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UKMT Intermediate Maths Challenge 2016

Hey guys, this is a discussion thread for people who are going to take part in the Intermediate Challenge on 4th February 2016.
I hope this thread would be helpful Please help each other out

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It's going to be my first time writing the paper, and I've just tried the previous years papers out, and by the grade boundaries I would only achieve a bronze award. I'm aiming for a gold award. Anyway good luck guys :biggrin:

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Original post by randomperson11
Hey guys, this is a discussion thread for people who are going to take part in the Intermediate Challenge on 4th February 2016.
I hope this thread would be helpful Please help each other out

-------
It's going to be my first time writing the paper, and I've just tried the previous years papers out, and by the grade boundaries I would only achieve a bronze award. I'm aiming for a gold award. Anyway good luck guys :biggrin:


I did it 2 years ago, didnt do it last year and am doing it this year
Reply 2
Original post by randomperson11
Hey guys, this is a discussion thread for people who are going to take part in the Intermediate Challenge on 4th February 2016.
I hope this thread would be helpful Please help each other out

-------
It's going to be my first time writing the paper, and I've just tried the previous years papers out, and by the grade boundaries I would only achieve a bronze award. I'm aiming for a gold award. Anyway good luck guys :biggrin:


Don't worry about it unless you are really good at maths and wants to get a gold, it's not like an exam. Most people in my class don't even bother trying... I've done the junior challenge in year 7+8 and got both golds but only managed to get bronze in the intermediate challenge in year 9+10 😂


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Reply 3
I'm doing it! I've done the past papers and they seem fine but I think that last years one was quite tough. Are there any good tips on how to prepare?

:smile:
Original post by noorgal
I'm doing it! I've done the past papers and they seem fine but I think that last years one was quite tough. Are there any good tips on how to prepare?

:smile:
Yh 2015 was harder got them all but 25, the football question and the remainder by 8
Reply 5
Hey guys, I got three golds when I sat junior but completely messed up last year and only got a silver... Does anyone have any tips to maximise the chances of getting a gold this year? Thanks!
Original post by snehhz
Hey guys, I got three golds when I sat junior but completely messed up last year and only got a silver... Does anyone have any tips to maximise the chances of getting a gold this year? Thanks!


What I noticed is that the JMC and IMC are completely different. The IMC seems more logical; anyway if you are looking for a gold I wouldnt bother looking at the last five unless you are sure you will get it.
I'm doing the IMC for the first time this year and for preparation I did all the past papers from 2003-2015 (from yearbooks). I think it also helps to do more difficult questions like from the SMC? In retrospect, IMC will feel easier.
Original post by liszthoven
I'm doing the IMC for the first time this year and for preparation I did all the past papers from 2003-2015 (from yearbooks). I think it also helps to do more difficult questions like from the SMC? In retrospect, IMC will feel easier.


Yh Im using SMC papers to practise (Ive done all IMC's from 1999-2015 anyway) and also the pink kangaroo which is similar difficulty to SMC; what's your strategy for the IMC
Original post by 123Master321
Yh Im using SMC papers to practise (Ive done all IMC's from 1999-2015 anyway) and also the pink kangaroo which is similar difficulty to SMC; what's your strategy for the IMC

Cool! How well do you do on average? My strategy is just to do as many questions as possible; if you get a question wrong you lose points, so unless you have a good guess for the answer, it'd probably be best not to answer! Also, accuracy is really important.
Something else to keep in mind: don't fill in answers unless you've checked them thoroughly. In the SMC I accidentally filled in a wrong answer on the sheet and at the end, I found out and even though I erased it, the stupid scantron still counted it as wrong! I could've gotten into BMO1...

Yeah. So what about you?
Original post by liszthoven
Cool! How well do you do on average? My strategy is just to do as many questions as possible; if you get a question wrong you lose points, so unless you have a good guess for the answer, it'd probably be best not to answer! Also, accuracy is really important.
Something else to keep in mind: don't fill in answers unless you've checked them thoroughly. In the SMC I accidentally filled in a wrong answer on the sheet and at the end, I found out and even though I erased it, the stupid scantron still counted it as wrong! I could've gotten into BMO1...

Yeah. So what about you?


