Class 6 Math Olympiad —

Complete Guide to Tricks,

Shortcuts & Concepts
A comprehensive topic-by-topic reference for
Olympiad exams (IMO, NSO-Maths, SOF, Silverzone,
ASSET, Unified Council, etc.) with worked examples.

SECTION A: NUMBER SYSTEM

A1. Divisibility Rules

Divisible
Rule Example
by

2 Last digit even 3742 ✓

possible
3 Digit sum ÷ 3
4+8+1=13

4 Last 2 digits ÷ 4 3124 → 24 ÷4 ✓

5 Ends in 0 or 5 245 ✓
 Divisible
Rule Example
by

Divisible by 2
6 546 ✓
AND 3

Double last digit,

1092 →
subtract from
7 109−4=105 →
rest, repeat;
10−10=0 ✓
result ÷7

8 Last 3 digits ÷ 8 3128 → 128÷8 ✓

9 Digit sum ÷ 9 4563 → 18 ✓

10 Ends in 0 890 ✓

(odd-place sum)
9163 →
11 − (even-place
(9+6)−(1+3)=11 ✓
sum) ÷ 11 or 0

Divisible by 3
12
AND 4

Last 2 digits:
25
00,25,50,75

Golden trick: 7 × 11 × 13 = 1001. Any 6-digit number

of the form "abcabc" (a 3-digit block repeated) is
divisible by 7, 11, and 13 simultaneously.
A2. Place Value & Face Value Traps

Face value = the digit itself. Place value = digit ×

position value.

Olympiad trap: questions ask for the difference

between place value and face value of a repeated
digit — always locate positions carefully from the
right, starting at 1 (units).

A3. Prime Numbers & Factorization

Memorize primes up to 100: 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17,

19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41, 43, 47, 53, 59, 61, 67, 71, 73,
79, 83, 89, 97 (25 primes total).

Fast primality check: A number n is prime if not

divisible by any prime ≤ √n.
e.g. Check 149: √149 ≈ 12.2, test 2,3,5,7,11 →
none divide it → prime.

Number of factors trick: If N = a^p × b^q × c^r

(prime factorization), total factors = (p+1)(q+1)
(r+1).
e.g. 360 = 2³×3²×5¹ → factors = 4×3×2 = 24

A4. HCF & LCM

HCF × LCM = Product of two numbers (only for

exactly two numbers)

HCF of fractions = HCF(numerators) /

LCM(denominators)
 LCM of fractions = LCM(numerators) /
HCF(denominators)

Word problem cue words:

"greatest number that divides exactly" /

"maximum capacity" / "longest measuring
tape" → HCF

"least number divisible by all" / "smallest

quantity" / "bells ring together again" / "traffic
lights change together" → LCM

LCM with remainders: "least number which leaves

remainder r when divided by a, b, c" → LCM(a,b,c)
+r

LCM with deficiency: "least number which is short

by d in each case" → LCM(a,b,c) − d

A5. Unit Digit Cyclicity

Cycle lengths of unit digits for a^b:

0,1,5,6 → always end in themselves (cycle 1)

4,9 → cycle of 2

2,3,7,8 → cycle of 4

Method: Find b mod (cycle length); if remainder is 0,

use the last term of the cycle.
e.g. Unit digit of 8^47: cycle of 8 is 8,4,2,6 (length 4).
47 mod 4 = 3 → 3rd term = 2.

A6. Digital Roots (for quick verification)

 Keep summing digits until one digit remains.

Digital root of a product = digital root of (digital

root(a) × digital root(b)).

Use this to sanity-check multiplication answers

quickly in MCQs.

