbers so that the quadrilateral actually exists. We will award credit for either the originally intended answer (which many students still submitted) or the updated answer after the fix.
The error is Evan’s mistake, not that of the problem author.
- The problems file will provide a link to submit answers. No registration or pre-commitment is required.
- If you’d like to submit for statistics/bragging, the deadline is Tuesday, January 20, 2026 at 11:59pm Pacific time. Please avoid public spoilers for the problems before that date.
- Anyone will be able to download the exam and attempt the problems, and submit their answers for scoring. We may recognize high scores for bragging rights but don’t otherwise offer prizes.
Past exams#
Here is an AoPS collection for all past threads.
- 2026: (problems) (thread)
Format#
Like the AIME, there are 15 problems to solve in 3 continuous hours and all answers are integers ranging from 000 to 999, inclusive.
Problem statements follow ARML 2014 conventions, so for example $\left\lfloor x \right\rfloor$ is the floor of $x$. You may refer to these conventions during the exam.
For scored submissions, no aids other than writing utensils and erasers, scratch paper, graph paper, ruler, compass, protractor are permitted. In particular, books, notes, calculators, cell phones, computers, abacuses, ChatGPT, magic crystal balls, etc., are all prohibited.
