Olympiad examinations are subject-wise competitive exams held for school students on a larger scale among countries throughout the world. The main objective behind organising such exams is to encourage analytical, logical, and problem-solving skills in the participants. Questions asked in these exams are conceptual based rather than theory-based and drawn from the school curriculum.
Several organisations conduct Olympiad exams in various subjects. For example, International Science Olympiad (ISO), International Maths Olympiad (IMO), International English Olympiad (IEO), and International General Knowledge Olympiad (IGKO) are some of the Olympiads available.
Participation in these olympiad exams helps students improve their academic performance and compare their intelligence level to that of other students on an international level.
Preparation Tips to Qualify for the Maths Olympiad
1. Choose right study material
While starting your IMO preparation, make sure that you get the relevant course material and books for the exam. There is a wide range of online study material available for the International Maths Olympiad, participants often get confused. You need to collect information from reliable sources and prepare based on that.
2. Work on weak areas
Maths is a conceptual-based subject that needs to be practised, not crammed. But when it comes to working on the weaker areas in Maths, most students run away. They want to stay in their comfort zone and only solve what they know. But this can have a worse impact on your performance in the Maths Olympiad. Try to solve each question during preparation and keep a track of the questions you got wrong to ask your teachers.
3. Keep note of tiny mistakes
Do not ignore the tiny or silly mistakes that you commit unintentionally while solving a Maths problem. For example, forgetting a negative sign, using the wrong arithmetic operators, or a decimal point, etc. Even though you use the correct method, the end result will always be wrong. So, you need to be extra careful about those mistakes.
4. Dedicated study hours
The best way to prepare for the exam is to perform the regular study. Make a schedule and stick to completing the syllabus. Mark out what you have learned and what is left. Organise your timetable accordingly. Studying before the day of the exam is certainly not going to help you.
6. Keep track of time
Students often run out of time while solving a Maths problem. But remember, you have got a limited time and must attempt the whole paper within that time limit. So, use it wisely. Solve the problems that require analytical thinking two days before the exam. It will help you set a base for understanding the complexity of those problems.
7. Plan your strategy
Now you know about the syllabus, and exam pattern and also prepared well for the exam day. But all of this would not be worth it if you aren’t able to execute what you’ve learned in a given time. So, plan your exam strategy. Solve the simple questions first you are confident about and then the difficult ones.
8. Revise but not anything new
Avoid studying or learning something new just before the exam as it can be useless. It will only confuse you and you will end up losing your confidence. Hence, try to revise the questions you have already studied during the preparation and avoid anything new.
9. Don’t be stressed out
To achieve success in the SOF IMO exam or any other competitive exam, your positive attitude has a vital role to play. Stay away from stress or any kind of negativity during your exam preparation. Keep an optimistic state of mind and do not panic.
10. Take breaks
You might have heard, “Do smart study, not hard study”. It doesn’t matter how many hours you study, but what matters is how effectively you have studied and grabbed information to memorise for longer. It favours conceptual-based learning, i.e., understanding the concepts. So, don’t hesitate to take breaks every hour and refresh your mind for further studies.
So, if you want to succeed in the Maths Olympiad, follow these above-mentioned tips. Along with a positive state of mind, a great number of studies, practice, and dedicated hours are required to clear the exam. IMO is the most reputed and challenging Maths competition and candidates need to start preparations early to cover all the topics. Take proper rest, eat well, and study regularly.
