HMMT
Harvard MIT Math Tournament
One of the hardest and best-run student math tournaments in the world, held twice a year in Boston.
Run by Harvard and MIT students
Key facts
- Eligible grades
-
Must have been enrolled in full-time primary or secondary education on or after the season's registration start date, 2 August 2026, in the year of the November competition. Home-schooled students must not have received a high school diploma or equivalent and must be working toward one on that date.
HMMT defines eligibility by enrolment status rather than by numbered grade.Source, checked 2026-09-02
- Recommended preparation
-
Regular practice on olympiad-level problems
Why: Problems are pitched well above standard school mathematics, and places are allocated by lottery among applying teams rather than by qualification.Based on the standard of work the organiser describes.This is Compete's reading of the competition's documented content, not a requirement stated by the organiser. You may enter without it.
- Compete guidance, not an eligibility restriction. Students outside this are still eligible if the official eligibility above allows them.
- Eligible ages
-
Not confirmed. This organiser may set eligibility by grade rather than age. We do not convert one into the other.An under-21 limit is reported by third parties but was not found on the official registration page checked.
- Individual or team
- Individual or team · Teams must be 4 to 6 students for November and 6 to 8 students for February. School teams must be verifiably affiliated with the school, and the school must be a recognised educational institution.
- Where it runs
- In person · United States, International
- Entry cost
- A per-student registration fee plus travelNot stated on the official page checked. A third-party guide reports no fee to apply and, if accepted by lottery, $80 per team or $10 per individual collected on site. Treat as unconfirmed.
- Registration deadline
- 20 September 2026 for both the November 2026 and February 2027 tournaments. 11 days leftFebruary registration is competitive and closes early. Confirm on hmmt.org.
- Competition dates
- November tournament at Harvard, February tournament at MIT.
- Difficulty
- EliteSelection is measured in the top fraction of a percent nationally. Typically reached by qualifying through a lower round rather than entered directly.
- Prizes
- Trophies and recognitionAwards for top individuals and teams; no cash prize schedule found on the pages checked.
What HMMT is
HMMT is a team math tournament run entirely by Harvard and MIT students, held in November and February. It is known for the quality of its problems and for the difficulty of its February edition, which sits above AIME level. Teams of up to eight compete in individual subject rounds, a team round and a guts round, a fast-paced relay where problems are handed out in sets against the clock.
How the competition works
A student may participate in only one of the November or February tournaments in a given season, cannot belong to more than one organisation in a season, and must participate on their school's team if the school applies for any tournament that season.
Eligibility notes
February HMMT is competitive to enter and teams may need to apply. November is more open. Individual entrants can sometimes be placed on composite teams.
Is HMMT right for you?
- Experience needed
- Substantial. November suits students comfortable at AMC 10 or 12 level; February assumes AIME experience.
- Time commitment
- A season of serious problem solving, on top of AMC and AIME preparation.
- What you actually do
- A full day of rounds in a university building, ending with the guts round where your team runs answers to a proctor against a clock.
A good fit if
- You already qualify for AIME or are close
- You want a team maths experience with a genuine atmosphere
- You can travel to Boston
Probably not for you if
- Students new to competition maths, who should start with AMC and MATHCOUNTS
Common mistakes
- Entering February as a first tournament. The difficulty is genuinely olympiad level and the experience can be discouraging.
- Ignoring the guts round in practice. Its scoring and pacing are unlike anything else and teams lose easy points there.
How to register
- Decide which tournament fits. November is the more accessible entry point; February is at or above AIME difficulty.
- Register your team during the published window. February places are limited and allocated competitively.
- Work through past problems, which are published free with solutions.
- Practise the guts round format specifically, since nothing else in competition maths resembles it.
What skills you need
- Olympiad-level algebra, combinatorics, geometry and number theory
- Team collaboration under time pressure
- Fast estimation for guts round
Recommended resources
-
HMMT official site with past problems
Registration, rules and a complete free archive of past problems and solutions.
-
HMMT problem archive
Every past round with official solutions.
-
AoPS Contest Collections
HMMT problems with community discussion and alternative solutions.
Past problems and materials
Only materials the organiser or an authorised archive publishes openly are listed here.
- Complete HMMT archive
Free, with official solutions.
Frequently asked questions
Which tournament should I enter?
November if you are working at AMC level, February if you have AIME experience. February problems regularly sit above AIME difficulty and the field includes many olympiad qualifiers.
Can I compete without a school team?
HMMT has historically accommodated individual entrants and composite teams in some circumstances. Contact the organisers through the site before assuming either way.
Reviews, tips and resources from other students
Posts are public. Do not share your full name, school, address or contact details.
Something out of date?
If a deadline, fee or eligibility rule on this page no longer matches the official site, flag it and it goes into the review queue.
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