Art of Problem Solving (AoPS): An Honest Review
Published · EdTech Review · Subject: Mathematics
Art of Problem Solving (AoPS) is the closest thing the math competition world has to an essential infrastructure. The community forums have been documenting competition problems and solutions since the early 2000s. The textbooks have been used by a large fraction of every USAMO team for the past two decades. The online school courses have prepared thousands of students for AMC, AIME, and beyond. This review covers what AoPS offers, where it excels, and where it has limitations.
The free offerings
A significant portion of AoPS is free:
- AoPS Wiki and forums: The community forum (Art of Problem Solving Forum) is the world’s largest community for competition mathematics discussion. Every AMC, AIME, MATHCOUNTS, and USAMO problem going back decades has been discussed here with full solutions. Completely free. Creating an account allows posting; reading requires no account.
- Alcumus: A free adaptive problem platform with thousands of competition-style problems organized by topic and difficulty. The difficulty adjusts based on performance. Alcumus is one of the best free self-study tools for AMC preparation.
- For the Win (FTW): A free online version of the MATHCOUNTS Countdown Round format, useful for students preparing for the live countdown experience.
The textbooks
AoPS publishes a series of textbooks specifically written for the competition mathematics audience. The series covers Introduction to Algebra, Introduction to Geometry, Introduction to Counting & Probability, Introduction to Number Theory, and intermediate and advanced books at the AIME and olympiad levels.
The textbooks are genuinely different from standard math textbooks: they introduce concepts through problems rather than through exposition, and the problem sets are difficult. A student who works through the Introduction to Counting & Probability book will understand probability and combinatorics at a level well beyond what is needed for the AMC 10.
The books are expensive compared to standard textbooks but are long-lived — a student who uses them through middle and high school gets their value. Used copies of older editions are available and the mathematical content changes slowly.
The online school
AoPS Online School offers live (synchronous) courses and self-paced courses covering the full competition mathematics curriculum from middle school through olympiad preparation. The live courses meet weekly via an online whiteboard system; instruction is text-based (the instructor types mathematical expressions) rather than video-based.
The live course format is unusual and can feel strange to students accustomed to video instruction. The text-based interaction enforces mathematical precision — you cannot wave your hands through an argument the way you might in a verbal explanation. Many students find this clarifying; some find it frustrating.
Course prices are substantial (several hundred dollars per course). The quality is high, and many families find the structured accountability of a live course significantly more effective than self-study. But for a student who is self-directed and motivated, the free forums and Alcumus, combined with the textbooks, can provide much of the same preparation at lower cost.
Limitations and honest caveats
AoPS is optimized for the competition mathematics pathway specifically. It is not a general math tutoring platform and does not serve students who need help with school-based algebra or calculus in the traditional curriculum sense. A student who is struggling with their AP Calculus class will not find AoPS particularly useful; a student who has mastered their school curriculum and wants to enter AMC competition will find it indispensable.
The community forum culture rewards mathematical seriousness. Students who post elementary questions are sometimes greeted with less patience than they might experience on a more general platform. This is not universal — the community has evolved — but it is worth knowing.
The courses are not paced for students who are also managing a full high school schedule plus extracurriculars. The workload in an AoPS live course, if taken seriously, is substantial. Families should discuss expectations before enrolling.
Who should use AoPS
AoPS is the right platform for any student who is seriously preparing for AMC, MATHCOUNTS, AIME, or beyond. For elementary and middle school students entering math competition for the first time, the free Alcumus platform is the right starting point. For students at the AMC 10/12 level, the community forums and textbooks are essential resources. For students aiming at AIME qualification and above, the AoPS curriculum (textbooks plus online courses) is the most structured preparation available.
For students who do not yet know whether competition mathematics is for them, start with Alcumus. It’s free, the problem quality is high, and the difficulty scale means it is relevant for students at any level from middle school competition upward.
About this review: Meli Review publishes independent EdTech reviews for students and families preparing for academic competitions. This review reflects the platform as we understood it at publication; pricing and course offerings change — always verify on the official AoPS website. See also: High school math pipeline directory · How to prepare for the AMC.