How to prepare students of Class 6th for Maths Olympiad

Olympiads, which are generally held for students of Class 1st to Class 10th, are competitive exams that bring together the students of various schools with varied boards in the same arena. It is a great opportunity to help the students in identifying their strengths and weaknesses along with providing them knowledge on a wider scale for the same subject.

Maths is one of the most important subjects and sought after subjects for the olympiads. The diversity in questions helps the students to understand the topic more clearly and allows them to stray away from bookish knowledge. It develops the power of Reasoning, Creativity, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Abilities. Maths Olympiad not only comprises preliminary materials but also includes questions on topics like Geometry, number systems, integers, fractions etc., which are familiar to the students.

Class 6th is mainly said to form the base for competitive exams, generally Maths, and there is an intense change in the usual question-structure of olympiads with which the students were familiar before. The proportion of questions increases to 50 questions, while the time limit persists to be the same – 65 minutes. The 50 questions are analyzed into three categories. The first section is the subjective pattern, consisting of 30 questions, the second question is the Higher Order Thinking skills (also known as HOTS) which consists of 5 questions while the third and the last section consists of 15 questions. In the following passage I will be providing knowledgeable guidance for students who are in Class 6th for them to ace their Maths Olympiads:

1. They should start studying for higher class NCERT Maths books. 
2. Solve every problem of NCERT then jump to higher-level books.
3. Students should take out some time from their schedule and use it for analyzing the study materials that are provided for Olympiads. 
4. They should also look for questions on the Internet and ask their teachers about the ones they are not able to solve.
5. They should plan each day according to their convenience – calculating the total number of days required to complete a single topic. This will help them to grasp the concepts carefully.
6. Monthly Olympiads are also beneficial for students who want to ace their yearly Olympiads. They are conducted on Chapter-wise questions, so it is easier and more beneficial for students.
7. Students should start the preparation process for Olympiads as early as possible, to complete the syllabus and understand the concepts on time so that it is not rushed or hurried.
8. Time management is also important, as they can provide themselves enough time to study for Olympiads and complete their assignments as well.
9. Practice makes a man perfect. Practising more means that you will have a better understanding of fundamentals and revision of concepts is imperative for any examination questions.
10. Having the right sleep schedule and staying calm is a must during the Olympiads. Lack of sleep can cause stress which will affect the learning process of the students.
11. Students should keep a tab on time and know how much time they have to complete the paper to avoid rushing at the end.
12. Finally, maintaining a positive attitude is the key to success in the examination. 

Students should refer to study materials which are mostly provided by the organization conducting the olympiad itself, although it is more advisable for the students to pertain to the study materials provided by the Indian Talent Olympiad. Although they are not free, they are more than helpful in preparing students not only for olympiads but also for major competitive exams that are near in the future. 

The study materials usually include:

1. Workbooks/PDF Worksheets – They are helpful for students in improving their brain knowledge, and will teach them more unique questions, thereby grabbing their attention and improving their brain knowledge. 
2. Online Mock test – It will help the students to understand the type of questions and how to attempt them, thereby eliminating the usual nervousness felt by students before taking an exam.
3. Online Chapter-wise test – This helps in not only preparing the students for Olympiads but also in understanding the concepts and clearing doubts regarding each chapter. 
4. Official Sample Papers with Syllabus – The Official Sample Papers will provide the student with a real hand understanding of the type of questions asked and the Syllabus will help them to prepare not just for Olympiads or Competitive exams but also for their school exams. 
5. Previous year question papers upto 10 years- Solving previous years questions can help a lot in preparing the students for the Olympiad exams. Practising from the Previous Year Paper for IMO Class 6 Maths 2015 can boost up the confidence of students along with letting the students get familiar with the pattern of questions and level of difficulty in the examination.
6. Logical Reasoning guide – This helps the students in developing their brains further. Logical Reasoning is important for students for not just Olympiads but many other upcoming competitive exams, including the Entrance Exam to many universities. 
7. Online/PDF crossword puzzles – Solving puzzles can improve the thinking capability of the students along with increasing speed and accuracy.
8. Important exam dates calendar – One should keep a note of all the important dates of the exams so that they won’t miss any of them.
9. Brain games and puzzles – Brain games and puzzles will also increase the knowledge of the students and improve their thinking quality.

The materials and points provided above not just focus on the students to ace the Olympiads but also prepares their brains to grow and develop further. Although the Olympiads don’t require extra studying, it does require practice every day. Having a proper schedule helps to divide time equally. The last month must be devoted to improvement in theories. It is also important to have a piece of good knowledge about the syllabus, as it becomes easy to focus on difficult subjects.