Help your child tackle a Math Olympiad  

Preparing kids for exams at school is difficult, but not something that has scope for confusion. There is a set syllabus, a given schedule for the semester, parents know the teachers per subject, and enough material such as homework, classwork, lecture notes, textbooks, workbooks, practical copybooks etc. It’s different when parents try preparing kids for Olympiads, especially Maths Olympiads. As parent, you need to try and help kids ‘study smart, not hard.’ Here are our suggestions on how to do just that.  

Know the syllabus and get the books 
Don’t get carried away in exploring new topics with an inquisitive kid. It’s a good idea, but why waste precious hours on a topic that isn’t part of the maths Olympiad syllabus? The syllabus is almost always available online, along with previous years question papers. In some cases, text books specific to an international level maths Olympiad is also available online. Buy or download them well in advance.   

Practise according to the level  
An Olympiad is not a school exam. They require higher conceptual knowledge, complete grasp of the basics, and a certain amount of speed that comes only from practice. Get your kid to practice mock tests on previous years’ papers at home, and set a timer to it. This will also help them figure out how much practice they actually need to crack it.   

Use the internet thoroughly  
There are a lot of sites to help with maths Olympiad preparation, and many of them tackle specific papers and tests. You will also find media reports and statistics from previous years to get a realistic idea of how many succeed, how much they score, how they prepare etc. And always keep checking the official site for updates.   

Register for national level online math Olympiads  
Before your kid jumps into the international arena, give them a practice run. Of course they love maths, that’s why they are taking the test. But an Olympiad is very different from the school exams they have faced so far. Get them started with national level Olympiads, and if they score well, then prepare them for global competition.