Teams compete in groups of 5-6 students. The contest consists of an individual portion as well as a team portion.
The Power Round is a 80-minute exam focused on proof-writing. The content of the test focuses on a single subject matter that is usually significantly different from traditional competitive math problems.
The Team Round is a 50-minute exam consisting of 15 short answer questions.
The Guts Round is an 80 minute team exam consisting of 9 series of 3 questions each, whereby teams must submit answers to a previous round in order to gain access to the next. Subsequent rounds are both harder and worth more points than previous rounds.
For the individual portion, students may choose to take two subject tests in a specific topic or take a single, longer General Test.
The Individual Round(s) are the rounds taken independent of your teams.
Mathematical Expectations
https://sumo.stanford.edu/pdfs/mathematical-expectations.pdf for guidelines on the topics that may appear on each test.
Common Mathematical Notions
https://sumo.stanford.edu/pdfs/common-mathematical-notions.pdf for details on mathematical conventions used at SMT.
Computational Aids
The following may be used during the contest
- Rulers, compasses, protractors, and graph paper
Dictionaries (for contestants who need assistance with English)
The following may not be used during any testing portion of the contest
- Calculators
- Other computational aids, such as slide rules and abaci
- Reference materials, such as books and notes
- Communication devices, such as cell phones and computers
- Any drawing aids not expressly permitted
