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How CanadaMath can Help American Math Competition Entrants Excel

math-competitions

Each year, thousands of Grade 7 to 12 students enter a number of math Olympiads and contests. While many of these students are fully confident with their math skills, many others feel overwhelmed because they think their skills won’t be good enough to place among the top competitors. Practice and smart study skills are crucial for these students, and CanadaMath can be a tremendous help for them.

Below are some ways that math contest students will benefit when using CanadaMath:

Practice with Actual Contest Sample Questions

Video tutorials on CanadaMath’s YouTube channel comprises of questions that have been included in math contests from previous years, so this allows students to see exactly what types of questions they’ll encounter during a specific contest or Olympiad.

Getting practice in before a math contest will help students understand how and why specific techniques are used, when theorems can or cannot be applied and how the different relationships between various mathematical objects work.

Access Specific Questions as Often as Needed

Although many students excel at math, it doesn’t mean that they will always be comfortable taking part in an Olympiad unless they’ve been able to work on specific problems that they may be experiencing difficulties with. While several study portals may be available, a number of them only allow limited access or require paid-for subscriptions before students can use them.

Because the CanadaMath YouTube channel is available online, it means that students can access thousands of questions from previous math contests as often as they like. This allows them to work on a specific problem, theorem or concept until such time as they feel they have mastered it.

Content Provided in Video Format

Today’s students fare a lot better in their studies when they’re able to learn by watching videos instead of simply reading through textbooks.

All of the content on CanadaMath’s YouTube channel is in video format and this allows students to physically see how specific problems are solved and why particular steps must be taken to solve them. Each video presents various questions from previous math contests, along with clear and concise steps to help solve them.

Students can Access Content for Free

Another benefit that CanadaMath’s YouTube channel provides for Grade 7 to 12 students is quality study material that is 100% free of charge for them to access. Students aren’t required to sign up or pay to access the content at any time, meaning that anyone who requires assistance with their math can get the help they need without worrying about the cost.

When accessing the videos on the CanadaMath YouTube channel, students will be able to search for specific content pertaining to the contest or Olympiad that they are taking part in. This makes it easier for them to focus on particular areas of math that they may be having trouble with, while also preparing them to obtain as high a score as possible in their upcoming competition.

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Ensure that your Kids Get the Practice they Need for Upcoming Math Competitions by Using CanadaMath

studying-math

Do you have Grade 7 to 12 students who enjoy math to the point where they enter one or more mathematics competitions each year? If so, you may have been wondering where or how they can get the practice they need without breaking the bank or spending too many hours in front of the books.

CanadaMath is a YouTube channel that has been specifically dedicated to students who enjoy taking part in various math Olympiads or competitions. Below are some advantages that your kids will be able to enjoy when including this YouTube channel with their math studies.

They can Study by Watching Videos

The days of students spending hours poring over printed textbooks are long gone, and research has shown that today’s learners are more apt to retain information of it’s presented to them in video format.

CanadaMath’s YouTube channel not only provides students with access to several math-related video tutorials; each video has been categorized according to the math contest or Olympiad that the questions were featured in. This allows students to only focus on questions they can expect to encounter in the specific Olympiad that they’ve entered – saving them a lot of study time in the process.

They can Focus on Specific Problem Areas

Each video on the CanadaMath YouTube channel focuses on specific questions from the various Canadian and US math contests. For example, one video is dedicated to questions 1 through 10 of the 2021 Grade 7 Gauss Math Contest, while the next video showcases questions 11 to 20 and the following one focuses on questions 21 to 25.

Having the videos divided according to specific questions lets students focus on a few aspects at a time, which not only allows for better concentration; it means that a student can take advantage of a few spare minutes here and there to practice a couple of questions at a time. Many students find that they’re able to focus better for shorter periods of time as well, making these videos an ideal study aid for them.

