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If your child is preparing for IMO, ISO, or IEO, this is not a quiet week. One of the three SOF Olympiad first-level dates falls on 23 October 2026, and NMTC’s Stage 2 Final is set for 25 October 2026. Parents write to us almost every day with some version of the same question: is ten minutes of daily practice enough, or should it be an hour? Here is a straightforward, grade-wise answer, along with what actually counts as useful practice rather than just more homework.
Why This Particular Week Matters for Olympiad Families
Each school selects one date per Olympiad from the options SOF publishes, and once chosen it cannot be changed. The table below lays out where things stand for the 2026-27 cycle, plus NMTC, the competitive maths exam conducted separately by AMTI, the Association of Mathematics Teachers of India. ComeOnKid is not affiliated with SOF or AMTI. These dates are shared only as background so parents can plan practice around the right week.
| Exam | Conducted By | 2026-27 First Level Date Options | Subject Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| IMO | SOF | 23 Oct 2026, 26 Nov 2026, or 10 Dec 2026 | Mathematics |
| ISO (often called NSO by parents) | SOF | 30 Oct 2026, 19 Nov 2026, or 3 Dec 2026 | Science |
| IEO | SOF | 27 Oct 2026 or 17 Nov 2026 (the 30 Sep 2026 slot has already passed) | English |
| NMTC Stage 2 (Final) | AMTI | 25 October 2026 | Mathematics talent contest, not curriculum based |
Check with your child’s school for which date applies to them. If the exam is still weeks away, there is no need to panic. If it falls this week, a calm fifteen minute review right now is far more useful than a long last minute session.
So, How Much Daily Practice Is Actually Enough?
There is no single number that fits every child, but one rule holds across grades: short, consistent daily practice beats long, occasional sessions. A child who sees one well explained problem every weekday for a month absorbs far more than a child who attempts twenty problems the night before the exam with no time to understand where they went wrong.
ComeOnKid’s own Daily Olympiad Practice packs are built around this idea, with each weekday’s set designed to take roughly fifteen to twenty minutes, including time to read the worked solution.
What Counts as Real Practice (and What Doesn’t)
A few habits separate useful daily practice from busywork.
- The child attempts the problem alone first, even if the answer is wrong, before looking at the solution.
- The worked solution is read for the reasoning behind it, not just checked against the final number.
- A mistake from the previous day gets a quick second look rather than being forgotten right away.
- Full length timed mock tests stay occasional, not daily. A timed test every evening tires a child out faster than it sharpens them.
Grade Wise Daily Practice Time Guide
| Grade Band | Recommended Daily Time | What to Focus On |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 to 3 | 10 to 15 minutes | One simple pattern or picture based reasoning question, ideally read together with a parent |
| Class 4 to 6 | 15 to 20 minutes | One IMO or ISO style problem plus its worked solution, attempted independently first |
| Class 7 to 8 | 20 to 25 minutes | A mix of Maths and Science reasoning problems, with a short weekly review of earlier mistakes |
| Class 9 to 10 | 20 to 30 minutes | Harder multi step problems, with occasional timed practice closer to the exam date, balanced against regular school and board exam study time |
These ranges are a starting point, not a fixed rule. A child who enjoys problem solving may happily go a little longer some days. A child already stretched thin with school homework should not be pushed past this.
Is Olympiad Practice Worth It If My Child Is Not Writing the Exam This Year?
Yes, and this is one of the most common questions we get. The reasoning and pattern recognition skills built through daily Olympiad style practice carry over directly into school Maths and Science, even for a child with no plans to sit IMO, ISO or IEO this cycle. A child who is comfortable breaking a problem into steps tends to handle an unfamiliar question in a regular school test with less panic too, not just in a competitive exam.
For everyday problem solving practice that pairs well with Olympiad style reasoning, see Daily Maths Worksheets for Kids (Grade 1 to 12).
Not sure which pack suits your child’s grade? Message ComeOnKid on WhatsApp at +91 90255 08131 to request a free sample Olympiad worksheet pack for your child’s grade before deciding anything.
What About NMTC and Other Competitive Maths Exams?
NMTC is a separate competitive maths exam conducted by AMTI, distinct from the SOF Olympiads. It is often described as a maths talent contest rather than a curriculum based test, with Stage 1 already held on 30 August 2026 and Stage 2, the Final, scheduled for 25 October 2026. ComeOnKid is not affiliated with AMTI and does not currently offer NMTC specific content, but the same daily habit of attempting a problem, checking the reasoning, and reviewing mistakes builds the same reasoning muscle that helps across Olympiad exams and competitive maths exams like NMTC alike.
What’s Inside ComeOnKid’s Daily Olympiad Practice Pack
Every weekday, ComeOnKid sends one problem set directly on WhatsApp, covering IMO, ISO (still often called NSO by parents) and IEO style reasoning for Grades 1 to 10. The questions are written originally for ComeOnKid rather than reused from old papers, and every set comes with a full worked solution so a parent does not need a Maths or Science background to help. A sample pack is available as a Google Drive link before you decide to subscribe.
Explore Daily Olympiad Practice (IMO/NSO/IEO) to see the full subscription details.
Daily Olympiad Practice is ₹899 per month right now, down from ₹1,499. Message ComeOnKid on WhatsApp at +91 90255 08131 to check the current price before it changes.
Pairing Daily Problem Solving With Chess
Parents often ask what else builds the same kind of thinking. Chess is one answer worth considering alongside daily Olympiad practice, since it trains many of the same skills: pattern recognition, planning several moves ahead, and staying calm under pressure, just through a different activity.
Learn more about Chess Classes at ComeOnKid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion
Whichever exam week your family is watching this October, the daily habit matters more than any single cram session. Fifteen to twenty focused minutes, most weekdays, with a worked solution to learn from, builds the kind of reasoning that outlasts any one exam date.
Visit the ComeOnKid Enrol page to see this alongside ComeOnKid’s other programmes.
Ready to start this week’s Daily Olympiad Practice batch? Message ComeOnKid on WhatsApp at +91 90255 08131, or visit ComeOnKid’s centre in Nagamalai Pudukkottai, Madurai, to see the programme in person.