Ok, did the SMC this year(y11), got a gold(2 points off BMO1). With the IMC with the past papers I did Im getting 115-125 ish. I mainly go for speed in the first 15 trying to do them in 15-20mins, and another 15-20mins for 16-20 trying to leave at least 20-30 mins for the last 5.
Having said that I didn't like the style of the 2015 IMC, I dont like questions where you are not completely sure you are right
(edited 8 years ago)
I haven't actually ever properly prepared for the maths challenges. I probably won't this year either unless I'm looking to try and get a place on the Olympiad (something which I probably wouldn't get anyway).
Original post by TheOtherSide.
I haven't actually ever properly prepared for the maths challenges. I probably won't this year either unless I'm looking to try and get a place on the Olympiad (something which I probably wouldn't get anyway).


Fair enough
Original post by liszthoven
Cool! How well do you do on average? My strategy is just to do as many questions as possible; if you get a question wrong you lose points, so unless you have a good guess for the answer, it'd probably be best not to answer! Also, accuracy is really important.
Something else to keep in mind: don't fill in answers unless you've checked them thoroughly. In the SMC I accidentally filled in a wrong answer on the sheet and at the end, I found out and even though I erased it, the stupid scantron still counted it as wrong! I could've gotten into BMO1...

Yeah. So what about you?


Have you looked at the follow on Olympiads - I looked at the mclaurin 2015 I managed to get the first 4 in an hour and one more in the remaining time
Original post by 123Master321
Ok, did the SMC this year(y11), got a gold(2 points off BMO1). With the IMC with the past papers I did Im getting 115-125 ish. I mainly go for speed in the first 15 trying to do them in 15-20mins, and another 15-20mins for 16-20 trying to leave at least 20-30 mins for the last 5.


That's interesting. Usually I find the last 5 the easiest to do in the sense that they often rely heavily on concepts in geometry/algebra and you could draw a diagram, create some variables and solve with algebra.
I personally make the most errors in questions that are a little earlier?

I haven't looked at many Maclaurin papers yet. Someone told me that you have to be year 11 to do Maclaurin, year 10 to do Hamilton and year 9 for Cayley so I've been looking at Cayley papers which are not much harder than the JMO... Is this true??
Original post by liszthoven
That's interesting. Usually I find the last 5 the easiest to do in the sense that they often rely heavily on concepts in geometry/algebra and you could draw a diagram, create some variables and solve with algebra.
I personally make the most errors in questions that are a little earlier?

I haven't looked at many Maclaurin papers yet. Someone told me that you have to be year 11 to do Maclaurin, year 10 to do Hamilton and year 9 for Cayley so I've been looking at Cayley papers which are not much harder than the JMO... Is this true??


TBf it's usually closer to 25 mins for the last five, but usually I try to do all of them, normally I get 3 of them quickly and the rest take longer, I should probably change this, but sometimes I spend aroun 10mins on one of these questions.

I usually lose marks due to simple calculation errors from 1-20

And yes, to do Maclaurin, you have to be in year 11, to do Hamilton, you have to be in year 10 but to do Cayley you can be Yr 9 or lower
Also, what do you struggle with, my worst topic by far is similar shapes, they always catch me out and I never learnt them at school
Original post by 123Master321
Also, what do you struggle with, my worst topic by far is similar shapes, they always catch me out and I never learnt them at school

I'd say I'm the weakest at combinatorics and probability.

But aren't you doing gcses this year? How could your school just miss out similarity? You know about SAS, SSS and AAA right?
Original post by liszthoven
I'd say I'm the weakest at combinatorics and probability.

But aren't you doing gcses this year? How could your school just miss out similarity? You know about SAS, SSS and AAA right?


Its not that my school missed it out, more that I moved schools and missed the topics so had to teach it myself, I did GCSE's last year(year 10) tbh I guess Im just bad at similar shapes, I never really think to use it in a question.

SAS - Side Angle Side? and what does this refer to though
Original post by 123Master321
TBf it's usually closer to 25 mins for the last five, but usually I try to do all of them, normally I get 3 of them quickly and the rest take longer, I should probably change this, but sometimes I spend aroun 10mins on one of these questions.

I usually lose marks due to simple calculation errors from 1-20

And yes, to do Maclaurin, you have to be in year 11, to do Hamilton, you have to be in year 10 but to do Cayley you can be Yr 9 or lower


Oh do you know anything about the national math summer school? Apparently the first week participants are selected based on IMC scores but it seems quite vague

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