The Sprint Round consists of 30 problems to be completed within the time limit of 40 minutes.

As a result of the difficulty and time constraints, many competitors will not finish all of the problems in the Sprint Round.

Many later problems are highly difficult, even with the aid of a calculator, and it is common for some students to leave questions blank.

Execution of the Countdown Round varies from different locations, with some using a one-on-one format and some having multiple competitors at the buzzers at the same time.

The Countdown Round may be official(has an impact on your score) or unofficial depending on the location.

Topics covered in the competition include geometry, counting, probability, number theory, and algebra.

[5] In 2007, Mathcounts launched the National Math Club as a noncompetitive alternative to the Competition Series.

[8] Current sponsors include RTX Corporation, U.S. Department of Defense STEM, BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman, National Society of Professional Engineers, 3M, Texas Instruments, Art of Problem Solving, Bentley Systems, Carina Initiatives, National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying, CNA Financial, Google, Brilliant, and Mouser Electronics.

[4] The Competition Series is divided into four levels: school, chapter, state, and national.

A student whose school is not participating in the Competition Series starts at the chapter level as an NSC, competing individually.

[11] Qualifying students and coaches receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the national competition.

[12] In the past, prizes have included trips to Space Camp or to the White House to meet the current President of the United States.

Upon registering, club leaders earn free online access to dozens of games, explorations, and problem sets.

The program was discontinued in 2023, but a similar video project opportunity is offered through the National Math Club.