30-day olympiad revision plan for IMO, NSO, IEO, IGKO and ISSO
By the OlympiadLive editorial team · · 7 min read
The last month before an olympiad is not the time to learn new chapters. It is the time to revise and practise under exam conditions, and to fix the few weak areas that cost the most marks. This plan works for any SOF olympiad and any class. Adjust the session length to your child's age.
How much time per day?
| Classes | Daily session | Mock tests |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | 15–20 minutes | One short test a week |
| 3–5 | 30 minutes | One full test a week |
| 6–8 | 45 minutes | One or two full tests a week |
| 9–12 | 60 minutes | Two full tests a week |
Consistency beats intensity. Thirty focused minutes every day is better than a four-hour Sunday.
Before day 1: take a baseline test
Take one timed paper in the real duration before you start. A free 20-question mock test is enough for Classes 3–8. For other classes, or for a full-length paper with section analysis, use a full mock exam.
From the result, write down:
- Your two weakest sections.
- Your three weakest chapters or topics.
- Whether you ran out of time.
Every week of the plan refers back to this list.
Week 1 (days 1–7): weakest topics first
- Days 1–5: one weak topic per day. Re-read the textbook explanation, then solve 10–15 questions on it.
- Day 6: 30 minutes of Logical Reasoning (series, analogies, coding–decoding, mirror images). For IEO, do a reading-comprehension passage instead. For IGKO, do a current-affairs review.
- Day 7: rest, or a light review of the week's notes.
Week 2 (days 8–14): full syllabus pass
Go through the rest of the class syllabus quickly. The aim is recognition, not mastery: can you remember the key idea of each chapter? The class-wise syllabus pages list every chapter. See, for example, IMO Class 6 or NSO Class 8.
- Days 8–12: two or three chapters per day, with five questions each.
- Day 13: first full timed mock test of the plan.
- Day 14: review every mistake from day 13. Write one line per mistake: why it was wrong.
Week 3 (days 15–21): speed and accuracy
By now the content is fresh. Week 3 is about doing it under time pressure.
- Days 15–19: timed section practice. Give yourself the real time per question (exam duration ÷ number of questions) and stick to it.
- Day 20: second full timed mock test.
- Day 21: review mistakes and compare against the baseline. Which sections improved? Which did not?
Week 4 (days 22–28): Achievers Section and final mocks
- Days 22–24: Achievers-style questions: harder, multi-step problems from your strongest chapters. These carry more marks per question.
- Day 25: third full timed mock test.
- Days 26–27: review, then revisit only the topics that still cause mistakes.
- Day 28: light revision of formulae, word lists, maps or facts, depending on the olympiad.
Days 29–30: rest and rehearse
- Day 29: a short, easy practice set to stay confident. Prepare stationery and note the exam time.
- Day 30 (the day before): no new material. Sleep early.
Exam-day strategy
- First pass: answer every question you can do in under a minute. Mark the rest.
- Second pass: return to the marked questions.
- Last five minutes: make sure every question has an answer. SOF olympiads have no negative marking, so a blank is a guaranteed zero.
Olympiad-specific tweaks
- IMO: Spend extra time on Everyday Mathematics word problems. They reward careful reading.
- NSO: Redraw key diagrams (the eye, the heart, circuits, plant cells) from memory.
- IEO: Read one passage a day and note five new words in context.
- IGKO: Review current affairs from the past year in one go during week 4.
- ISSO: Re-do blank maps and timelines. See the ISSO preparation guide.
Check the exam dates and count back 30 days. That's your start date.