Tips
12 Practical Olympiad Preparation Tips You Can Start at Home
28 May 2026 6 min read
Great Olympiad preparation is less about doing more and more about doing the right things consistently. Here are twelve practical tips you can put into action this week.
Build the routine
- Short and daily wins. 20–30 focused minutes a day beats a three-hour weekend marathon.
- Same time, same place. A fixed study slot removes daily negotiation and builds habit.
- Start with the weakest topic while energy is highest, not the easiest one.
- End on a small win — one question your child can solve confidently, to stay motivated.
Practise smart
- Match the exam pattern. Practise in the real section format, including reasoning and Achievers.
- Keep a mistake log. One line on why each error happened reveals fixable patterns fast.
- Quality over quantity. Thirty well-chosen questions, reviewed, beat a hundred skimmed ones.
- Time some sessions. Occasional timed practice builds speed and exam composure.
Mindset and stress
- Praise effort, not just marks. It keeps children willing to attempt hard problems.
- Normalise mistakes. Treat every wrong answer as information, not failure.
- Protect sleep and play. A rested brain learns maths far better than a tired one.
- Do one full mock before the exam so the format feels familiar and calm on the day.
The one habit that matters most: reviewing mistakes. Students who spend even five minutes a day understanding their errors improve noticeably faster than those who only attempt new questions.
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Try 5 questions free →Frequently asked questions
How much time per day should a child spend on Olympiad preparation?
Around 20 to 30 minutes of focused daily practice is ideal for most students. Consistency over several weeks matters far more than long, occasional study sessions.
How can I reduce my child's exam stress?
Praise effort over marks, treat mistakes as information rather than failure, protect sleep and play time, and complete at least one full mock exam so the format feels familiar.