How to Help Your Child Prepare for Olympiad Exams?

Are you clueless about how to help your child prepare for his Olympiad exams?

Here, let us see a few ideas on how to prepare for Olympiad exams. Though the syllabus is the same as the school for Olympiads, it demands the child to go an extra length to prepare for it.

We did discuss about the same previously (for those who haven’t, here is the link: Benefits of Olympiad Exams Which Parents Need to Know)

Enrollment

Most of the Olympiad organizations initiate the enrollment and registration process through schools. You can register individually via their official websites too.
First decide on the subjects, the child may opt for more than one too, but you also suggest to him how much he can handle based on his school engagements, time availability and your family set up.

Plan, Prepare and Practice.

steps to prepare for olympiad exams

Planning the Preparation

A regular practice and preparation of 20-30 minutes every day is good to start with for each subject. This is easier said than done. More for the parents than their children. I can say that because we all sail in the same boat. But, without planning, the process isn’t going to be easy.
Some children sit down after the hall ticket(s) come, or even worse take a day or two days off from school and prepare at the last minute of the examination. Do not push until the last minute.

Supporting Children During Exams

Preparation

The portions are that of school syllabus, so starting the process of preparation with school textbooks is more than enough. But that is not enough.
The Olympiad websites list out the syllabus and the topics for each grade.
First, list out the topics the child is thorough with, familiar with and doesn’t know anything at all.

For topics which the child is not familiar with at all.

First, make the child get a basic understanding of the topic. For example, the topic is Eclipse.

Do a simple search “What is eclipse for grade 5”, or “Eclipse grade 5 slide share”. A lot of videos are available as well, you help the child watch the viable one he can easily understand. 2-3 videos are more than enough.

For topics which the child is just familiar with.

Start with looking for worksheets/questionnaires on the topic. There are plenty of free resources available. If you can dedicate time, try framing questions yourself from his textbook. But this isn’t possible for all the parents, so online resources can help.

For topics the child is thorough about.

Make the child finish the other topics until he has a decent knowledge on all the topics in the syllabus.

This should take a few months and being organized with the schedules and staying prepared with the topics is the biggest step and the child is more than half a way there.

8 Benefits of Self-Study for students

Practice

Once, getting familiar with the topics, it is time to start practicing on mock papers. Practice on each topic will give a better understanding of the concepts, but to score marks what is more important is attempting the questions correctly in the given time.

Mock question papers exactly on the same pattern, duration and scores should be attempted on. There are a lot of papers available online, most organizations guide us on where to get these question papers as well. The lag point is that these are mostly paid, in most cases. It is best to attempt at least 8-10 mock tests and a few previous years’ question papers.
Give a solid 20-30 days before the exam scheduled for mock test practice.
Start with two mock tests, and check how does the child fares, firstly with understanding the questions and topics. If there is a lag, take a few days to brush upon those topics thoroughly first.
Now, give one mock test a day for about 10 days. Try doing a few previous year question papers too. Some organizations sell these as online papers while some we can get it as physical copies too.

MTG (SOF) sells both online papers and bound booklets online.

For the first timers, attempting mock tests on physical copies will give a clear idea of how to take the exam.
There may mostly be more than one level in such competitions, more often with the same syllabus. Hence, the child can prepare and practice in a similar way for higher levels too.

That’s all, moms! Take it as a process, travel along with the child in the preparation and practice. Trust me, it is wholesome and satisfying. Just make it a child’s choice, spend 30 – 45 minutes every day, let the concepts root in his mind.

The child is for sure to learn more, puts him in a discipline that requires meticulous and persevering preparation, boosts his confidence as he would be understanding the concepts clearer. Rank or score doesn’t matter, your child would have benefited, nevertheless.