Mock FAMAT
A Mock FAMAT is a contest intended to mimic an actual Florida Mu Alpha Theta competition. These tests are usually made by one community member and administered to the AoPS community, while others may be sourced from a group of problem writers. Different users may have a different way of participating; some may require signups, while others do not.
Tips for Writing a Mock FAMAT
Have multiple people work on the problems. Getting more people will get variety and prevents mocks from having too many problems from one subject. Having a group is also good so they can discuss which problems are good or need improvement, and fix errors. More than one person working on a mock can get the test done faster and often times better quality.
Get people to proofread it. Look for spelling, grammar, ambiguously-worded questions (this includes questions for which more than one configuration is possible!), typos in the answers, etc. Have someone to look over the problems, make sure they are appropriate in difficulty and order, and understandable by the general audience.
Don't be afraid to harshly criticize your problems, or others' problems, as long as it is honest. Usually criticism is what helps mocks get better!
Make sure the problems are original. The AoPS community does not want to waste time seeing a collection of boring, cliche problems that in principle are identical to an existing problem from a past FAMAT, with a few numbers modified.
Once the test has been released, it is usually a good idea to keep the answers from being released at the same time. This can help prevent cheating, and also gives the problem solvers more time to make sure the problems are solved correctly. Basically, getting many people to work on the mock is a great way to help improve the quality, though it is not always the case if everyone gets off task and "helpers" becomes "parasites".
Previous Competitions
U = unavailable, P = pending
| Host | Initial Discussion | Individual Tests | Team Tests | Answers/Solutions | Individual Results | Individual Test Breakdown | Individual Test Detail Report | Bowl Results | Team Test Breakdown | Sweepstakes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 AoPS Mu Alpha Theta Convention | Archeon | Initial Discussion | P | U | P | P | P | P | P | U | P |
| 2019 AoPS Mu Alpha Theta February Invitational | reddragon644 | Initial Discussion | Algebra 1 | U | P | Algebra 1 | P | Algebra 1 | Algebra 1 | U | Sweepstakes |
| 2018 AoPS Mu Alpha Theta May Invitational | reddragon644 | Initial Discussion | U | Algebra 1 | Algebra 1 | Algebra 1 | Algebra 1 | U | U | U |
