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Preparing for the UKMT Senior Maths Challenge

Hi all,

The Senior Maths Challenge is soon coming up, so I was wondering if anyone had any tips on how to do well on it? I'm willing to put in some time to do some past papers, but if anyone has any strategies to it then it would be much appreciated if you post in this thread!

Thanks in advance.

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Original post by Procrastin8R
Hi all,

The Senior Maths Challenge is soon coming up, so I was wondering if anyone had any tips on how to do well on it? I'm willing to put in some time to do some past papers, but if anyone has any strategies to it then it would be much appreciated if you post in this thread!

Thanks in advance.


Doing a few past papers might help, but there's not really any way you can properly prepare for them. Always start with the easiest questions. If I don't immediately know how to do a question, I'll skip it and return to it if I have time at the end. For the harder questions, even with the penalty for wrong answers, it's still worth giving an educated guess if you've got a feeling you know what might be the right answer.
Original post by Chlorophile
Doing a few past papers might help, but there's not really any way you can properly prepare for them. Always start with the easiest questions. If I don't immediately know how to do a question, I'll skip it and return to it if I have time at the end. For the harder questions, even with the penalty for wrong answers, it's still worth giving an educated guess if you've got a feeling you know what might be the right answer.


How do people get onto BMO1 is doing all the past papers enough?

It requires a different thinking than SAT/Maths/FM/iGCSE etc.

Want to get to BMO1 at least but I don't know anyone who has got there to give good tips..
Original post by FaZe temperrrrrr
How do people get onto BMO1 is doing all the past papers enough?

It requires a different thinking than SAT/Maths/FM/iGCSE etc.

Want to get to BMO1 at least but I don't know anyone who has got there to give good tips..


Doing well enough to get onto BMO1 is an entirely different question from simply doing well on the Senior Maths Challenge. I can get Golds in the Maths Challenges without too much difficulty but I've not got to the BMO before (I've only got onto the Intermediate Olympiad a couple of times) so I can't really answer that for you. Sorry!
Original post by Chlorophile
Doing well enough to get onto BMO1 is an entirely different question from simply doing well on the Senior Maths Challenge. I can get Golds in the Maths Challenges without too much difficulty but I've not got to the BMO before (I've only got onto the Intermediate Olympiad a couple of times) so I can't really answer that for you. Sorry!


Anyhow can you please give me advice in how you got golds on SMC, golds in the younger years were fairly easy.

But the SMC is another ballgame imo, the last 5 questions are much different than anything ever seen and on average I only get 1/5 right out of them.

Any advice to get golds?

Can someone who works their ass off get into BMO1 via acing the SMC or do you have to be extremely naturally gifted/Chinese to do well?

Thanks.
Original post by FaZe temperrrrrr


Can someone who works their ass off get into BMO1 via acing the SMC or do you have to be extremely naturally gifted/Chinese to do well?

Thanks.


Way to be racist bro
Original post by FaZe temperrrrrr
Anyhow can you please give me advice in how you got golds on SMC, golds in the younger years were fairly easy.

But the SMC is another ballgame imo, the last 5 questions are much different than anything ever seen and on average I only get 1/5 right out of them.

Any advice to get golds?

Can someone who works their ass off get into BMO1 via acing the SMC or do you have to be extremely naturally gifted/Chinese to do well?

Thanks.


In my case, I found that the skills required were quite difficult - I did very very well in the last SMC (or at least well enough to be in the book at the end of the year), but for some reason my mark in the BMO1 was very very bad.
Original post by strawberrysnow
Way to be racist bro


How is it racist.

Go take a look at the names of the people in every single International Olympiad team, brah.

All chinese.

kthnxbye

Original post by Principia
In my case, I found that the skills required were quite difficult - I did very very well in the last SMC (or at least well enough to be in the book at the end of the year), but for some reason my mark in the BMO1 was very very bad.


Please tell me of these skills. I am prepared to do anything to get into BMO1, did you have tutors/use any prep books/go to private school?
Ive got to BMO1 and qualified and did BMO2 (top 100 just saying :wink:


Posted from TSR Mobile
u need around 100/125 in SMC to qualify for BMO1


Posted from TSR Mobile
SmC just try think and write down all ur thoughts and do all past papers. Recap gcse's therems etc.


Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by FaZe temperrrrrr
How is it racist.

Go take a look at the names of the people in every single International Olympiad team, brah.

All chinese.

kthnxbye



Please tell me of these skills. I am prepared to do anything to get into BMO1, did you have tutors/use any prep books/go to private school?


Haha. If you pay enough you can get into it without getting an exceptional mark in the SMC. I think I did the team challenge beforehand, and I had done the AS units for maths and further maths, but nothing else - I didn't read any books nor go to a private school.
i go to a crap school. Just practice hard and understand solutions. Just buy a pack of past papers and thats it. BMO preperation is much more though.


Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by physicsmaths
Ive got to BMO1 and qualified and did BMO2 (top 100 just saying :wink:


Posted from TSR Mobile


My congratulations. Do tell us of how you attained these giddy heights.
Original post by Principia
Haha. If you pay enough you can get into it without getting an exceptional mark in the SMC. I think I did the team challenge beforehand, and I had done the AS units for maths and further maths, but nothing else - I didn't read any books nor go to a private school.


Forget that man, only beta phaggots would pay to get in or they may have missed test date idk. Not doing that.

I have partaked in a team challenge but again that is not at all similar..

So you are just good at maths and did no prep for it.

Manz is disappointing as he chits himself if not fully prepped for test :/

Original post by physicsmaths
i go to a crap school. Just practice hard and understand solutions. Just buy a pack of past papers and thats it. BMO preperation is much more though.


Posted from TSR Mobile


There are past papers with solutions on there is that it. Or do you mean specific papers?
Original post by FaZe temperrrrrr
How do people get onto BMO1 is doing all the past papers enough?

It requires a different thinking than SAT/Maths/FM/iGCSE etc.

Want to get to BMO1 at least but I don't know anyone who has got there to give good tips..


You have to have some sort of aptitude for. problem solving for BMO1. Just take your time with questions just focus on 20 questions for SMC and that pretty much guarantees a spot in BMO. As you get 25 marks at the start as you get negatively marked if you pick a wrong amswer.


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Original post by FaZe temperrrrrr
Forget that man, only beta phaggots would pay to get in or they may have missed test date idk. Not doing that.

I have partaked in a team challenge but again that is not at all similar..

So you are just good at maths and did no prep for it.

Manz is disappointing as he chits himself if not fully prepped for test :/



There are past papers with solutions on there is that it. Or do you mean specific papers?


there are 2.50 packs from UKMT. Buy some books if ur serious about the olympiad.


Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by physicsmaths
there are 2.50 packs from UKMT. Buy some books if ur serious about the olympiad.


Posted from TSR Mobile



I am confused http://www.ukmt.org.uk/publications/index.php?type=PastPaper

those papers are available for free.

I want to do olympiad but if I can't get past first stage there is no point.

Last question.

How do you do the hard questions on BMO1, the ones with complex circle theorem and stuff which is not in a level maths.
Original post by physicsmaths
SmC just try think and write down all ur thoughts and do all past papers. Recap gcse's therems etc.


Posted from TSR Mobile


Is the senior maths challnege based only on GCSE stuff, or does it include anything extra, or any AS/ A level?
Reply 19
Original post by Procrastin8R
Hi all,

The Senior Maths Challenge is soon coming up, so I was wondering if anyone had any tips on how to do well on it? I'm willing to put in some time to do some past papers, but if anyone has any strategies to it then it would be much appreciated if you post in this thread!

Thanks in advance.

Get a life

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