Every year, apart from the annual school exams, students participate in the International Mathematics Olympiad to test their knowledge and challenge their abilities. To guide them through this internationally acclaimed exam taken by over 1 crore students from India itself, here are some tips which can prove helpful.
- Gather and analyze the syllabus before starting
Before starting your preparation for the maths olympiad, it is important to gather the right syllabus and course so as to equally divide the year of studying between all topics and units. Sometimes, it may so happen that students get stuck on one particular topic and spend a lot of time on those and are therefore unable to finish the complete syllabus before the examination. Hence, before starting the exam preparation, gather and enlist the complete syllabus and also analyze past question papers or research through the internet to find and mark the topics that are the most important and frequently asked. Doing this exercise before starting the prep can help save a lot of time as the students can focus more on important topics like trigonometry. This systematic form of laying the foundation before starting can keep the students who follow it a step ahead of their peers and eventually prove useful for their success in the exam.
- Divide your time
After having gathered the required syllabus, it is important to divide your day and in concept, the whole academic year systematically. Having formed an articulate timetable or schedule of when to cover which topic can keep the students on track and help them from getting flustered or overburdened with a lot of syllabi later. A well-developed timetable can also prove to be useful in managing everyday homework, leisure, and rest all the while still grinding equally hard to prepare for the International Mathematics Olympiad. While it is important to study hard and do well in such competitive exams, it is equally important to focus on the more subjective-oriented school exams and not lose sight of those amidst the competitive exams. It is also essential to give time to physical activities such as sports or a simple stroll or a walk to keep the body healthy since only a healthy body can sustain a healthy mind, which is the key to acing any exam.
- Start as soon as possible
Some students wait till the announcement of the dates or filling of the forms or even a few weeks before the exam to start their preparation. And even though they may cover the syllabus and be able to give the exam, they are never truly prepared for it. Therefore, it is necessary to begin the exam preparation as soon as possible. When the academic year starts, a student must start planning the schedule and stick to it from the very beginning. This early start not only gives an upper hand to the students but also leaves plenty of time later for revision and topics that may seem difficult at first. They can revisit old question papers and participate in sample exams to test their knowledge a few weeks before the actual IMO. Summer vacations offer an ideal time for students to gain this advantageous edge over their peers. While spending time with family and friends, students can allot some time during these holidays for their future goals and work towards them. This will help them cover a vast majority of the syllabus even before the school reopens and they will already be ahead of their peers. In today’s world of extreme competition, this tiny edge can prove to be very useful.
- Smart work and not hard work
Some students spend a large number of hours focused on their studies and slave away trying to achieve a good rank in the International Mathematics Olympiad. But the key behind success in the IMO is not the number of hours put in by the student, instead, it is the way a student prepares for it. Therefore it is necessary to engage in smart studying and not waste time on unnecessary hard work. Focus more on practicing questions and solving problems instead of spending hours to understand the concept. The concept can become clear by practicing a lot of questions on it. Mathematics is a subject where problem-solving ability is more important than the theoretical aspect. So instead of wasting time and resources on gathering a large number of textbooks, students should instead sit down with a pen and paper and practice it out through sums. Developing their problem-solving ability is the most important skill a student must hone to master the subject of Mathematics.
- Practice is the key
Mathematics is a subject that will have the student pulling at his/her hair if it’s not practiced enough. Similarly, the key to achieving your goal and farewell in an examination, especially competitive exams like the International Mathematics Olympiad, is to practice well. It is also essential to know what kind and type of questions one should work hard on. Not every type of question is important while preparing for an objective type exam which is completely different from the subjective based examinations held in schools. Analyze past question papers to figure out the most frequently asked types and forms of questions and hone your mind and hard work towards it. Students can refer to the Class 10 IMO Question Paper 2013 for the same. Practice papers and past question banks are also the most important tools that help the students ace a competitive exam like the IMO. These provide ample knowledge about two things: first, about the level of preparedness of the student. If the student can solve the past papers easily then, she/he is almost completely prepared for the upcoming olympiad. Secondly, these question banks also give an idea about the type of questions to be expected and students can spend more time revising them.
In conclusion, these tips can guide class 10 students to clear the International Maths Olympiad and achieve their desired goal.