🏁 Endgame Management Playbook
Master the final minutes of the contest to maximize your score through strategic decision-making, efficient completion, and smart risk management.
⏰ 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
Priority Order
- Finish started problems: Complete what you’ve begun
- Quick wins: Look for easy problems you skipped
- Strategic guessing: Apply expected value to remaining blanks
- Bubble verification: Ensure all answers are marked
🎯 Selective Completion Strategy
Complete These Problems
- 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
Skip These Problems
- Problems 21-25: If you’re stuck and time is running out
- Complex problems: If they require too much time
- Unfamiliar topics: If you don’t know the approach
- Time sinks: If they’re taking too long
Decision Framework
- Can I solve this in 2 minutes? → Complete
- Do I have a clear approach? → Complete
- Am I making progress? → Continue
- Am I stuck? → Skip and move on
🎲 Strategic Guessing Protocol
Expected Value Thresholds
- 2+ eliminations: Always guess (EV > 1.5)
- 1 elimination: Only if confident (EV = 1.5)
- 0 eliminations: Skip (EV < 1.5)
Guessing Priority
- Problems 16-20: Medium difficulty, good EV
- Problems 21-25: Hard difficulty, but high EV if eliminations
- Problems 1-15: Only if you’re absolutely sure
Quick Elimination
- Units/dimensions: Eliminate dimensionally wrong answers
- Order of magnitude: Eliminate extreme values
- Parity: Check even/odd properties
- Boundary cases: Test extreme values
📋 Bubble Audit Checklist
Before Final Submission
- All answers marked: No blank bubbles
- Student ID correct: Double-check your ID
- 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
Common Bubble Errors
- Incomplete filling: Bubbles not dark enough
- Stray marks: Extra marks on answer sheet
- Wrong alignment: Answers in wrong rows
- Multiple answers: More than one choice marked
- Skipped questions: Blank bubbles
⚡ Quick Completion Techniques
Speed Strategies
- Backsolving: Use answer choices to solve quickly
- Estimation: Use approximation for verification
- Elimination: Cross out obviously wrong answers
- Pattern recognition: Look for familiar patterns
Time-Saving Tips
- Don’t overthink: Trust your first instinct
- Use shortcuts: Apply known formulas and techniques
- Skip verification: Only verify if you have time
- Move quickly: Don’t get stuck on one problem
🎯 Problem Completion Priority
High Priority (Complete First)
- Problems 1-10: Easy problems, high accuracy expected
- Problems 11-15: Medium problems, good time investment
- Started problems: Problems you’ve already begun
Medium Priority (Complete if Time)
- Problems 16-20: Medium-hard problems, selective approach
- Quick wins: Problems you can solve in 1-2 minutes
- Familiar topics: Problems in your strong areas
Low Priority (Skip or Guess)
- Problems 21-25: Hard problems, time-intensive
- Unfamiliar topics: Problems you don’t know how to approach
- Time sinks: Problems that take too long
🚨 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 Minutes 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
🎯 Mental Approach
Stay Calm
- Don’t panic: Panic leads to mistakes
- Stay focused: One problem at a time
- Trust your preparation: You’ve prepared for this
- Accept the situation: Do your best with remaining time
Stay Strategic
- Make smart decisions: Use expected value
- Prioritize effectively: Focus on high-value problems
- Use time wisely: Don’t waste time on low-value problems
- Stay flexible: Adapt to the situation
📈 Success Metrics
Target Completion Rates
- Problems 1-10: 95%+ completion
- Problems 11-15: 80%+ completion
- Problems 16-20: 60%+ completion
- Problems 21-25: 40%+ completion
Expected Value Targets
- Overall score: Aim for 100+ points
- Accuracy: 70%+ on completed problems
- Guessing: Use expected value for remaining problems
- Time management: Complete within time limit
⚡ Quick Reference
Final 10 Minutes:
- Complete started problems (5 minutes)
- Quick scan for easy wins (2 minutes)
- Strategic guessing (2 minutes)
- Bubble audit (1 minute)
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
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