Students can See Exactly how Problems are Solved

Another advantage your kids will have when using CanadaMath’s videos to study is that they will be able to see exactly how a specific answer is obtained for each question. All of the calculations and workings for each question are clearly shown in each video, making it easier for your child to understand how an answer is obtained.

When studying, it’s also important for your child to physically write down each problem and the steps that are needed to solve it. Physically writing it out will make it easier for them to remember how to solve a problem in most cases, and this can easily be done while each video is playing.

Giving your kids access to CanadaMath’s YouTube channel will not only help them to improve their math skills; you’ll also be providing them with the competitive edge they need to excel when entering their next math competition.

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How Often Should You Review the Material in your Medical Qbank?

Canadian Medical Students

Question bank platforms covering the world’s biggest and most popular medical licensing exams are critical study tools for thousands upon thousands of medical students all around the world. Though the software provides features and quality questions that enhance the learning experience, it’s still up to the student to actually use it. Here’s how often you should be reviewing information in your Qbank to keep it fresh in your mind.

Getting Started

First, make sure that you’re using your customizable question bank platform to review information that you are currently going over in your courses. This is the best way to make sure that your Qbank actually serves you as a study tool and not just a way to take mock exams. Tutor modes, especially, are wonderful ways to put the data you’re learning in your courses into practice and reviewing it as often as is necessary for you. Make sure you’re reviewing any questions you miss, checking out videos to help further your understanding, and leaving yourself notes to jog your memory when you come across a topic again later.

What to Review Daily

The amount of information that a medical student must absorb, learn, and put to practice prior to their medical licensing examinations is staggering, and for many, this means daily study sessions – especially when it comes to the most difficult topics of them all. Each and every day, make sure that you pull up your Qbank software and review several questions within the topics that you struggle with the most. Along those same lines, you should also make sure you’re quizzing yourself on information that you need to memorize every single day, too. This repetition will help you retain more information and improve your comprehension of difficult topics.

What to Review at Least Twice Weekly

Now that you have your daily study topics figured out, it’s time to add to that with material that you should be studying at least twice (and ideally three times – every other day) each week – your current course material. Whether you seem to struggle with the topics that are currently being covered in your courses or not, take the time to review it for a period of half an hour or so every other day. Regardless of the topic, it helps to solidify that information in your mind so that you can recall it more quickly and easily.

What to Review Occasionally

With your daily and at-least-twice-weekly study schedules in your question bank software solidified, it’s time to think about what you should come back to review occasionally, whether that’s once a week or even once every couple of weeks. To help you with this, think about the topics that you would consider mastered, and add these to this section. Even if you know every single pathogen in the topic, for example, if you go a long time without reviewing them, the odds of forgetting them before your exams skyrockets. To prevent this, rotate mastered information in and out of your Qbank study sessions so that you can always keep it fresh.

As a medical student, it’s important to make the most of the time you have with your Qbank platform each day by utilizing the best tools available to you and ensuring that you review the right information at the right time. This means practicing difficult topics daily, current topics at least twice a week (and ideally more), and mastered topics just often enough to keep you from forgetting them.

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How is Social Distancing Affecting Medical Students and Their Study Habits?

social-distancing-medical-students

Nearly a year after the coronavirus pandemic first made its way into the public eye, medical students around the world are still feeling the effects of the guidelines put in place to protect them. Social distancing has changed the way many of these students study, and many are gaining insight into tools and technologies they may not have otherwise considered. Here’s how medical students are coping – and even excelling – despite the social distancing guidelines in 2021.

Social Media is Now a Classroom Tool

Social distancing guidelines have meant that in many cases, students are utilizing various distance learning tools in order to attend their lectures. The inability to gather in a classroom setting has taken a toll on discussions, but medical professors have found some refuge in social media. Many are taking to Facebook, where they create community pages for their classes and encourage their students to participate in discussions, ask questions, and even schedule virtual study groups. With Facebook being so accessible, it’s a great alternative to the classroom that keeps students safe.

