Young Repton Abu Dhabi Student Excels in Prestigious Global AMC 8 Challenge

Young Repton Abu Dhabi Mathematician Recognised in Prestigious Global AMC 8 Mathematics Challenge

Repton Abu Dhabi is proud to celebrate 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 was awarded an official AMC Certificate of Achievement, presented to younger students who achieve scores of 15 or higher in the competition.

The AMC 8 is widely recognised as one of the leading early-stage mathematics challenges globally, assessing advanced problem-solving, logical reasoning, and mathematical precision under timed conditions. Held annually, the competition requires participants to solve 25 multiple-choice questions within 40 minutes and is open to students in Year 9 and below. In January 2026, the competition attracted more than 80,000 students from over 2,100 schools worldwide.

At just 12 years old, Taegeon demonstrated exceptional analytical skills and numerical fluency, reflecting both his dedication to the subject and his ability to perform strongly alongside older students.

Over a two-month preparation period, Taegeon practised daily mathematics challenges through dedicated student portals while also preparing for the AMC 8, UKMT, and international Olympiad-style competitions. With the support of his teachers, he further strengthened his analytical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Taegeon has also recently been awarded a Gold Certificate and named Best in School in the UKMT Junior Maths Challenge, further highlighting his growing success across internationally recognised 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.”

Further demonstrating mathematical excellence at Repton Abu Dhabi, Taegeon Kim and Adhithi Satheesh (Year 3) have qualified for the National Round of the Kenken Maths Competition, an international mathematics puzzle championship in which students compete individually through multiple qualifying stages testing speed, accuracy, and problem-solving ability.

Similar to Sudoku but incorporating arithmetic operations, the competition requires students to complete increasingly complex grids while ensuring no numbers repeat within any row or column.

In the latest qualifying round, Taegeon solved 4 4×4 puzzles and 2 5×5 puzzles within 30 minutes, highlighting  strong strategic thinking and numerical agility under timed conditions. The qualifying round was held remotely, with the National Round set to take place in person this October.

These achievements underscore Repton Abu Dhabi’s commitment to academic excellence, nurturing students with the 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 that inspires curiosity, resilience, and high achievement across all disciplines.