Repton Abu Dhabi has celebrated the outstanding academic achievement of Year 7 student Taegeon Kim, who excelled in the AMC 8, one of the world’s most prestigious mathematics competitions organised by the Mathematical Association of America.
Competing against students across Years 7, 8, and 9, Taegeon achieved the highest score among participating students at the school and received an official AMC Certificate of Achievement. The award is presented to younger students who score 15 or higher in the competition.
AMC 8 Challenges Students Worldwide
The AMC 8 is widely recognised as one of the leading early-stage mathematics challenges internationally. The competition assesses advanced problem-solving, logical reasoning, and mathematical precision under timed conditions.
Held annually, the challenge requires students to answer 25 multiple-choice questions within 40 minutes and is open to students in Year 9 and below. In January 2026, more than 80,000 students from over 2,100 schools around the world participated in the competition.
At only 12 years old, Taegeon demonstrated exceptional analytical ability and numerical fluency while competing alongside older students.
Intensive Preparation and Continued Success
Over a two-month preparation period, Taegeon completed daily mathematics challenges through dedicated student portals while preparing for the AMC 8, UKMT, and international Olympiad-style competitions. With guidance from his teachers, he further developed his analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
Taegeon was also recently awarded a Gold Certificate and named Best in School in the UKMT Junior Maths Challenge, further strengthening his growing reputation in international mathematics competitions.
Mrs Tomlinson, Taegeon’s maths teacher, said:
“Taegeon is an exceptional mathematician. He consistently demonstrates deep understanding, strong problem solving skills and a natural flair for mathematical thinking. His enthusiasm for maths is infectious, and he approaches every challenge with curiosity, confidence and a genuine love of learning.”
Taegeon Kim, Year 7 student at Repton Abu Dhabi, said:
“I enjoy mathematics because it’s like a puzzle that rewards logic and persistence. Achieving first place in the AMC 8 for my school was a proud moment for me, especially competing alongside older students. It has given me a lot of confidence for the KenKen National Round, and I am really happy to participate in this competition; it’s been a great experience to improve my maths skills.”
Students Qualify for KenKen National Round
Further demonstrating mathematical excellence at Repton Abu Dhabi, Taegeon Kim and Adhithi Satheesh from Year 3 have qualified for the National Round of the KenKen Maths Competition. The international mathematics puzzle championship challenges students through several qualifying stages designed to test speed, accuracy, and problem-solving ability.
Similar to Sudoku but incorporating arithmetic operations, the competition requires participants to complete increasingly complex grids while ensuring no numbers repeat within any row or column.
During the latest qualifying round, Taegeon solved four 4×4 puzzles and two 5×5 puzzles within 30 minutes, highlighting strong strategic thinking and numerical agility under timed conditions. The qualifying round took place remotely, while the National Round is scheduled to be held in person this October.
Commitment to Academic Excellence
These achievements reflect Repton Abu Dhabi’s commitment to academic excellence and its focus on nurturing intellectual curiosity and mathematical confidence from an early age.
Building on its recent Outstanding rating by ADEK, the school continues to provide a world-class education designed to inspire curiosity, resilience, and high achievement across all disciplines.
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Further Reading:
- Students Reunite at Repton Abu Dhabi as Classrooms Reopen
- Repton Abu Dhabi Achieves ‘Outstanding’ Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) Rating