Art of Problem Solving
Art of Problem Solving publishes challenging math textbooks for students in grades 5 to 12, from Prealgebra and the Introduction series through Intermediate Algebra, Precalculus and Calculus. Each section opens with problems for the student to try before the text works through solutions, and each book has a full solutions manual, with free Alcumus practice and videos online. The same books are used in AoPS live and self-paced online classes; this card prices the Prealgebra book and the live Prealgebra class.
- Subjects
- Math
- Grades
- Grades 5 to 12: Introduction series about grades 5 to 9, Intermediate series about grades 8 to 12 source ↗
- Method
- Traditional source ↗
- Format
- Books and workbooks source ↗
- Faith label
- Secular
- Cost a year
- $59 a year. Prealgebra text and solutions manual: $59, shown as a $9 saving; with the online book, $78. The live online Prealgebra class is two 16-week courses at $465 each, so $930 for both before books. Read on October 29, 2026; prices change. source ↗
- Placement
- Free diagnostic pretests on each book page ↗
What it does well
- Each book can serve as a full course; Prealgebra has well over 1,000 problems, and the solutions manual gives full worked solutions, not just answers.
- Free Alcumus online practice and free videos are aligned to the textbooks.
- Each book page has free 'Are you ready?' and 'Do you need this?' tests to help decide where to start.
- Live online classes add an instructor, written feedback on solutions and a class message board for families who want outside teaching.
Watch for
- The publisher writes the books for strong math students, and they go broader, deeper and harder than a typical course.
- Each section asks the student to solve problems before showing how, which suits a child who enjoys puzzling more than one who wants steps first.
- The textbooks start at about 5th grade; younger children need the separate Beast Academy series.
- Live classes are $465 for each 16-week part, so a full year of Prealgebra classes is $930 before books.
It fits
A strong, motivated math student in grades 5 to 12, perhaps aiming at math contests, with a parent or an online class to talk through hard problems.
It doesn’t fit
A child who finds math hard or wants short, step-by-step lessons, or a family looking for one program for all of elementary math.
Visit Art of Problem Solving ↗
Compare Art of Problem Solving
- Art of Problem Solving vs Beast Academy side by side
Other programs for the same subject and grades:
- CTCMath Kindergarten to 12th grade, through Pre-Calculus and Calculus
- The Good and the Beautiful Preschool to 12th grade; high school has language arts and biology only
- Khan Academy Kindergarten to 12th grade, plus early college courses
- Life of Fred 1st to 12th grade, and on to university math; the first book can start anywhere from 1st to 4th grade
- Math-U-See Kindergarten to 12th grade, in 13 levels placed by skill, not grade
- Saxon Math Kindergarten to 12th grade
- Teaching Textbooks Math 3 to Pre-Calculus, one course per grade level, about 3rd to 12th grade
- Generation Genius Kindergarten to 8th grade, in K to 2nd, 3rd to 5th and 6th to 8th grade bands
Lists it is on
- Homeschool math curricula 14
- Secular homeschool curricula 30
- Traditional homeschool curricula 24
- Homeschool curricula for middle school 51
- Homeschool curricula for high school 38
- Print homeschool curricula 44
- Homeschool curricula under $100 a year 17
- Secular homeschool math curricula 10
- Secular traditional homeschool curricula 14
- Secular homeschool curricula for middle school 24
- Secular homeschool curricula for high school 14
- Secular print homeschool curricula 19
What we read, and how we label
Every fact on a card was read on the publisher's own website on the date shown, and the page it came from is linked. A fact we could not confirm there is left out. Costs are for one child and one year of the main package, as the publisher's page showed them that day; prices and sales change. Method and format are the publisher's own description where it gives one. The only thing we say about religion is one label, secular or faith-based, given by the rule above; where the publisher's pages don't settle it, the card has no label.
The publisher’s pages we read on October 29, 2026:
- artofproblemsolving.com/store
- artofproblemsolving.com/store/book/prealgebra
- artofproblemsolving.com/store/recommendations
- artofproblemsolving.com/school/course/prealgebra-pt1
- artofproblemsolving.com/school/course/prealgebra-pt2
- artofproblemsolving.com/company/about
Something wrong or out of date? Publishers and parents can send a correction and we will fix it. Publishers can send corrections, never money. All programs compared · Find your homeschool style