🏁 Final Review Pass
Execute this comprehensive final review protocol in the last minutes of the contest to maximize your score through strategic completion and error prevention.
⏰ Final 10 Minutes Protocol
Time Allocation:
- Minutes 65-70: Complete in-progress problems
- Minutes 70-72: Quick scan for easy completions
- Minutes 72-75: Bubble audit and final decisions
- Minute 75: Contest ends
🎯 Phase 1: Complete In-Progress Problems (5 minutes)
Priority Order:
- Problems 1-15: Always complete if started
- Problems 16-20: Complete if you have a clear approach
- Problems 21-25: Only if you’re confident and have time
Completion Strategy:
- Don’t start new problems: Focus on finishing what you’ve begun
- Use quick methods: Backsolving, estimation, elimination
- Don’t overthink: Trust your first approach
- Move quickly: Don’t get stuck on details
- Stay focused: One problem at a time
Time Management:
- Set time limits: 2-3 minutes per problem maximum
- Don’t exceed limits: Move on when time is up
- Prioritize by value: Focus on higher-value problems
- Use expected value: Apply guessing strategy
- Stay calm: Don’t let pressure build
🔍 Phase 2: Quick Scan for Easy Completions (2 minutes)
Scan Strategy:
- Look for easy problems: Problems you can solve quickly
- Check skipped problems: Problems you marked to return to
- Look for quick wins: Problems with obvious approaches
- Avoid time sinks: Don’t get trapped on difficult problems
- Use elimination: Cross out obviously wrong answers
Quick Completion Techniques:
- Backsolving: Use answer choices to solve quickly
- Estimation: Use approximation for verification
- Elimination: Cross out impossible answers
- Pattern recognition: Look for familiar patterns
- Special cases: Try specific values
Time Limits:
- Easy problems: 1-2 minutes maximum
- Medium problems: 2-3 minutes maximum
- Hard problems: Skip unless very confident
- Very hard problems: Skip or guess quickly
- Don’t waste time: Move on if not making progress
📋 Phase 3: Bubble Audit and Final Decisions (3 minutes)
Bubble Audit Checklist:
- All answers marked: No blank bubbles
- Student ID correct: Double-check your ID number
- Answer sheet clean: No stray marks
- Bubbles filled completely: Dark and complete
- One answer per question: No multiple answers
- No skipped questions: All 25 questions answered
Final Answer Verification:
- Check problem 1: Verify answer is correct
- Check problem 2: Verify answer is correct
- Check problem 3: Verify answer is correct
- Check problem 4: Verify answer is correct
- Check problem 5: Verify answer is correct
- Check remaining problems: Spot-check as time permits
Strategic Guessing:
- Apply expected value: Use elimination-based guessing
- Eliminate obviously wrong: Cross out impossible answers
- Use partial information: Apply what you know
- Use symmetry: Choose symmetric answer if applicable
- Use intuition: Go with your gut feeling
🚨 Emergency Protocols
When Time is Running Out:
- Stop current problem: Don’t get trapped
- Quick scan: Look for easy completions
- Apply eliminations: Use quick elimination techniques
- Make educated guesses: Use expected value
- Bubble everything: Don’t leave blanks
When You’re Behind:
- Don’t panic: Stay calm and focused
- Prioritize: Focus on high-value problems
- Use shortcuts: Apply quick solution techniques
- Guess strategically: Use elimination-based guessing
- Accept the situation: Do your best with remaining time
📊 Final Review Checklist
5 Minutes Left:
- Complete in-progress problems: Finish what you’ve started
- Quick scan: Look for easy completions
- Apply eliminations: Use quick elimination techniques
- Make strategic guesses: Use expected value
- Check bubble sheet: Ensure all answers marked
2 Minutes Left:
- Stop solving: Don’t start new problems
- Bubble audit: Check all answers are marked
- Final guesses: Apply expected value to remaining blanks
- Verify student ID: Double-check your ID
- Clean up: Remove stray marks
30 Seconds Left:
- Final bubble check: Ensure all answers marked
- Student ID verification: Confirm your ID is correct
- Answer sheet review: Quick final check
- Stay calm: Don’t panic or rush
⚡ Quick Reference
Final 10 Minutes:
- Complete started problems (5 minutes)
- Quick scan for easy wins (2 minutes)
- Bubble audit and final decisions (3 minutes)
Decision Rules:
- Can solve in 2 minutes? → Complete
- 2+ eliminations? → Guess
- 1 elimination? → Only if confident
- 0 eliminations? → Skip
Emergency Protocol:
- Stop current problem
- Quick scan for easy wins
- Apply eliminations
- Make educated guesses
- Bubble everything
🎯 Success Metrics
Completion Goals:
- Problems 1-10: 95%+ completion
- Problems 11-15: 80%+ completion
- Problems 16-20: 60%+ completion
- Problems 21-25: 40%+ completion
Accuracy Goals:
- Completed problems: 70%+ accuracy
- Guessed problems: Use expected value
- Overall score: Aim for 100+ points
- No careless errors: Check every answer
Time Management:
- Complete within time limit: Finish all phases
- Don’t waste time: Move on when stuck
- Stay focused: One task at a time
- Stay calm: Don’t let pressure build
🚨 Red Flags to Avoid
Don’t Do These:
- Start new problems: Focus on completing what you’ve started
- Get stuck on details: Move on if not making progress
- Panic: Stay calm and focused
- Rush: Take time to do things correctly
- Leave blanks: Make educated guesses
- Ignore time: Stay aware of remaining time
Warning Signs:
- Feeling overwhelmed: Take deep breaths, stay calm
- Rushing too much: Slow down, focus on accuracy
- Getting stuck: Move on, don’t waste time
- Losing focus: Take a moment to refocus
- Panicking: Use relaxation techniques
- Comparing yourself: Focus on your own performance
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