It’s the Math Olympiad Competition season and we have got our preparation game faces on. With the end of RMO, the preparation for APMOPS, previously known as SMOPS, is in full swing.
If you are scrambling to look up details for APMOPS, check out our post on Exclusive Inside Look at APMOPS.
Despite the end of the RMO, not all is lost. Up to 50% – 60% of the knowledge points that your child has learned for the RMO are also covered in the APMOPS. However, it is important to note that performing well in one of the competitions does not guarantee a good performance for the other.
One of the key differences that you will see between the APMOPS Round 1 and the RMO Round 1 is the format. Right off the bat, the SMOPS Round 1 requires students to work out the final answer with 30 Short Answer Questions while RMO Round 1 provides multiple choice.
After analysing the 2013-2023 past-year papers, here are 5 things about the APMOPS that others are not telling you.
1. The difficulty of APMOPS is actually pretty manageable
Among the 3 Math Olympiads (RMO, NMOS and APMOPS), the APMOPS is considered pretty manageable. Why do we say so?
After analysing past year’s papers from APMOPS, RMO and NMOS, we saw that the majority of the APMOPS Round 1 is made up of Level 1-3 questions, with 44% Level 2 questions and 39% Level 3 questions. As compared to the RMO, the APMOPS is comparatively less difficult.
Targeted Approach To Ace the SMOPS
- Taught by experienced Math Olympiad coaches and Question Designer
- Learn techniques and problem-solving process for commonly tested topics in the SMOPS
2. 80% is made up of 4 modules
More than 80% of the APMOPS comprises of these 4 modules – Counting (23%), Geometry (20%), Number Theory (20%) and Calculation (17%). If you are looking to ace the APMOPS, those are the 4 topics to focus on.
3. Speed, Distance and Time appear infrequently.
Conversely, we have also noticed that Speed, Distance, and Time questions appear infrequently with less than 5% in the APMOPS Round 1 papers. Most of the Speed, Distance and Time questions are often questions involving basic calculations appearing in the first few questions in the paper. Another notable question involving Speed, Distance, and Time is the Circular Runway question.
4. Combinatorics is key in the local Math Olympiads
Even though Combinatorics has an appearance rate of 13% in SMOPS, it is still a topic that you will need for NMOS and RMO. Hence, it might be useful to invest time to understand the underlying principles and strategies for combinatorics questions.
5. The easiest question to master is Number Theory
With Number Theory appearing as frequently as up to 20%, we also took a deep dive into the various question types tested under Number Theory in the APMOPS Round 1. From examining past year’s Number Theory questions, we see that these questions are generally easier and repetitive in nature. The key to solving Number Theory questions is applying the divisibility rules and prime factorisation.
Oh, and one more thing! APMOPS loves to test you on the divisibility of 7, 11 and 13.
Learn Math Olympiad Thinking Holistically
- Develop thought process and problem-solving strategies rather than solely teaching through practice questions
- Curated curriculum to cover 100% of topics tested in local top 5 Math olympiads (RMO, NMOS, APMOPS)
- Taught by experienced Math Olympiad coaches and Question Designer
Begin your APMOPS preparation with our past year’s papers and solutions!
If you are currently in P4, and aspiring to win awards at the NMOS, RMO, or APMOPS, we’ve got a comprehensive learning plan for you. Our long-term course curriculum is curated to cover all the knowledge points you will need for the local Math Olympiads. Unlike others on the market, our lesson design helps students master knowledge points before putting them to practice.
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