If your child is in Lower Primary (Primary 1 and Primary 2) and wondering what are the other upcoming math competitions, you are not alone. Over the next two months, there are 2 math competitions that you can look out for which is the Hope Cup and SIMOC happening in May and July respectively.

Out of the two competitions, SIMOC is one of the most prestigious math olympiad that not only tests you on your child’s written Math Olympiad skills but also their ability to perform and solve creative math challenges in teams.

Introduction to SIMOC

SIMOC is an international math competition organized by SIMCC (Singapore International Math Contests Centre) for students in primary schools, secondary schools, as well as junior colleges. It aims to promote and enhance students’ mathematical reasoning, analytical thinking, and problem-solving skills. the competition is held annually in Singapore, and participants came from all over the world.

Who can participate?

SIMOC is a by-invitation event and only those who obtain Gold, Silver and Bronze award winners for SASMO, SMKC and AMO or High Distinction and Distinction for DOKA can qualify.

For international students, SIMOC is happening in Singapore from 22-25 July 2023. This will also give students a chance to expand their horizons and explore global opportunities. Singapore students can take part in a rare opportunity to engage and exchange with international students from the region!

What is covered?

The SIMOC format differs from other Math Olympiad. On top of the written Math Olympiad Contest, students will engage in:

  • Team-based competition – Mind Sports Challenge which is a mental sums game created by SIMCC founder. Details of how to play the game can be found here.
  • Team-based competition – Math Warriors Competition, a 1-hour math challenge where teams will solve 8 hands-on math puzzles using math manipulatives

Written Component

Type: Individual

Grade 1-10 (Primary 1 to 10) students will take differentiated papers.

Duration: 90 minutes

Scoring system: You will start off with 15 bonus points .25 questions. Split into Section A and Section B.

  • Section A will consists of 15 multiple choice questions. 2 points awarded for correct answer, 0 point for unanswered question and 1 point will be deducted for each wrong answer.
  • Section B consists of 10 open-ended questions. 4 points will be awarded for each correct answer and no penalty will be imposed for wrong answers.

Specifically for Primary 1 to Primary 4, SIMOC written component may test them on Arithmetic and Statistics, Geometry and Mensuration, word problems using Model and non-routine problem-solving involving number patterns, divisibility tests, spatial visualisation, logic problems and simple cryptarithms.

What to expect during the SIMOC written exam?

One of the most common question that you can find during a SIMOC written exam is practical application question that can be solved with models.

There are 2 main types of models – Comparison Model and Unitary Model. For students in lower primary, they often have trouble knowing when and which model to use.

Here is key to model drawing:

  1. When a question provides information on sum and difference, you can use a COMPARISON model.
  2. When the question provides information on multiples (P.S. when the question states “times” as keyword) and sum/difference, you will use a UNITARY model.

Example 1:

How would you draw a model for A and B such that the sum of A and B is 150 and A is 50 more than B?

Basic of model drawing, which can be used in SIMOC.

Here is a common mistake that we frequently see in students’ workings when attempting this question.

Dividing by 2 first

One of the most common mistakes done by students is taking the sum of 150 and dividing it by 2. This step is incorrect as we need to take into account that A is 50 more than B. So under what kind situation can we divide it equally? It is when both A and B have the same bar length.

Since the bar lengths are different, we will need to find a way to make them same length in order to divide them equally. To do that, we can remove 50 from 150 to make the bar length the same and divide it by two!

Example 2:

Lilia scored 15 points fewer than Bob, who scored 35 points. Carol scored half as many points as Lilia. How many points did Carol score?

This question involves the Unitary Model (keyword: “half”) and Comparison Model (sum and difference)

Hints:

  1. Identify the main characters in the questions.
    3 main characters – Lilia, Bob and Carol
  2. Identify who has the least points?
    Carol has the least amount of points. The best way to draw a model is by drawing the model for Carol.
    From the question, we know Bob has the most number of points and will have the longest bar.
    Carol scored HALF as many points as Lilia, she has the shortest bar (1 unit).
    Lilia has twice as many points as Carol (2 units).
Question using model technique, a topic frequently tested in SIMOC

Since Lilia has 15 points less than Bob, Bob has 15 more than the two units of Lilia.

Bob scored 35 points. You can find the number of points in 1 unit by,
35-15=20
20/2=10
1u = 10

Since Carol has 1 unit and we have solved for 1 unit, Carol scored 10 points.

Looking to prepare for SIMOC?

If your child has met the pre-requisite, our SIMOC Short Term Course will guide your child for the written component of the contest.

SIMOC Short-Term Course

Duration: 3 days, (6 June – 8 June) 10-12pm

Class Size: Small class of 12 to provide personalised attention

Curriculum: 100% coverage of SIMOC tested topics (Calculation, Practical Application, Logical Reasoning).

Price: $35 per lesson (Total: $105), excluding GST

Why Think Academy?

  1. Curriculum: 100% content coverage of SIMOC tested topics to develop students mastery and problem-solving skills during the SIMOC written component
  2. Expert Team: Our team is made up of curriculum specialists with experience in Math Olympiad and experience in setting questions for Math Olympiad. Our Master Teachers are also graduates from
  3. Location: In-person classes at Square 2, located next to Novena MRT station. Our classrooms are equipped with EdTech functions to keep lessons fun, engaging and conducive for learning.

If you are interested in excelling in SIMOC and achieving your math goals, register for our STC today! Contact us to get started.

Looking for a Math Olympiad trial? Check out our latest Semester 2 Trial to experience how Think Academy impact students in their journey towards math excellence.