The Guts Round is one of the rounds for the February HMMT and the November HMMT competition.
Format and Changes
For the February HMMT, the first Guts Round occurred at the 2000 February HMMT. This guts round consisted of 47 problems total. At the 2001 February HMMT, it consisted of 60 problems total, and there were 63 problems total on the guts round for the 2002 February HMMT. For 2000, 2001, and 2002, the weights of the problems varied, in no particular order, and it was also possible for teams to get a negative score on one of the problems. This changed at the beginning of the 2003 February HMMT. Now there were rounds, with 3 questions each, with each question per round the same point. Also, the number of points each question was worth one round was greater than or equal to the number of points each questions was worth the previous round. There were a total of 45 problems for this round. In addition, the last round also contained problems that involved partial credit, which included estimating and "using your guts." The rules of the last round varied between year to year, as it did with the 2004 February HMMT, 2005 February HMMT, and 2006 February HMMT. The exact number of points each round had varied from year to year as well. The number of questions for the guts round was reduced to 36 beginning with the 2007 February HMMT, however the rules of each round and the rest of the format stayed the same. Beginning with the 2011 February HMMT, however, the number of problems per round increased from 3 to 4, but the rest of the rules and format, including the number of problems, stayed the same. Since then, there have been no other changes to the rules or format of the competition.
The November HMMT Guts Round have all stayed consistent, with 12 rounds consisting of 3 questions each. The only thing that changed was the number of points each question was worth per round, which varied from year to year.
Winners
February
| Year | Team Name | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | TJA | 235 |
| 2017 | PEA Red Lions | 273 |
| 2016 | Florida A | 163 |
| 2015 | PEA Red Lions | 283 |
| 2014 | Star League A-Star Air | 295 |
| 2013 | PEA Red Lions | 303 |
| 2012 | PEARL | 172 |
| 2011 | Grub | 133 |
| 2010 | AAST Mu A | 210 |
| 2009 | Lehigh Valley | 265 |
| 2008 | Quagga A | 269 |
| 2007 | Thomas Jefferson A | 195 |
| 2006 | AAST Mu A | 106 |
| 2005 | Florida Math Team | 150 |
| 2004 | Phillips Exeter Academy Red | 202 |
| 2003 | AAST Mu (1) | 211 |
| 2002 | Lexington Alpha+1 | 262 |
| 2001 | Newton South | 257 |
| 2000 | Newton South HS | 69 |
November
| Year | Team Name | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | NNHS & Friends | 151 |
| 2016 | Yu's Alligator | 268 |
| 2015 | SFLS1 | 270 |
| 2014 | ICAE | 218 |
| 2013 | Beijing | 279 |
| 2012 | Western Mass ARML All Stars | 231 |
| 2011 | Brookline Warriors | 145 |
| 2010 | Lexington Alpha | 152 |
| 2009 | ABRHS BETA | 266 |
| 2008 | Westford Academy Alpha | 270 |