How to Study for a Tough Olympiad

Last Updated: March 24, 2023

Studying for tough Olympiads can be tiring, exhausting, and most of all, very boring. However, with precision, accuracy and a proper schedule, one can easily crack any test.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Preparing Yourself in General

1
Mentally prepare yourself. So you've got about 2 or 4 weeks to the Olympiad. You need to be ready to work hard and cover all topics in the limited time frame you have.
2
Create a schedule. A typical schedule has 5 study days followed by a day for testing yourself and a day for rest and recap. However, you could modify it to suit your needs. You will have to stick to your schedule for the remaining time.^{[1]
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3
Keep reinforcing your basic concepts. Since most Olympiads are concept-based and objective (multiple choice question type), all you need to do is reinforce the basic concepts which you already know. So, for example, if it is a mental ability Olympiad, you need to stick to cubes, matrices, number and letter sequences, blood relations and so on. If it's a varying Olympiad i.e. if it has many subjects covered, you will have to study all the concepts thoroughly.^{[2]
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4
Visualize yourself as a topper. The key to performing well in any Olympiad is being confident mentally. Keep visualizing your success, and it will come to you.^{[3]
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5
Stick to your schedule. Cover at least 85 percent of the topics that are needed. Your priority list should be in such a way that you study the high weightage topics first, and then the ones with lower weightage. so clearly, in a varying Olympiad, you need to finish off mental ability first and then maths, followed by science and languages at last.
6
Eat and sleep well. You've probably read this enough times, but one cannot emphasise enough the importance of eating and sleeping well. You do not need to study late at night in order to do well. Sleeping helps brain to retain any new information (boosts memory) and also helps balance out any stress. Waking up early is better since the mind is fresh.
- If you aren't able to sleep well beforehand, see if there's a possibility for a nap—naps have the ability to put you into your REM sleep cycle, and studies have shown that just entering your REM sleep cycle is helpful for integrating memory.
7
Move on to other topics only when you are comfortable with the current topic. Most people just try to complete the syllabus, but it is more advantageous if you cover fewer topics which you are completely sure of, since you will be able to answer all or most of the questions from the topic correctly.
8
Solve sample papers. Almost all Olympiads have online sites where you can get previous year papers for minimal costs. if you do not have access to these, you can always ask your friends to create mock papers, and then solve them within the time frame of the actual Olympiad.^{[4]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Preparing the Week Before the Olympiad

1
Finish off three simple topics in days 1 through 3. Do this even if you have a load left. 3 topics are the most you can do.
2
Continue solving sample papers and just take regular breaks on days 4 and 5.
3
Work with the sample papers and think positive on days 6 and 7: These are the most crucial days, since over working or under working could lead to mishaps. Solve as many sample papers you can. Periodic revision is also very important, as it will help you to recollect information faster.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Preparing on Test Day

1
Wake up early. Wake up early and go through all the formulae and equations you need. Have a balanced breakfast, make sure you have all materials you need (HB pencils, ball point pens, erasers, calculators if allowed) and go to the exam with a positive mind.
2
Make full use of the reading time once you enter the hall. Read at least three quarters of the paper. Leave 5 minutes of your reading time to try to remember the topics you learnt.
3
Remain calm. Most people are unable to complete the full Olympiad in time because they are too busy stressing out. Learn some quick meditation techniques and use them whenever you start feeling stressed. Don't worry, you'll manage to finish the paper in time.
4
Make your marks carefully. Most of the Olympiads today are OMR sheet types, where you need to darken circles. Once these circles are darkened, it is really hard to erase the mark and re-mark, since the OMR reader considers even a small dot as an answer. Remember, you need to check where you mark twice before you mark.^{[5]
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Community Q&A

Question

Am I sure to succeed if I follow these steps?

Community Answer

It depends on many factors, like what you intend to write about and how much you know about the topic, but these tips will definitely give you a good chance at success.
Question

How do I balance my school studies while preparing for an Olympiad exam?

Community Answer

This is something that will be quite hard to manage. Try to finish homework in about 2-3 hours, and then spend the rest of the time studying for the Olympiad. Then, after studying, you can go back and make sure you did all your homework. Remember to take breaks in between!
Question

How do I score good marks in an Olympiad?

Community Answer

Be confident. Use time management, and activate your mind without any tension.