How to prepare your child for Olympiad?

‘How should I prepare my child for Olympiad?’ is one constant question that bothers every parent when their child is appearing for Olympiad exams. Olympiad are school level competition conducted from Class 1 to 10 that are conducted at state, national and international level to inculcate conceptual understanding and logical reasoning skills in children.

These exams are conducted by various foundations in which students participate in large numbers. The major objective of the Olympiad exams is to analyze the strength and abilities of the students in the core subjects of Maths, Science, English and improve their weaknesses if any.

As a parent, you need to handhold your child throughout when they are appearing for Olympiad and such other competitive exams. While students need to put their hard work and dedication in order to pass with good results, it is also the responsibility of parents to help their kids to ‘study smart, not hard’ and score well.

It is of utmost importance to make your child give strong focus and dedication in order to prepare well for the Olympiad exams. Here we have listed some of the most useful and essential tips that can help your child prepare for the Olympiad and score meritorious results.

1. Know the syllabus and exam pattern: It is very important to know the syllabus of the exam in which you are planning to appear. You may check the syllabus for each Olympiad exam on the official site itself. Going through the syllabus before starting the preparation will help the students to know how they should plan their schedule and what are the topics that need to be covered and prepare their preparation guide accordingly.
    
2. Get detailed understanding of concepts: Although the syllabus of Olympiad is based on the school syllabus only, still it contains lots of other topics that are based on conceptual facts. Hence students should study each topic in depth so as to grasp the topic extremely well and have an understanding of the concepts and logic thoroughly. Since the exams include more of practical questions, the more the students prepare and study it will make them confident to answer even tricky questions in an easy manner.
    
3. Prepare and stick to a schedule: The biggest mistake that all students and their parents do is think that a few days of preparation just before the exam is good enough to score good in the Olympiad as it is more or less the school syllabus only. You need to start to prepare early to lay the foundation of your knowledge in each topics of that particular subject. The best way to do this is plan a proper study schedule according to the syllabus and stick to it regularly. It is only a right study schedule followed dedicatedly that can make your child’s preparation organized and help them to achieve their desired results easily.
    
4. Solve previous question papers/mock tests: Parents should not only encourage their students for appearing in the Olympiad exams but also should provide them with the best of resources that helps them to prepare well. There are various study materials that the students should use like workbooks, sample papers, mock test etc. Solving previous question papers is an absolute must as it is very useful to analyze the type of question asked in the Olympiads. Practicing these papers regularly will help your child to test their skills and work on any areas that need improvement. It also makes them familiar with all types of probable questions that might be asked. Also, it gives them a sense of confidence as they can get the hold of appearing for the paper as well as analyze their result and performance.
    
5. Prepare quick notes for revision: Since revising everything at the last moment is not practical, it is always advisable for all students to prepare quick notes for revision. So, students should ensure to create notes that can help them revise each topic quickly and also whenever they learn something new or extra related to the topics in their school.  These short notes will be very useful for future reference and revision and help you during the last few days of your schedule for the Olympiad exams.
    
6. Use time efficiently: As a parent you should teach your child the value and importance of time and how to use it effectively and efficiently. You must ensure that your child starts the preparation early well in time to score better. You can also consult the teachers at school and take their advice as well to decide the number of hours required to devote to a particular topic in order to grasp all the details. Also make sure that your child divides the time and develop a time table to practice all the topics in the Olympiad thoroughly.
    
7. Stay focused and motivated: As we have explained above, Olympiad requires in-depth preparation that needs to be learned with full concentration. Students need to develop the right attitude to learn the topics well and be focused and attentive while they are preparing for the Olympiad exams. Encourage your child to believe in themselves and stay motivated throughout the preparation and exams.
    
8. Do extensive practice regularly: We all know that to become perfect in anything, we need to practice it again and again. ‘Practice makes a man perfect’ is the golden rule for all students preparing for any competitive exams. Students should have an eye for detail and give equal attention to each and every topic in their syllabus till the get the complete hold on it.

It is very important to understand why one should prepare well for the Olympiad and then follow the tips for how to prepare. Olympiad are the bridge to success for your child and builds the foundation of a future competitive career while making them confident to face all challenges in life.