One of the most fun and interesting ways to test your academic intelligence is by appearing in an Olympiad. Although most math Olympiads will have the same syllabus as your other maths exams, the difference is that Olympiads tend to test a completely different range of your skill sets. While traditional math tests focus mainly on the method that you use to solve a question, Olympiads just require you to choose the correct answer out of the other options. The most important thing to remember while attempting a math Olympiad test is to be quick and to believe your instincts while answering.
Performing well in an Olympiad proves to be extremely helpful to you as a student, it gives you the chance to appear for higher levels of Olympiads, makes you a desired candidate when you apply for a college in the future, boosts your confidence (and lets you win some cool prizes). Since Olympiads are different from your school tests, preparing for them should be done differently as well, you cannot rely on the same methods that you use while preparing for your other tests. You must learn the most efficient way of attempting a maths Olympiad.
Most Olympiads are conducted on a countrywide level, which means that a large number of students appear for it. The level of competition in these exams is high, so you need to prepare accordingly. How can you make sure that you perform so well that you not just score the best marks in your locality and your school but in the whole country? The answer lies in sound preparation. Whether it’s your first time appearing for an Olympiad or not, the secret to scoring well in any test is to be fully prepared in a manner that leaves no room for mistakes. But, how do you do that?
Check the syllabus
The number one thing you should do before appearing for any test is to review its syllabus, always make sure to go through the list of topics at least 2 weeks before your exam date. This will give your preparation a starting point and a general direction to go in. Make a note of the things that you already know and the things that you will need to learn, but make sure that you go through every single topic that is going to be assessed in the Olympiad and revise well before the exam. Going through the syllabus will help you in knowing what type of questions to expect for the exam, it will give you the chance to brush up on your knowledge on these topics so that you can attempt all the questions in the exam.
Attempt practise tests
Practice tests will be your best friend while preparing for an exam, they will give you an insight into many things. Practice tests will help you in getting accustomed to the format of the test, to the number of questions, to the difficulty level of those questions and to any constraints that may arise while solving the IMO Maths Olympiad Previous Year Question Paper Class 7 2013.
There are innumerable practice papers available on the internet, even practising one of them will make you ten times more prepared than the other students. Download a test paper, sit alone, set a timer and attempt the paper. After you are done, calculate the score, but more importantly, try to figure out your mistakes and learn how to fix them. Solving multiple practice tests before your actual exam will decrease the number of potential mistakes that you could make, guaranteeing you a better score.
Talk to your teachers and seniors
When you are preparing for a test, talking to a senior or a teacher proves to be extremely helpful. Talking to seniors who have appeared for the Olympiad in the past will provide you with an honest insight on the entire preparation and test-taking process, learning about their experience will help you in knowing what mistakes to avoid and what is the best way to prepare for the test.
Talking to your teachers is another way of gathering useful tips for the Olympiad, ask the teacher about time-saving methods, the best way to solve the questions and the common mistakes made by students while attempting an Olympiad. These discussions will prove to be extremely helpful in eliminating your doubts and in helping you formulate a productive strategy for the Olympiad.
Go through the rules
It’s important to go through the rules and regulations of the test beforehand, although you will be provided with a rule book during the exam, it never hurts to be prepared. Going through the rules will help you in knowing what to carry to the examination centre, the time limit of the test and most importantly – the marking scheme of the Olympiad.
As school tests don’t usually require you to fill any OMR sheets, you should also learn to fill an OMR sheet properly. OMR sheets might seem a little tricky to some students, learning how to fill them in advance will save you a lot of time during the exam that might have been wasted in figuring out your way with the sheet. Oftentimes, tiny mistakes lead to huge losses of time, and being prepared is the only way to make sure that you don’t make any of those tiny time-wasting mistakes.
Stay relaxed
A tip that you should keep in mind at all times while preparing and while attempting the exam, do not to let stress take over. It’s important that you maintain your calm at all times, staying relaxed will help your mind in focusing on the exam properly and eventually giving your best. Stay focused on your test and don’t worry about making mistakes, if your preparation for the exam is sound then you will surely perform amazingly.
Conclusion
The IMO Exams or any kind of olympiads have really special importance in the student’s life. These exams not only just sharpen the skills indeed, but they are also just a source of good examination preparation. So, remember these tips while preparing for your next math Olympiad and you will surely end up scoring a great score. All the best!