The Gamemakers in their observation area.
A training score was a numerical score given to tributes after their private training sessions in front of the Gamemakers. Scores ranged from one to twelve, with one being the worst and twelve being the best. These scores gave Capitol citizens an idea of who stood the best chance during the Hunger Games, and therefore, who to bet on and sponsor.[1] Other tributes used scores to determine who would be a threat to them in the arena.
Mechanics[]
Private sessions[]
Private training sessions were held in the afternoon on the third day of training.[1] Tributes were called into the gymnasium one at a time, starting with District 1 and ending with District 12, alternating by sex (boy-girl-boy, etc). During their individual session, a tribute could showcase their skills at any of the stations, while the Gamemakers watched and evaluated their performance. After fifteen minutes, or once the Gamemakers believed they had seen enough, that tribute was dismissed and they called in the next one.[2]
Katniss and Peeta waiting for their scores.
Announcing scores[]
After their private sessions, tributes returned to their apartments in the Training Center and awaited their scores, which were announced on television in the evening. Going in the same order the tributes were called into the gym, the program showed a photo of the tribute, and then their score was flashed underneath it.[1]
Strategies[]
According to Portia, bad or mediocre scores were ignored, and most people only paid attention when a tribute scored highly. As a result, tributes tended to aim for high scores in order to appeal to sponsors. Career Tributes from District 1, District 2, and District 4 generally scored between eight and ten. However, some tributes were known to hide their skills and get low scores on purpose.[1]
Known scores[]
50th Hunger Games[]
For antagonizing the Gamemakers and his other actions prior to training, Haymitch Abernathy was given a 1. This was the only known time any tribute received a 1. Most of those within the Career pack earned scores in the range of 8-11. Most of those in the group which designated themselves the Newcomers scored in the 4-7 range, with the exception of District 11, which pulled similar numbers to the Careers.[3]
| District | Tribute | Score | Demonstrated skills |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Panache Barker | "High" | Unknown |
| Silka Sharp | 10[4] | Ax[4] | |
| 4 | Maritte | 11[5] | Trident[5] |
| 12 | Haymitch Abernathy | 1[3] | Portrayed himself as a "selfish troublemaker"[3] |
| Wyatt Callow | 6[3] | Oddsmaking[3] | |
| Maysilee Donner | 6[3] | Manipulating cord[3] | |
| Lou Lou | 3[3] | Unknown |
74th Hunger Games[]
Most of the tributes this year averaged a five. The Careers were exceptions, as were Rue, Thresh, Katniss Everdeen, and Peeta Mellark.[1]
| District | Tribute | Score | Demonstrated skills |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marvel | 9 (film)[6] | Spears (presumed) |
| Glimmer | 9 (film)[6] | Knives (presumed) | |
| 2 | Cato | 10 (film)[6] | Physical strength, aggression, swordplay (presumed) |
| Clove | 10 (film)[6] | Knife throwing (presumed) | |
| 4 | Unnamed male | 8[6] | |
| 5 | Foxface | 5 (film)[6] | Intelligence (presumed) |
| 11 | Thresh | 10 (book)[7]
9 (film)[6] |
Physical strength (presumed) |
| Rue | 7[1][6] | Stealth, climbing skills, knowledge of plants; also had some skill with a slingshot | |
| 12 | Peeta Mellark | 8[1][6] | Throwing weights around in a show of physical strength[1] |
| Katniss Everdeen | 11[1][6] | Archery, fierce temper[1][6] |
75th Hunger Games[]
Career tributes Cashmere, Gloss, Brutus, Enobaria, and Finnick Odair all received "predictably high scores". Save for Katniss and Peeta, the rest of the tributes got "low to medium" scores.[8]
| District | Tribute | Score | Demonstrated skills |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gloss | 10 (film)[9] | Knives (presumed)[10] |
| Cashmere | 10 (film)[9] | Knives (presumed)[10] | |
| 2 | Brutus | 11 (film)[9] | Spear (presumed)[10] |
| Enobaria | "High" | Knives, hand-to-hand combat (presumed)[10] | |
| 4 | Finnick Odair | "High" | Trident (presumed); also adept with knives and spears[11] |
| 12 | Peeta Mellark | 12[8] | Painted a picture of Rue with supplies from the camouflage station[8] |
| Katniss Everdeen | 12[8] | Hanged a training dummy and wrote the name of Seneca Crane across its body[10] |
Trivia[]
- Katniss and Peeta were the first and only tributes to receive a 12.[8]
- During the 71st Hunger Games, Johanna Mason kept up a guise of weakness,[12] so she presumably got a low score on purpose.
- "A few years" before the 74th Hunger Games, an unknown male victor only received a score of three.[1]
- After witnessing Rue leaping from tree to tree, Katniss thought to herself that if this what she showed the Gamemakers, she should have gotten at least a ten.[13]
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 The Hunger Games, Chapter 8
- ↑ The Hunger Games, Chapter 7
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Sunrise on the Reaping, Chapter 11
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Sunrise on the Reaping, Chapter 13
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Sunrise on the Reaping, Chapter 12
- ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 The Hunger Games (film)
- ↑ The Hunger Games, Chapter 9
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Catching Fire, Chapter 17
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 Catching Fire, Chapter 16
- ↑ Catching Fire, Chapter 15
- ↑ The Hunger Games, Chapter 3
- ↑ The Hunger Games, Chapter 14