Virtual Study Groups

Just as professors are utilizing technology to keep the conversation going and students engaged in learning, many students have taken it upon themselves to create virtual study groups via Facebook Rooms, Zoom, and other similar tools. Whereas students used to meet up in libraries or coffee shops to quiz one another, discuss difficult topics, and even share their lecture notes, these activities have been temporarily paused by social distancing measures. Utilizing video meeting software is a fantastic alternative, however, and while it isn’t the same as an actual gathering, it’s a good tool in the interim.

More Reliance on Qbanks

Qbanks are another essential tool that students have utilized for years to help them test their knowledge, learn, and prepare for various exams. Medical students, especially, utilize qbank platforms to practice and study for their licensing examinations. Due to the pandemic, these tools have become more popular than ever before, and students are relying on them as one of their primary study tools. In fact, there’s been an uptick in the number of universities and medical schools purchasing institutional subscriptions to these question banks in order to integrate them into the distance learning curriculum.

More Self-Study Time

As you might have already imagined, aside from utilizing various technologies to participate in discussions and study sessions with their professors and fellow medical students, self-study is becoming an integral part of these students’ routines. Whether students are reading and annotating their textbooks, searching the internet for medical journals, or practicing exams from their tablets on a lazy Sunday morning, they are spending more time studying alone than ever before. Though this can be difficult for those who learn well in social situations, in other cases, it’s benefiting students a great deal by improving their focus.

There’s no doubt that social distancing has completely changed the way medical students obtain (and reinforce) the information that is crucial to their future careers, but thanks to technologies like video conferencing, social media, and question bank software, there’s plenty from which these students can choose.

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Explore Our YouTube Channel for More Information

Here at CanadaQBank, we not only provide a host of text-based online resources to students who are enrolled in various medical courses in countries such as Canada, Australia, Saudi Arabia, the US and UK; the company has now branched out into providing a range of online tutorial videos that can be accessed by grade 7 to 12 students who participate in the mathematics competitions of Canada and the US.

An Extensive Range of Valuable Information

Our CanadaMath YouTube channel consists of several tutorial videos that provide information for grade 7 to 12 students who participate in the following Canadian-based math contents:

  • The Grade 7 and 8 Gauss math contests
  • The Grade 9 Pascal math contest
  • The Grade 10 Cayley math contest
  • The Grade 11 Fermat math contest
  • The Grade 12 Euclid math contest

Students who participate in the following US-based math contests can also benefit extensively from these video tutorials:

  • The American Mathematics Competition (AMC) 8 for Grade 8
  • The AMC for Grade 10
  • The AMC for Grade 12

Hundreds of thousands of students from around the world take part in these contests each year, and excelling in this critical subject will open several doors of opportunity for students to enter career fields such as:

  • Accounting
  • Various medical fields
  • Computer programming
  • Several engineering fields
  • Teaching positions
  • Working laboratories and performing research
  • Different banking and financial positions
  • Many other fields of employment and positions where excellent mathematical skills will be required

Topics in the videos that can be accessed by the grade 7 to 12 math students include examples of the various questions they can expect to encounter during the competition events, allowing them to revise and practice as much as possible beforehand. This will enable them to be well-prepared and take part in any of the above-mentioned contests with total confidence.

 

 

 

 

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Here’s Why You Should Always Take Notes during Your Question Bank Study Sessions

note taking

Question bank software is one of the best and most powerful tools available to medical students in 2021. As the years go by, the technology continues to improve in a way that helps students retain more information and learn to think critically, both of which are critical for careers as doctors and surgeons. If you’re not taking notes during your qbank study sessions, you might be missing out. Here are some of the best reasons to take notes while you’re using your qbank.

