HMMT Preparation: Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament Training
- For
- Class 11 - Class 12
- Level
- Advanced
- Duration
- 30 weeks
- Each week
- 4 hours
- Batch
- 1-on-1 or small group of 2-6
- Mode
- Online
- Board
- HMMT (student-organised, Harvard and MIT)
Two tournaments, and the choice matters
The Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament has run since 1998 and is organised entirely by students at Harvard, MIT and nearby schools, a good many of them former competitors. There are two tournaments each season: HMMT November at Harvard and HMMT February at MIT, each drawing close to a thousand students.
A competitor may enter only one of the two per season, so the choice is the first real decision in preparing. November is officially pitched from mid-AMC to upper-AIME difficulty, and its team round is short answer. February is pitched from mid-AIME to national olympiad level, and its team round is proof-based with partial credit. That single difference changes what a student needs to practise.
Our advice is usually straightforward. A student new to tournament mathematics should write November and treat it as the year that teaches the format. A student already comfortable at AIME level should write February, where the ceiling is high enough to be worth the trip.
Ten problems in fifty minutes
The individual tests are 10 problems in 50 minutes, short answer. February splits them by subject across three tests: Algebra and Number Theory, Geometry, Combinatorics.
Five minutes a problem sounds generous and is not. These are not AMC problems and several will take a capable student twelve minutes or defeat them entirely. The skill that separates scores at this level is triage: recognising within ninety seconds that a problem is not going to yield, and leaving it, without the lingering doubt that costs another four minutes. We train that explicitly, because it feels like giving up and is not.
The February team round is a different exam
November's team round asks for 10 short answers in 60 minutes, so no proof experience is required. February's asks for proofs, with partial credit available.
This catches out strong teams. Four students who can each solve a problem may still score poorly if nobody can write the argument down so that a grader awards it. Partial credit cuts both ways: it rewards a team that writes up an incomplete idea cleanly, and it quietly penalises a team that solves a problem in conversation and submits three lines of notation.
Three weeks of this course are given to proof writing for exactly this round, including how a team divides a proof-based paper, which is not the same as dividing a short-answer one.
Guts is a tactical round, not a mathematical one
The Guts round is 36 questions in 80 minutes, delivered in sets, with a team submitting one set before receiving the next. November uses 12 sets of 3, February 9 sets of 4.
Because the sets are sequential, pace is a team decision taken repeatedly under pressure: submit a set with one problem unsolved and move on, or spend another three minutes and risk the sets that follow. Teams that have never practised this lose marks that have nothing to do with their mathematics. Teams that have practised it develop a default rule and stop re-deciding from scratch each time.
Topic coverage
The mathematics is the standard olympiad spread worked to speed. Algebra and number theory covers polynomials, functional equations and modular arithmetic. Geometry covers circles, cyclic configurations, power of a point, and both trigonometric and coordinate methods, because at 50 minutes for 10 problems the fastest available method matters more than the most elegant one. Combinatorics covers counting in bijection, recursion, generating functions, probability and extremal arguments.
Who this suits
Students comfortable at AMC 12 level and above. February entry assumes AIME-level work; November is reachable for a strong student in their first tournament season.
Team composition rules are specific: members must attend the same in-person school or live within 150 miles of each other, an adult coach is required, and team sizes are 4 to 6 in November and 6 to 8 in February. Dates, entry caps and the online tournament option are set each season by the organisers, so check hmmt.org rather than relying on figures reproduced elsewhere.
What students will be able to do
- Prepare for the right tournament, since November and February differ in format and a student may enter only one per season
- Work the individual tests at their real pace: 10 problems in 50 minutes, short answer
- Handle the February team round, which is proof-based with partial credit, unlike November which is short answer
- Play the Guts round properly, where 36 problems arrive in sets and submissions are sequential
- Cover the February subject split: Algebra and Number Theory, Geometry, Combinatorics
- Contribute to a team rather than only competing individually, which is how the tournament is scored
Course structure
- Weeks 1-6: Algebra and number theory to tournament depth. Polynomials, functional equations, modular arithmetic and the standard results, worked at speed.
