Every year different Olympiad exams are conducted throughout the world. In these exams of national and international levels, students get a chance to compete with their peers. The Olympiads conducted at school levels by the Science Olympiad Foundation or SOF are the most popular. The SOF aims to enhance the student's problem-solving skills, analytical skills, and logical reasoning. These exams prepare students for the modern competitive world therefore, appearing for SOF is highly recommended.

SOF conducts exams based on different subjects such as Mathematics, English, and Social Studies, etc. The most popular and recommended exams conducted by SOF are the National Science Olympiad or NSO, the International Mathematics Olympiad or IMO, the International Social Studies Olympiad or ISSO, the International General Knowledge Olympiad or IGKO, International English Olympiad of IEO, and National Cyber Olympiad or NCO. 

As for the preparations for the Class 7 Olympiad exams, there are some dos and don'ts that the students are recommended to abide by;

Do’s:

  • Choose the exams – 

As there are many Olympiad exams the students can take part in, they are suggested to choose which exams they are more interested to take. Students need to work hard to prepare for the respective subjects, so it is always better to choose the exams beforehand so that there are no difficulties later.

  • Make a plan – 

After choosing which exams you are going to appear for, strategically plan your study routine. Schedule your daily activities properly so that you can have enough time to study for the Olympiads. Make sure it's not much crowded allowing you some time to relax. It is recommended to keep track of the daily progression. This will help in organizing the study plan better. By tracking the progression day to day, students will be able to understand whether in which direction they are headed. They would be able to understand whether to make any change or continue this schedule. 

  • Cover the syllabus – 

Students are suggested to abide by the syllabus religiously without exception. No chapter or topic can be considered less important before studying. Students who do not study chapter by chapter tend to have a gap in their knowledge. They lack the depth of understanding. Their poor understanding of concepts can later lead to major problems. They won't be able to answer the questions in the given time. After many failed attempts, students might get frustrated which affects their psychological well-being. 

  • Special training – 

Students can choose to sign up for training specially conducted for the Olympiads. Several institutes and online sites offer to train students specifically for Olympiads. Their goal is to make students familiar with the patterns of Olympiads. This training offers proper guidance and a study environment for the student to prosper. With daily practice and training, their skills improve and they become more adept in answering difficult and tricky questions within a limited period.

  • Online tests and mock tests – 

Students are suggested to take regular online tests or mock tests for self-assessment. This would also prove to be helpful to get students accustomed to the Olympiad exam pattern. They would understand clearly which concepts are not yet clear to them. They would realize where they need to spend more effort to score good marks. It would help them in assessing how much they have learned and provide good statistics on their progress.

  • Practice and revise – 

Practising the concepts over and over again can help in having a clear understanding of the topics. To practice and revise more effectively, students are suggested to use previous year question paper workbooks such as IEO English Olympiad Previous Year Question Paper Class 7 2015. By practising the previous year's question paper, the exam and question pattern would become clearer to them. This would certainly increase their confidence and their belief in themselves. 

Revising the syllabus is crucial to make sure that the students do not forget any of the topics or the concepts that they have studied. This would not just clear their understanding but also help them in founding a good base in the subject as well as providing them insight on various topics.

Don’ts:

  • Not starting asap – 

If a student is appearing for an Olympiad, they are suggested to start preparing as early as possible. Students who wait too long to start do not get enough time to cover the entire syllabus. Sometimes they also do not appear for the mock test and never have enough revision of what they have studied. And with this when they sit down in the exam hall to answer exams, they are not able to complete it in time, simply because they are ill-prepared. This leads to frustration among students which affects their mental health. Therefore, it is suggested to start preparing as soon as they can.

  • Not revising – 

Sometimes after being able to answer questions in mock tests and completing workbooks, students tend to think that they do not need to study the topics anymore. This mindset leads to a lack of revision and their grasp on the understanding of the subject starts to lose. In many cases, students forget half of what they have studied and become unable to answer the question. Sometimes, they run out of time, as their skills tend to get dull with time due to the lack of revision and practice. So no matter how skilled a student is, it is recommended not to skip revision and practice.

  • Not keeping good health – 

Most students of this age tend to eat a lot of junk food which is not good for their health. Students are recommended to have a good diet to have a healthy and fit physique. If the students are not healthy and do not engage themselves in different mental and physical activities, they would lack the energy to study or worse get sick due to the stressed environment and unhealthy physique. Students would not be able to think clearly and use their skills properly if they are not in good mental and physical health. It is also recommended to make their schedule balanced so the stress of the exams is not too much on their mental health.