Could secondary teachers solve IMO problems?

Do you think that secondary Maths teachers in the UK would be able to solve International Mathematical Olympiad questions?

How do they compare to say, STEP or the Cambridge Tripos?

Student X

I can't comment on the state of affairs within the UK since I clearly don't reside there, but here in Singapore, I reckon probably not.

Conquering IMO problems requires a set of skills entirely disparate from those used in preparing for the A levels/mainstream Cambridge examinations. The latter can be typically aced with rigorous exposure to run of the mill questions, so in that sense practice does indeed make things perfect.

However for the former, you need imagination, and the ability to hypothesize/reason in unconventional ways to produce elegant, efficient answers. Stuff mainstream secondary school teachers in Singapore are definitely not trained for.

Not to mention you need to possess a certain flair to sift through nuanced hints and disassemble the context appropriately insofar as actual problem solving is concerned. That can't be nurtured IMHO; either you have it, or you don't.

My two cents worth. Peace.

Best Regards,

Mr Koh