- Weeks 7-12: Geometry. Circles, cyclic configurations, power of a point, similar triangles, trigonometric and coordinate methods.
- Weeks 13-18: Combinatorics. Counting in bijection, recursion, generating functions, probability, invariants and extremal arguments.
- Weeks 19-22: The 50-minute individual test. Ten problems, no calculator safety net, and the judgement of when to leave one alone.
- Weeks 23-25: Proof writing for the February team round, where partial credit is available and presentation earns it.
- Weeks 26-28: Guts round practice. Working in sets, submitting sequentially, and deciding as a team how long a set is worth.
- Weeks 29-30: Full past tournaments under timed conditions, individual and team rounds together.
Who this is for
Comfortable at AMC 12 level and above. February entry assumes AIME-level work.
Students join this programme from United States, India, Singapore, United Arab Emirates and United Kingdom.
Common questions
What is HMMT?
The Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament, founded in 1998 and organised entirely by students at Harvard, MIT and nearby schools, many of them former competitors. There are two tournaments each season: HMMT November at Harvard and HMMT February at MIT, each drawing close to a thousand students.
Which tournament should a student enter?
A competitor may take part in only one of the two per season, so it matters. November is officially pitched from mid-AMC to upper-AIME difficulty and its team round is short answer. February is pitched from mid-AIME to national olympiad level and its team round is proof-based. November suits a student new to tournament mathematics; February suits one already working at AIME level.
What are the rounds?
November has two individual tests of 10 problems in 50 minutes each, a General round and a Theme round built on a theme that changes annually, plus a 10-problem team round in 60 minutes and a Guts round of 36 questions in 12 sets of 3 across 80 minutes. February has three individual tests of 10 problems in 50 minutes each, covering Algebra and Number Theory, Geometry and Combinatorics, a proof-based team round of 10 problems in 60 minutes, and a Guts round of 36 questions in 9 sets of 4.
Who is eligible, and how are teams formed?
Competitors must be under 21 on the day and enrolled full-time in primary or secondary education. Team members must attend the same in-person school or live within 150 miles of one another, so an organisation can be a school, a regional club or a group of friends, led by at least one adult coach, with a chaperone aged 21 or over attending per team. November teams are 4 to 6 students, February teams 6 to 8. For February, an organisation may send at most three teams and five individuals.
Can students outside the United States take part?
Yes. Teams have come from more than twenty US states as well as Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. An online tournament option has also been offered; its eligibility and structure vary, so check hmmt.org for the current season.
Is this worth doing if my child competes alone?
The individual tests stand on their own and are excellent AIME-level training. But the tournament is built around teams, and two of the rounds are collaborative. A student who only ever works alone is preparing for part of the event.
Book a trial
Three sessions with the mentor who would teach the full course. Nothing is charged until your slot is confirmed.
- A diagnostic, a taught class and written feedback
- Taught by the mentor who leads the course
- You pick the slot from our live calendar
- Pay only after the slot is confirmed
- For
- Class 11 - Class 12
- Level
- Advanced
- Duration
- 30 weeks
- Each week
- 4 hours
- Batch
- 1-on-1 or small group of 2-6
- Mode
- Online
- Board
- HMMT (student-organised, Harvard and MIT)
Ask a question, or book a trial
Tell us about the student and we will reply with an honest view of whether this programme fits. If you would like to see the teaching first, add a trial class.
- No obligation - send the enquiry without booking anything
- Three sessions if you do book: a diagnostic, a taught class and feedback
- Taught by the mentor who would lead the full course
- You choose the slots from our calendar after payment
| Class 1 to 5 | 3 sessions | INR 599 |
| Class 6 to 8 | 3 sessions | INR 799 |
| Class 9 and 10 | 3 sessions | INR 899 |
| Class 11 and 12 | 3 sessions | INR 999 |
| Graduation and above | 4 sessions | INR 1,099 |
Sending an enquiry is free. The fee applies only if you tick the trial box below.