SECTION B: FAST ARITHMETIC

TECHNIQUES

B1. Multiplication Shortcuts

×5: ×10 ÷2

×25: ×100 ÷4

×125: ×1000 ÷8

×9: ×10 − original number

×99: ×100 − original number

×11 (2-digit): outer digits stay, middle = sum of

digits (carry if >9)
e.g. 68×11 → 6_(6+8=14, carry 1)_8 → 748

Squares ending in 5: n5² = [n×(n+1)][25]

e.g. 85² = 8×9=72 → 7225

Numbers near a base (100, 1000): (100−a)

(100−b) = 100(100−a−b)+ab
e.g. 94×92 = 100(94+92−100)+(6×8) =
100(86)+48 = 8648
B2. Division Shortcuts

Divide by 5: ×2, then ÷10

Divide by 25: ×4, then ÷100

Divide by 0.5: ×2 (dividing by a fraction =

multiplying by reciprocal)

B3. Addition/Subtraction Speed Tricks

Round-and-adjust: 597 + 348 → 600+348−3 =

945

Subtracting from powers of 10: subtract each

digit from 9, last digit from 10
e.g. 10000 − 6284 → (9−6)(9−2)(9−8)(10−4) =
3716

B4. Estimation & Approximation

Round each number to 1–2 significant figures

before comparing/estimating in MCQs — saves
time when exact calculation isn't required.

Useful approx: √2≈1.414, √3≈1.732, π≈3.14159

SECTION C: FRACTIONS, DECIMALS

& PERCENTAGES

C1. Key Conversions (memorize)

1/2=50%, 1/3≈33.3%, 2/3≈66.7%, 1/4=25%, 3/4=75%,
1/5=20%, 1/6≈16.7%, 1/8=12.5%, 1/9≈11.1%,
1/10=10%

C2. Percentage Tricks

Swap trick: x% of y = y% of x → pick whichever is

easier.
e.g. 16% of 25 = 25% of 16 = 4

Successive percentage change: Two successive

changes of a% and b% → net change = a+b+
(ab/100)% (use negative sign for decrease)
e.g. Price up 20% then down 10% → net = 20−10+
(20×−10/100)=8% increase

Percentage increase/decrease to get back to

original:
If increased by x%, must decrease by
[x/(100+x)]×100% to return to original.

C3. Recurring Decimals → Fractions

Pure recurring: 0.\overline{ab} = ab/99

Mixed recurring: 0.a\overline{bc} = (abc−a)/990

(pattern: numerator = non-repeating+repeating
minus non-repeating; denominator = 9s for
repeating digits + 0s for non-repeating)

C4. Comparing Fractions Fast

 Cross-multiplication: a/b vs c/d → compare a×d
vs b×c

Same numerator: smaller denominator = bigger

fraction

Same denominator: bigger numerator = bigger

fraction

SECTION D: RATIO, PROPORTION &

AVERAGES

D1. Ratio Tricks

If a:b = m:n, then a = mk, b = nk for some constant

k — introduce k to solve.

Combining ratios: a:b and b:c → a:b:c by making

'b' equal (LCM method).
e.g. a:b=2:3, b:c=4:5 → make b=12 → a:b=8:12,
b:c=12:15 → a:b:c=8:12:15

D2. Averages

Average = Sum of quantities / Number of

quantities

Shortcut for consecutive numbers: average =

(first + last)/2

If one value changes: new average = old average

+ (change in that value)/total count
D3. Speed, Distance, Time

Speed = Distance/Time

km/h → m/s: × 5/18 | m/s → km/h: × 18/5

Average speed for equal distances at speeds a, b:

2ab/(a+b) (harmonic mean — NOT simple
average)

Same time, different speeds: average speed =

simple average (a+b)/2

D4. Time & Work

Work rate = 1/(days to complete)

Combined rate = sum of individual rates

A and B together finish in x days; A alone in a

days → B alone: 1/x − 1/a, then take reciprocal

SECTION E: ALGEBRA BASICS (Intro

level)

E1. Solving Simple Equations

Keep the equation balanced: whatever you do to

one side, do to the other.

