6 Best Mathcounts Practice Tests For Home That Coaches Actually Use

Your child comes home from school, buzzing with excitement about joining the Mathcounts club. You see their spark of interest and want to give them the best chance to learn and succeed. But a quick search for "Mathcounts practice" reveals a dizzying array of books, websites, and old tests, leaving you wondering where to even begin.

Choosing the Right Practice for Your Child’s Level

Your first step isn’t to buy the hardest book you can find. It’s to honestly assess where your child is on their competition math journey. A resource that challenges a seasoned 8th grader will likely overwhelm and discourage a 6th grader who is just learning about number theory.

Think of it in three stages. The Beginner is new to the format and needs to build a solid foundation in core concepts like algebra, geometry, and probability. The Intermediate competitor understands the concepts but needs to build speed, accuracy, and strategy for harder problems. Finally, the Advanced student is aiming for top scores and needs exposure to the most challenging, non-routine problems to gain an edge.

The key is to match the material to their current needs, not their ultimate goal. The right practice builds confidence and skills simultaneously. Pushing them into material that’s too advanced is the fastest way to extinguish that initial spark of interest. Start where they are, and you’ll give them a path to grow.

Official Mathcounts School Handbook: The Gold Standard

If you only get one resource, this is it. Every year, Mathcounts releases the official School Handbook, which contains the previous year’s full competition set: School, Chapter, State, and National tests. This isn’t just practice; it’s the most authentic simulation you can get.

Think of this as the "game film" for an athlete. It shows your child exactly what to expect in terms of problem style, difficulty progression, and time constraints. The wording, the diagrams, the very feel of the problems are calibrated perfectly to the real thing because they are the real thing. No other resource can replicate this.

Use these tests to benchmark progress. Have your child take a full, timed Sprint and Target round early in the season. Don’t worry about the score. The goal is to identify weak spots and get comfortable with the pressure. Then, use another test mid-season to measure growth. This is your most reliable tool for understanding your child’s readiness.

AoPS Online Alcumus for Adaptive Problem Practice

What if your child struggles with a specific topic, like combinatorics or quadratic equations? Grinding through full tests can be inefficient. This is where Art of Problem Solving‘s (AoPS) Alcumus shines. It’s a free, adaptive online learning system that’s like a personal math tutor.

Alcumus presents problems on a specific topic and adjusts the difficulty based on your child’s answers. If they get a few right, it serves up harder problems. If they struggle, it offers easier ones until they build mastery. This is incredibly effective for filling in conceptual gaps without the stress of a timed test.

This tool is perfect for the student who needs to shore up their fundamentals. Instead of feeling defeated by a test full of things they don’t know, they can experience success and build confidence level by level. It’s the patient, targeted practice that turns "I don’t get it" into "Aha!" moments.

Competition Math for Middle School by J. Batterson

While tests are crucial, sometimes you need a textbook. Jason Batterson’s Competition Math for Middle School is a curriculum in a book, and it’s a staple in the playbooks of many top coaches. It systematically covers all the major topics in competition math with clear explanations, examples, and plenty of practice problems.

This book isn’t a collection of mock tests; it’s a teaching tool. It’s ideal for the parent or coach who wants to guide a student through the material one concept at a time. If your child’s school team is a bit disorganized or lacks a structured teaching plan, this book can provide that missing framework for your work at home.

Use this resource to introduce new topics or for deep dives into areas where your child is struggling. For example, if they consistently miss geometry problems on practice tests, you can spend a week working through the geometry chapter in this book. It builds the deep conceptual understanding that test-taking alone cannot provide.

For The Win! Online for Real-Time Speed Drills

Mathcounts isn’t just about getting the right answer; it’s about getting it fast. The Sprint and Countdown Rounds are all about mental math and quick thinking. This is where For The Win! (FTW!), another free tool from AoPS, becomes invaluable.

FTW! is an online game that pits students against each other in real-time to solve problems as quickly as possible. It’s fast-paced, competitive, and fun. The problems are short and designed to be solved in under a minute, perfectly simulating the pressure of the Countdown Round.

This is the resource for the intermediate or advanced student who has the concepts down but needs to improve their speed. It’s also fantastic for kids who are motivated by gaming and direct competition. A 20-minute FTW! session a few times a week is a high-energy way to sharpen calculation speed and build the mental reflexes needed for success under pressure.

Past AMC 8 Tests for Broader Problem Solving

It’s wise for any serious competitor to practice problems from outside the immediate Mathcounts ecosystem. The American Mathematics Competitions 8 (AMC 8) is the perfect "cross-training" partner. While the topics covered are very similar, the style of AMC 8 problems is often more creative and less calculation-intensive.

Working through past AMC 8 tests exposes your child to different ways of thinking about the same mathematical concepts. It forces them to be more flexible in their problem-solving approach. This prevents them from developing a rigid, formula-based mindset and encourages deeper mathematical intuition.

These tests are widely available for free online from various sources. Integrating them into a study routine is simple. You can use them as an alternative to a Mathcounts handbook test once a month to keep the practice fresh and build a more well-rounded set of problem-solving skills.

Math Kangaroo Past Tests for Creative Thinking

Is your child starting to feel burned out by the constant drills and timed tests? It’s time to bring in Math Kangaroo. This international competition is known for its clever, colorful, and often puzzle-like problems. They require less raw calculation and more creative insight.

Math Kangaroo problems are a fantastic way to remind kids that math can be playful and surprising. They often involve visual reasoning or logical deduction in a way that feels different from standard competition math. This is the perfect tool to use on a "light" practice day or when your child’s motivation is flagging.

These tests, available for purchase on the Math Kangaroo website, are an investment in your child’s long-term love of math. They build problem-solving flexibility and show that there isn’t always one single, straightforward path to a solution. For a student bogged down in algorithms, a Math Kangaroo problem can be a breath of fresh air.

Integrating Tests into a Weekly Study Routine

Having the best resources is one thing; using them effectively is another. Simply throwing tests at your child will lead to burnout. A structured, balanced routine is essential for sustainable progress.

A great weekly schedule might look something like this:

• Two weekdays: Focus on learning. Spend 30-45 minutes working through a new concept in a book like Batterson’s or doing targeted practice on a weak area using Alcumus.
• One weekend day: Simulate a competition. Set a timer and have your child do a full Sprint and Target Round from the Mathcounts Handbook or a past AMC 8 test.
• The next day: This is the most important part. Spend 30-60 minutes reviewing every single mistake from the practice test. Don’t just look at the right answer. Help your child understand why they made the mistake—was it a calculation error, a misunderstanding of the question, or a gap in knowledge?

The goal is not to complete the most tests, but to learn the most from each one. Reviewing one test thoroughly is far more valuable than taking three new ones without looking back. This process of analysis and reflection is where real, lasting learning happens.

Remember, the ultimate goal isn’t just a trophy; it’s to foster a resilient mind and a genuine enjoyment of problem-solving. Your steady encouragement and thoughtful approach to practice are the most important resources you can provide. Trust the process, celebrate the small victories, and enjoy watching your child’s confidence and abilities grow.