FAQs | SMST

Who should participate in SMST?

Any middle schooler in grades 6-8 can participate! SMST is perfect for students passionate about math and science!
What will the tournament look like?

Our tournament will be held in-person at Sharon High School. The event is open to all middle schoolers, including non-Sharon residents. It will include individual math and science rounds, a team round, a design challenge, a lightning round, and lab demonstrations. The day will conclude with an award ceremony recognizing high scoring students and teams. Detailed schedules will be sent out to registered participants.
What do I need to form a team?

Teams are composed of 4-6 people; we advise that you choose teammates who you will work well with. Each individual must fill out the registration form and agree on the team's name and members. Teams must pay a $60 registration fee by check, addressed to Sharon High School, with the team's name in the subject line. If you do not have a team and would still like to participate, you may register as an individual. You will be placed on a team with other individual registrants on the day of the tournament.
How can I prepare for SMST? What can we do as a team?

You can do some practice problems, which you can find here. If you finish them, consider looking through old AMC 8, Math Kangaroo, and middle school NSB problems.
What topics do I need to know for the tournament? What kinds of questions are there?

The tournament covers the entire middle school science and math curriculum, as well as some additional challenging topics that are typical of a competition. The math section is composed of multiple choice and short answer questions, and the science section has only multiple choice questions. The questions on the tests are meant to be challenging, and no one is expected to get a perfect score. We want participants to try their best and have fun!
How will questions be scored?

For the individual round, the points awarded for each question will be weighted depending on how many people correctly answer the question. If everyone gets a question right, it will be weighted at 1.00 point. The fewer people who get it right, the more it will be worth, up to 2.00 points. This helps us prevent ties and ensure that harder questions are worth more. The team math and science rounds will each be worth 50 points. Point breakdowns will be noted on the exam. The team design challenge will have its own scoring system out of 100 points. The team score is the sum of the design round score, the team round scores, and the team's average individual score.
Can parents or teachers attend the tournament?

A maximum of one optional chaperone can attend per team. Adults will be asked to stay in a specific area and are prohibited from providing assistance during the tournament. Unfortunately, we will not be able to provide lunch for chaperones. However, everyone is welcome to attend the award ceremony at the end of the day!
What are the awards?

Individuals are recognized for high scores in math and science rounds, with an overall winner. High scorers in math and science independently are also recognized. Teams are recognized for their overall scores, as well as for the design challenge.
This sounds interesting! How do I sign up?

Tournament information for the next SMST will be coming out in early 2025. Want to stay updated? Subscribe to our site at the bottom of the "Home" page.
What do I do if my question is not answered here?

Feel free to send us an email at smst.sharonschools@gmail.com. We will get back to you as soon as we can!