Digital vs. Handwritten Notes

If you’re wondering whether you should take digital or hand-written notes, the debate over this subject has been ongoing since the days of the first laptops. Each method comes with its own unique set of benefits and drawbacks, so it’s really a matter of personal choice. Research the pros and cons of each one, then decide what works best for you. You might also consider trying each method for yourself so that you can determine which option seems to benefit you the most. There’s no wrong way to go about it.

The Benefits of Notetaking

Whether you’re listening to a lecture or answering questions in your qbank software, the benefits of notetaking are significant.

  • It improves your focus and memory. When you’re taking the time to jot down the most important bits of information, you’re internalizing that information, which increases the odds that you will retain it later.
  • It’s a form of active learning. Simply sitting and reading or listening to someone speak is a very passive way of learning, but when you involve notetaking, you’re taking part in an activity. This also helps you retain more information.
  • It improves comprehension. Sometimes the mere act of writing things down – even if you don’t really understand them at first – is enough to trigger basic comprehension in your mind.
  • It helps you learn to prioritize information. It should also be noted that taking notes requires you to think about things like headings, subheadings, subtopics, and supporting details. This process can help you break down big chunks of information into smaller, more manageable pieces that are easier for you to learn over time.

Notetaking with Your Question Bank Sessions

You might already take notes during lectures or virtual study groups to help you capture new pieces of information, but if you aren’t taking notes when you utilize your question bank for studying, you may not be getting the most out of it. Many of today’s feature-rich qbank platforms allow you to take notes inside the software, which is an excellent way to help keep your train of thought on the tracks when you come back to a piece of information inside the software later. Taking notes on a separate notebook or in a word processor at the same time can also be beneficial for many students, as well – especially if those notes cover topics that are difficult to comprehend.

Notetaking has been one of the most popular methods for capturing information for decades, and it’s still a popular study tool today, as well. Though the tools students use to take those notes change, and though the sources of information they take notes on evolve, the simplicity of it remains the same.

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Time-Tested Methods Medical Students Should Try for Memorization

Medical Students Memory

As a medical student, your studies are an eclectic mix of broad topics that require plenty of critical thinking and research as well as narrower topics that require intensive memorization. If you struggle to memorize things, you certainly aren’t alone. Below, you can discover some of the best and most trusted methods out there for memorizing information that is otherwise difficult to retain.

Practice the Content Over and Over

Memorization is like any other form of learning in that it’s all about training your brain to hold onto information and recall information when you need it. With that being said, most students find that simply repeating the information in their studies over and over again is the best way for them to commit it to memory. One of the most effective methods for this involves utilizing a customizable question bank platform that allows you to create a study session with only the information you need to memorize. Over time, the more you go through the questions, the more information you’ll be able to retain and recall.

Start Small and Work Your Way Up

There’s a pretty good chance that you won’t be able to memorize the name of every single part of the human anatomy in a week, but you certainly can break that anatomy down into chunks and memorize it one small piece at a time. For example, imagine for a moment that you need to memorize the names and locations of 40 bones in a period of two weeks. On the first day, you can start out with a total of five bones and memorize those. The next day, add in four or five more, but continue to study the previous ones, too. Over time, you’ll find that adding in new information slowly is a great method, especially when you continue to review the old information day after day at the same time.

Write Things Down or Say Them Out Loud – or Both

Most students fall into one of two categories when it comes to memorizing things. The first category consists of students who do best when they can visually see the information on a page, and the second consists of students who can audibly hear the information being spoken. As such, depending on the method that works best for you, make sure that you’re taking extensive notes or audibly repeating the information you need to study over and over again. If you aren’t sure which method works best for you, try both – repeat the information out loud as you write it. Assigning an action or sound to each piece of information is a great way to commit it to memory.

Memorization can be tricky, and that’s especially true in medical school where so much of your career will rely on your ability to memorize everything from the names of medications to the location of even the tiniest bones in the human body. However, with some time and effort – and by following some of the tips above – you’ll find that memorization starts to come more naturally over time.

