FOC World

Preparing for a mental arithmetic olympiad

Prepare for a FOC olympiad: understand the format, practise mental calculation, choose an event and review your results.

Start with the rules of your chosen event

Formats, categories, schedules and award criteria can differ between olympiads. Open the event page, read the regulations and confirm the participant’s category with their teacher. Preparation should match the tasks used in that particular competition.

Practise accuracy and speed separately

First check that the child understands the calculation method, then introduce a time limit. After a set of tasks, discuss the causes of mistakes as well as the score. A wrong operation, a missed digit and rushing call for different kinds of practice.

Use the FOC training platform

The training platform is separate from the competition website. Open it and sign in to your account. If a learning centre provides your access, ask your teacher to check it: registering for an olympiad and getting training access are separate steps.

Check the practical details before participating

Confirm the date, venue or online format, registration deadline and payment terms on the event page. For online participation, test your device and connection beforehand. Olympiad applications are submitted through the team portal.

Review the results afterwards

Once the organisers publish the results, open them on the event page. Discuss difficult tasks with your teacher and use the review to plan further practice. Training does not guarantee a prize: results depend on preparation and the conditions of each competition.