As a parent, we want our kids to have various achievements because that will result in their success. Competitive exams and activities are required platform for your child because they give the perfect opportunity to use and enhance their knowledge. Exams such as Olympiads, Spell Bee, NSTSE, etc. help your child in developing an external and rational outlook which is beyond the classroom. Your child uses their knowledge into olympiads and other exams which helps them achieve excellence.
What is an Olympiad? Is it important for your child?
Olympiads are competitive exams which are done at the school level. They are often based on the syllabus of the particular subject taught in the schools. Olympiads helps your child by exposing them to such exams and preparing them for the future. Through olympiads, you can assess your child’s strengths and capabilities. They can also help in knowing where your child lacks hence help you in giving extra attention to a required area.
What age is perfect to start?
The earlier your child is able to begin preparing, the better as it will assist your child in working on a healthy competitive skill. Participating in exams like these is good for your child because it will develop their knowledge pool and cognitive skills. Your child’s participation in olympiads during class 1 to class 5 will help in the development of their high order thinking skills and social skills.
Competitive Exams for your Child
The following list contains some of the international and national competitive exams for students in classes 1 to class 5.
SPELL BEES
Spell bees are competitions where the participant is given a word and they have to spell the word correctly. They are a well-known form of contest and gaining popularity in the country too. Spell bees are conducted by various international and national organisations. You can apply and compete in anyone of them by your will. Spell bees are beneficial because they help in strengthening your child’s vocabulary as well as mental skills. Some popular spell bees are – Spell Bee International, India Spelling Bee, Wiz Spell Bee, Classmate Spell Bee, ISB Spelling Bee etc.
ENGLISH OLYMPIADS
Various international and national English olympiads are conducted for students of class 1 and above. These olympiads test your child on their language ability as well as knowledge of grammar and vocabulary. Various schools all over the country help in conducting some of the popular English olympiads such as SOF’s International English Olympiad (IEO) and Unified Council’s Unified International Engling Olympiad (UIEO). English olympiads not only tests the language ability of your child but also tests their language knowledge. These Olympiads are based on the school syllabus, hence, they include literature too.
Organisations like Silver Zone Foundation, MacMillan Education Foundation and Eduheal Foundation also conducts English Olympiads. You don’t need to do any individual registration process for olympiads because they are mostly conducted in collaboration with the schools. Your child just needs to fill up the form which will be provided by the school, and give the required fee.
SCIENCE OLYMPIADS
Science olympiads have gained momentum amongst students because of the challenge it gives while solving. The questions are based on the school syllabus and a section is based on the higher thinking ability of the child. So, they act as a perfect way to revise and retain knowledge by your child. There are many national level olympiads that happen all year round with the help of schools which includes National Level Science Talent Search Exam (NSTSE), Mastermind’s Science Student League and SOF World’s National Science Olympiad (NSO), etc.
Schools help in organizing and carrying out the olympiads and the toppers of the exam from each school are awarded with certificates, scholarships, and prizes and the exams. There are many organisations like Macmillan, EduHeal Foundation, etc. which conducts various international level science olympiads too.
MATH OLYMPIADS
Maths olympiads are one of the most popular olympiads and students from all classes have a go at it. Many organisations such as SOF World, EduHeal Foundation, Silver Zone Foundation, etc conduct maths olympiad for class 1 and above. A large number of students participate in it because of the collaboration between schools and these organisers. The questions are made from the school’s syllabus itself however, there is a section where the concepts need to be understood and applied. This section promotes higher ability thinking and problem-solving in your child.
Maths olympiads are held in both international and national level. For Eg. International Maths Olympiad (IMO), International Olympiad of Mathematics (iOM), Maths Student League (MSL), etc. Schools conduct and supervise these olympiads and the schools also run the registration process.
GK OLYMPIADS
English, Maths, and Science have always been popular subjects in Olympiads, but there are various other kinds of olympiads which are also growing. GK olympiads test the general knowledge of your child by asking questions about the current affairs around the world. International General Knowledge Olympiad (IGO) by EduHeal Foundation and IGKO by SOF World are a few examples of such olympiads. These exams are conducted in the form of multiple choice questions where your child has to select the correct answer. Your child can easily register themselves to these olympiads with the help of their schools.
COMPUTER OLYMPIADS
The cyber world is essential to today’s world and in fact, it is hard to survive without devices nowadays There are various Cyber and Computer Olympiads which are gaining popularity. Hence, it is necessary for your child to have knowledge regarding it. Various schools nowadays, are taking an interest in conducting Computer Olympiads like SOF World’s National Cyber Olympiad (NCO), EduHeal Foundation’s International Cyber Olympiad (iCO), etc. The questions are based on the knowledge of computers, software, and hardware. It also includes general knowledge regarding the cyber world and the internet. If your child has a knack for computers then this is the perfect form of olympiad for him.
You may want to read about
- Popular Spell Bee competitions for class 1-5
- Importance of general knowledge for children
Benefits of Competitive Exams
Appearing in competitive exams are beneficial for your child because there is a lot to learn from them. Most of these exams award the toppers by giving prizes, awards or scholarships. This can boost the morale of your child and make them feel accomplished. Apart from accolades, these exams also help a lot in developing your child mentally and socially.
Exposure and Holistic Development
The main aim of such exams is to improve your child holistically. Your child’s exposure to such exams helps in making them driven and develop a positive spirit among them. By appearing in such exams, not only is your child learning more, but they are also building up essential skills such as time management and stress management.
Confidence Building
The competition that your child faces from these exams helps in building up their confidence. If they perform well and win something, their self-esteem and healthy competitive drive will improve. Competitive exams are very important because they help in building up ambition and the drive to achieve goals. The motivation that your child will gain from it will help them in the long run since your child will be more goal-driven.
In-depth Understanding and Application of Concepts
The question pattern of these Olympiads is based on what your child is learning in school. The academic syllabus followed in CBSE, NCERT or any other board forms the base of the questions. So when your child sits for these olympiads, they are applying practical knowledge of their classroom learning.
Development of Logical and High Order Thinking Skills
In olympiads, the question patterns are based on subject knowledge and aptitude. Solving and answering the questions will help in developing your child’s cognitive process. The questions are based in such a way that they will help in the healthy improvement of your child’s logical skills and high order thinking skills (HOTS). They also improve the analytical and reasoning skills of your child. These skills are essential for your child to develop and will help in making your child smarter.