Shortcut for word problems: translate keywords

— "sum"=+, "difference"=−, "product"=×, "twice"=2×,
"is"= =
E2. Useful Identities (early exposure, useful in
Olympiad puzzles)

(a+b)² = a² + 2ab + b²

(a−b)² = a² − 2ab + b²

a² − b² = (a+b)(a−b) — very useful for fast mental

calculation
e.g. 97 × 103 = (100−3)(100+3) = 100² − 3² =
10000−9 = 9991

SECTION F: GEOMETRY &

MENSURATION

F1. Angles

Angles on a straight line = 180°

Angles around a point = 360°

Vertically opposite angles are equal

Sum of interior angles of a polygon = (n−2)×180°

Each interior angle of a regular polygon =

(n−2)×180°/n

Each exterior angle of a regular polygon = 360°/n

Sum of angles in a triangle = 180°; exterior angle

of a triangle = sum of the two opposite interior
angles
F2. Triangles

Sum of any two sides > third side (triangle

inequality) — used to check if a triangle is
possible

Equilateral: all sides & angles equal (60° each)

Isosceles: two sides equal → base angles equal

F3. Perimeter & Area Quick Formulas

Shape Perimeter Area

Square (side s) 4s s²

Rectangle (l,b) 2(l+b) l×b

Triangle sum of sides ½×base×height

Circle (radius r) 2πr πr²

Diagonal of a square = s√2 (≈1.41×s)

If perimeter is fixed, area is maximized by a

square (among rectangles) — useful for
"maximum area" MCQs

F4. 3D Shapes (intro)

Cube: Volume = s³, Surface area = 6s²

Cuboid: Volume = l×b×h, Surface area =

2(lb+bh+hl)
SECTION G: DATA HANDLING

Mean = sum of observations / number of

observations

Mode = most frequently occurring value

Median = middle value when data is arranged in

order (average of two middle values if even count)

Bar graphs/pictographs: always check the

scale/key first — a common trap is misreading the
unit represented by one symbol or block.

SECTION H: LOGICAL REASONING

SHORTCUTS (common in Olympiad
Section B)

H1. Series & Patterns

Check differences between consecutive terms

first (arithmetic progression).

If differences aren't constant, check ratios

(geometric progression).

If neither, check the differences of differences

(quadratic pattern) or look for alternating
patterns.
H2. Coding-Decoding

Convert letters to numbers (A=1...Z=26) and look

for a consistent addition/subtraction/reversal
pattern.

H3. Calendar Tricks

Any given date's day of week repeats every 7 days

— use mod 7 arithmetic on the day difference.

A year repeats its calendar after 28 years (if no

century-year exceptions in between), or check
leap year rules: divisible by 4 (not by 100 unless
also by 400).

H4. Direction Sense

Draw a simple compass diagram; track

movements step-by-step rather than trying to do it
mentally — reduces careless errors.

SECTION I: EXAM-DAY STRATEGY

1. Attempt easy/direct-formula questions first to

secure quick marks.

2. Use option elimination — plug answer choices

back into the question when solving forward is
slow (especially for algebra/HCF-LCM word
problems).
3. Watch units — cm vs m, minutes vs hours, kmph
vs m/s are the most common traps.

4. Watch for "NOT" or "EXCEPT" in the question

stem.

5. Draw quick diagrams for geometry, direction, and

seating-arrangement questions.

6. Don't over-calculate — many Olympiad MCQs are

designed to be solved via estimation or pattern
recognition, not brute-force computation.

7. Double-check with digital root/unit digit when

short on time and unsure of exact computation.

SECTION J: MUST-MEMORIZE
TABLE

Squares: 1² to 30²

Cubes: 1³ to 15³

Tables: 2 to 20

Primes up to 100 (25 of them)

Common fraction–percentage–decimal
equivalents (see Section C1)

√2≈1.414, √3≈1.732, √5≈2.236

Practice a mix of direct-formula and puzzle-type
questions daily — Olympiad papers reward speed and
pattern recognition as much as raw calculation.