With about 2 months left to the 2024 SASMO, preparation for the SASMO competition is in full swing. The SASMO, commonly known as the Singapore & Asian Schools Math Olympiad (SASMO), will be happening on 31 March 2024 for private candidates and registration will be closing on 11 March 2024.
For parents who are getting into the groove of immersing their Lower Primary child (P1-P3) in math olympiads, you might want to check out our previous blog post on registration information and how to prepare for it (The Only SASMO Preparation Guide You Need (P2-P3)).
Achieving an award at the SASMO will require a combination of mastery of topics, exam preparation plan, and exam-taking strategy.
Since an exam preparation plan and exam-taking strategy will differ from person to person, this blog post will focus on what topics your child will need to master to achieve a medal at the SASMO.
SASMO Syllabus (Grade 1-4)
For context, here is the syllabus that the organising committee, SIMCC, has released.
Grade 1-4 (Primary 1-4)
- Arithmetic and Statistics
- Geometry and Mensuration
- Solving word problems using the model method (or any other non-algebraic methods)
- Non-routine problem solving (including number patterns, divisibility tests, spatial visualisation, logic problems, and simple cryptarithms)
On a side note, SASMO started in 2006 and recently created a Primary 1/Grade 1 category in 2021.
Topics tested frequently for P1-P3 SASMO
While we have shared in our previous posts that the key modules tested in the Primary 1 – Primary 3 SASMO are calculation and combinatorics, we have also noticed an increasing level of difficulty in the questions tested. After examining 8 years’ worth of SASMO past year papers, we can confidently predict 80% of the question types that are repeated yearly in the P1-P3 SASMO.
So what exactly are the types of questions tested in SASMO? We’ve found several different question types that occur yearly.
1. Combinatorics
When encountered with comparing figures questions, Primary 3 SASMO questions will involve rotation and visualisation, which is not required in Primary 2.
2. Cryptarithms
One of the most common topics found in P2 and P3 SASMO is cryptarithms, which are number puzzles. The difference between P2 and P3 SASMO cryptarithms would be the number of digits involved. The key to solving cryptarithms would be a combination of the guess and check method and a strong mastery of number theory.
3.Logical Reasoning
Logical reasoning is a key skill tested in the SASMO. One of the most iconic logical reasoning questions is the truth-or-lie question. The key difference between the Primary 2 and Primary 3 logical reasoning questions is the number of conditions, consequently, increasing the complexity of the problem.
Here are the topics from Combinatorics and Calculation that have appeared every year for the past 3 years.
Download the full list of essential topics you must master for the Primary 1 – Primary 3 SASMO. Kindly note that these topics are the ones that have appeared frequently in the Primary 1 – Primary 3 SASMO past year papers (2014-2022).
Need additional practice?
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