The International Mathematics Olympiad, also known as the ‘world championship mathematics competition’, is a reputed olympiad conducted by the Science Olympiad Foundation. It takes place every year and constitutes two consecutive stages wherein the first level consists of questions related to logical and mathematical reasoning. The second level encompasses the questions purely based on mathematical concepts. A significantly low percentage of students can qualify for the second stage of the olympiad.
Qualifying in IMO demands a lot of hard work and discipline from your side to perform well in the test. Students who participate in IMO and want to score well are often worried about their preparation for the olympiad. If you wish to participate in the IMO this year, this article will provide you with the choice of the best books and study material for Class 9 IMO. The preparation tips to enhance your performance in the exam are given below that can be discussed as follows:
- You must know the correct syllabus for the olympiad. It is important to have enough knowledge about the syllabus for this exam. If you are willing to participate in the olympiad during Class 9, a major portion of the syllabus will constitute the topics that have been taught in Class 8. Go through the previous year’s papers to get a fair idea about the syllabus and the topics from whom questions have been asked frequently. Check out the IMO Class 9 2013 Question Paper here to find out the syllabus for this exam. It is essential to go through the syllabus carefully so that you can easily focus on the important topics. There is no point wasting your crucial time and efforts while focusing on the topics that are out of the syllabus. You must strictly follow the syllabus and prepare accordingly.
- Start your preparation well in advance. It is necessary to kickstart the preparation for this exam ahead of time because you’ll need to cover the topics included in the syllabus with frantic efforts and dedication. Understanding the core idea behind each concept along with its application will require adequate time and attention. You will be in a better position than others as far as your period for preparation is concerned. It is up to your hard work and dedication for using this advantage of more time for preparation in your favor.
- Focus on the exam pattern and the trend of questions that are asked in the exam. Olympiads conducted by the Science Olympiad Foundation are a little bit on the tough side and therefore demand extreme attention and focus. Questions that are asked in the exam cannot be answered directly. Instead, solving these questions demand a rock-solid approach and understanding of the basic concepts. If you gauge through the exam pattern you can easily highlight the difficult sections of the exam using the previous year’s questions papers and work upon gaining solid knowledge about the challenging concepts. Even though the questions asked are based upon the syllabus, they can become problematic if you don’t have conceptual clarity about the application of concepts.
- Choose the appropriate study material. It is very important to prefer the most appropriate study material during the preparation for the IMO. You must ensure that the book you are referring to corresponds to the syllabus as far as the topics are concerned. You don’t need to cram up unnecessary information to score good marks in an olympiad. Instead, focus upon developing a wholesome understanding of the fundamental concepts. The book must contain the most important questions related to the maths olympiad for practice. It must be noted that choosing the most appropriate study material will significantly level up your game. There are many resources available for the preparation of the maths olympiad. You can refer to Oswaal’s Book for the olympiad preparation or IMO Workbook for Class 9, Arihant’s book for IMO Class 9, etc. You must choose the study material according to your style of comprehension of information. The books mentioned above include necessary questions for practice along with the previous year’s question papers. Use these books for an overall comprehensive preparation. There is no point in wasting money on online coaching and other learning resources because using them will create confusion and hesitation in your mind. It is advisable to stick to the books mentioned above and prepare accordingly.
- There’s no alternative to Practice. It must be understood that the more you practice the concepts, the better understanding you’ll develop along with enhanced knowledge about the application of such concepts in various situations. It is essential to practice the concepts regularly. Rigorous practice will change your overall thought process and promote a significant understanding of the fundamentals. Try to devote as much time as possible to learning and practicing the concepts. Knowledge never gets wasted, after all, regular practice will only be beneficial in the long run. The most desirable approach to follow while solving questions can be easily determined through continuous practice.
These were the tips you should follow if you want to score good marks in IMO during Class 9. Preparation for this exam will become smooth and simple if you employ these tips according to your needs. The students who secure higher ranks have nothing special about them, but, their hard work and allegiance towards the exam make the difference. You can be one of the top rankers too! The point remains that you are willing to allocate your time, focus, and energy over the preparation painstakingly.
Everything comes with a cost. Therefore, you must make your hard work and perseverance the cost to secure a higher rank in the IMO. Since it is a highly competitive exam, many students get anxious and intimidated as the exam approaches. You must escape the trap of anxiety and hesitation because they can easily backfire your whole preparation. Just keep calm, remain focused, and prepare for the exam. Don’t think about the repercussions or the result. Focus on giving your best effort and ignore the negative approach as far as you can. You’ll get what you seek eventually!