What Ao5 and Ao12 are and how they're calculated

KRU

MIND

Speedcubing Tracker

What Ao5 and Ao12 are and how they're calculated

In speedcubing people rarely talk about a single time: they talk about averages. Ao5 is the official result in most WCA events and Ao12 is the favourite way to know your real level at home. This guide explains how they're calculated, with examples, and what happens with DNFs and +2s.

Ao5: the official average

Ao5 means "average of 5": the average of five attempts. The best and the worst are removed and the middle three are averaged. The result is rounded to hundredths.

A step-by-step example

Your five times: 10.21 · 9.84 · 11.50 · 10.03 · 12.90.
The best (9.84) and the worst (12.90) are removed.
The middle three are added: 10.21 + 11.50 + 10.03 = 31.74.
Divided by 3: your Ao5 is 10.58.

Why the best and worst are removed

So that a single attempt doesn't decide the round. A pop or a scramble with a skipped step can happen at any time; with the trim, Ao5 reflects how you really solve, not your best or worst luck.

DNF and +2

A +2 adds two seconds to that attempt (for example, if the cube is one turn away from solved when you stop the timer). The attempt still counts with its time plus 2 s.
A DNF is an attempt that doesn't count. In an Ao5 it counts as the worst time, so with one DNF it is dropped and your average stands: in the example, if the 12.90 were a DNF, the Ao5 would still be 10.58.
With two or more DNFs the whole average is a DNF: one is dropped, but the other would have to enter the mean.

Mo3: 6x6 and 7x7

In 6x6 and 7x7 the round is a mean of three attempts (Mo3) with nothing dropped. There a single DNF voids the mean, so consistency matters even more.

Ao12 and longer averages

Ao12 isn't official, but it's the most used measure to track progress: twelve attempts, without the best and the worst, averaging the middle ten. It's more stable than Ao5 and moves less with a single solve.
For longer averages 5% is removed on each side. In the Kruxmind Timer: 3 per side in Ao50 and 5 per side in Ao100. That way a bad day or a lucky streak doesn't distort your level.
Rule of thumb: Ao5 tells you how you're doing today; Ao12 and Ao100 tell you your level. When you say "I'm sub-20", let your Ao12 or Ao100 say it, not a single.

How to track them on Kruxmind

The Timer calculates your Ao5, Ao12, Ao50, Ao100 and Ao1000 per event automatically, with the same trim and DNF rules as this guide.
At a competition use the Ao5 and Mo3 calculator: type the times the judge calls out and it tells you what you need on the remaining attempt to lower your average.
For a quick refresher, the Ao5 and Ao12 entry in the dictionary.

← Home · Dictionary · FAQ · Smart cubes · Solving methods · Scientific basis · About