ao5 and ao12 Calculator
Paste or type your solve times separated by commas or new lines. Mark a +2 with a trailing plus (12.34+) and a DNF by typing DNF. The calculator shows your averages, the results that were trimmed, and your best rolling average.
Best single
10.98
mo3 (last 3)
12.36
Mean (all)
DNF
| Average | Current | Best |
|---|---|---|
| ao5 | 12.38 | 12.17 |
| ao12 | 12.36 | 12.36 |
| ao50 | needs 50 | – |
| ao100 | needs 100 | – |
How your latest ao5 was calculated
12.45+, 12.93, (11.30), (14.02), 11.76 → 12.38
Results in parentheses are the best and worst, which are dropped before averaging the middle three.
How ao5 and ao12 are calculated
For an average of 5, sort the five results, remove the fastest and the slowest, and take the mean of the middle three. That is the format the WCA uses to rank most events. For example, 10.50, 12.10, 11.30, 14.80, and 9.90 drop 9.90 and 14.80, leaving (10.50 + 12.10 + 11.30) / 3 = 11.30.
Larger averages trim 5% from each end, rounded up: one result each for ao12, three for ao50, and five for ao100. The WCA rounds averages under ten minutes to the nearest hundredth of a second, and this calculator does the same.
How penalties affect the average
A +2 adds two seconds to that solve before sorting. A DNF counts as the worst possible result, so one DNF in an ao5 is simply the dropped slowest time. A second DNF means one would have to be counted, so the whole ao5 becomes DNF.
A mean of 3 (mo3), used for events such as 6x6 and 7x7, removes nothing, so any DNF makes the mean DNF.
What to do with the number
Averages are useful for comparing sessions, not individual solves. Compare your ao12 or ao100 before and after a training change, such as learning full PLL or drilling lookahead, rather than reacting to one fast single.
Want to know why a solve was slow?
CuberPal tracks ao5, ao12, and ao100 automatically for every session and adds AI solve analysis so you can see which phase to practise next.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my ao5 DNF?
An ao5 can drop only one result. With two or more DNFs, at least one DNF has to be counted, so the average itself is DNF.
Is ao5 the same as the average of five numbers?
No. A plain average of five counts all five times. An ao5 removes the best and worst results first, which makes it more resistant to one lucky or disastrous solve.
How is ao12 different from ao5?
An ao12 uses twelve results and removes the single best and worst, averaging the middle ten. Because it includes more solves, it is a steadier measure of your current level.
What is a good ao5 for a beginner?
There is no single benchmark. Most people who have just learned a beginner method average over a minute, and times fall as they learn a faster method and practise lookahead. Compare against your own past averages rather than other people's.