 

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5 Tips for Answering Difficult Multiple-Choice Questions in QBanks and on Exams

medical-students

Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) form the backbone of most major medical licensing exams worldwide, including the USMLE, PLAB, MCCQE, and AMC exams. While MCQs can seem straightforward, difficult questions are specifically designed to test your clinical reasoning, attention to detail, and decision-making under pressure.

High-quality QBanks offer thousands of practice questions to help you prepare, but knowing how to approach tough MCQs is just as important as knowing the content. Below are five proven strategies to help you tackle even the most challenging MCQs with confidence—both in practice and on exam day.

  1. Read the Question Carefully—Then Read It Again

The first and most critical step is to read the question at least twice.

Many MCQs hinge on subtle details such as:

  • Time course (acute vs chronic)
  • Patient age or risk factors
  • Keywords like most appropriate, next step, or best initial management

Missing a single word can completely change the meaning of the question. Re-reading ensures you fully understand what is being asked before jumping to conclusions.

  1. Don’t Choose the First Answer That Sounds Right

One of the most common mistakes students make is selecting the first answer that seems correct without reviewing all options.

Exam writers intentionally include distractors—answers that are partially correct or tempting but not the best choice. Always:

  • Read every option
  • Compare them directly against the question stem
  • Choose the answer that best fits the clinical scenario

The correct answer is often the most complete, safest, or guideline-aligned option, not the most familiar one.

  1. Eliminate Clearly Incorrect Options First

If you’re unsure of the correct answer, start by ruling out what you know is wrong.

Elimination works because:

  • It reduces cognitive overload
  • It increases your odds if you must guess
  • It forces you to actively engage with the question

Once you narrow the options down to two or three plausible answers, the correct choice often becomes much clearer.

  1. Skip and Flag Questions You’re Unsure About

During timed exams or QBank sessions, it’s smart to skip questions that stall you and come back to them later.

This approach helps because:

  • You don’t waste valuable time
  • You secure points on questions you do know
  • Your brain may recall the answer later as you progress

Most QBank platforms allow you to flag questions or leave notes—use these tools strategically to track your thought process.

  1. Make an Educated Guess—Never Leave It Blank

If time is running out and you still don’t know the answer, make an educated guess.

Why?

  • Leaving a question blank gives you a 0% chance of earning the point
  • Eliminating even one option improves your odds significantly
  • Most medical exams have no negative marking

Use logic, safety principles, and common sense to choose the most reasonable option. Trust your preparation.

Final Thoughts

Answering difficult MCQs is a skill that improves with practice, reflection, and strategy. By reading carefully, evaluating all options, eliminating distractions, managing your time wisely, and guessing intelligently when necessary, you dramatically improve your performance.

Remember: exams don’t test perfection—they test clinical judgment under pressure. The more questions you practice using smart techniques, the more confident and efficient you’ll become.

Platforms like CanadaQBank are designed to help you develop these skills through realistic exam-style questions, detailed explanations, and performance analytics.

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What Are the Hardest USMLE Topics to Study and Learn?

USMLE Step 2 Test Prep

The United States Medical Licensing Exam, known as the USMLE or simply “board exam,” is by far one of the most difficult examinations in existence today. It covers several years’ worth of highly complex information that you must know in order to become licensed in your field. The following USMLE topics are widely regarded as the most difficult, so familiarize yourself with them early on and perhaps give them some special attention, too. 

Biochemistry 

Biochemistry is truly a paradox among medical students. It’s absolutely fascinating to explore the various chemical processes that keep human beings alive, but as part of gaining a firm understanding of the subject, there’s a lot – a lot – of memorization involved. You’ll find yourself learning about metabolic pathways, enzyme design and structure, and much, much more, so without a solid understanding of terms and their meanings, it’s difficult to understand much of anything. The sheer complexity of biochemistry makes it the most difficult topic on the USMLE according to the majority of medical students. 

Many doctors (who were once in your shoes) recommend that you take the time to study up on the basics of biochemistry whenever you have a chance. Simply understanding basic terms and processes will make everything to come much simpler for you. 

Microbiology

Medical students also agree that microbiology is the second most difficult topic you’ll find on your USMLE. In fact, it’s difficult for many of the same reasons as biochemistry. It’s the study of all living organisms that are small enough to require a microscope to see them, and that encompasses thousands upon thousands – even millions – of different organisms. The volume of information that students must retain in order to understand even the simplest concepts in microbiology is staggering. 

Getting a head start on microbiology basics (much like doing the same for biochemistry) can benefit you here, as well. The more of the basic concepts you learn now, the easier it will be for you to learn the more complex ones down the line. 

Pathology

Though it isn’t quite as difficult as microbiology or biochemistry, the topic of pathology presents challenges to most medical students at some point in their education. Pathology is a bridge between science and medicine, and to put it as simply as possible, it’s the study of diseases. There are more than 100,000 identified diseases across the globe, so it’s easy to see why so many students struggle with this particular topic. Fortunately, medical students also tend to find pathology interesting, which can make things a bit simpler. 

One of the best ways to prepare yourself for a difficult pathology course involves reading your course syllabus and obtaining as much of the recommended material as you can early on. The more you can read and understand about pathology before your course even starts, the more the lectures, your textbook,  and other materials will make sense. 

Biochemistry, microbiology, and pathology are the three most difficult topics on the USMLE according to medical students from around the world. In all three cases, the complexity lies almost solely in the volume of information you’ll need to retain and very little on actual comprehension issues. As such, start studying these topics as soon as you can and consider scheduling some extra study time for them as needed, too.

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How to Take Effective and Structured Lecture Notes

Pre Med Students

Lectures in medical school can range from incredibly interesting (and even fun!) to monotonous, boring, and difficult to understand. Note-taking is one of the best ways to keep yourself engaged in the lecture and ensure that you are getting all the knowledge you need for later study and review. Below are some tips for creating effective, structured notes that will serve as a solid study tool for the entirety of your school years. 

Start with the Right Supplies 

Before you go to your lecture, make sure you have all the tools you need to take notes for the duration. At the very least, you will need paper and a pencil or pen, but there are a few specific things you can use to make sure the end result is a structured, easy-to-read study tool. Some recommendations include:

 

  • College-ruled or graph-ruled paper. In medical school lectures, you’ll be given a lot of information in a very short period of time, so you’ll find yourself writing a lot. Using college ruled paper – or even graphing paper – will provide you with ample space to capture more information on a single sheet. Graphing paper is also excellent for creating structure in your notes so that they are more aesthetic and easy to read later. 
  • Colored pens or highlighters. Though any pen or pencil will certainly do in a pinch, investing in a set of colored pens or even colored highlighters can help you create structured lecture notes in which each topic is easily discernible at a glance. You can highlight or write your major topics in one color, then highlight your subtopics in another, and then use another color to highlight definitions, for example. 
  • Notebooks, divided binders, and/or folders. Now that you have the tools you need to take your notes, you’ll need a way to organize them. Options include utilizing a different notebook for each course, purchasing a specific folder for each course, or even utilizing a divided binder. The latter option is often the simplest as you can carry everything with you to every lecture and never find yourself without the proper folder or notebook. 

 

What Should You Write?

If you’re not lucky enough to have a professor who either writes notes as he or she lectures or maybe tells you what you should write down, note-taking can get a bit confusing, to say the least. You certainly can’t write everything down, so here are some tips for taking notes that you can actually use later. 

 

  • Listen carefully and use a voice recorder. No matter how hard you try, capturing everything your professor says is going to be a serious challenge. A voice recorder will come in very handy since you can go back and listen to the lecture as many times as is necessary. During the live lecture, if you don’t have time to write out important information, make a note reminding yourself to go back and listen to that part of your recording again later. 
  • Document things that you don’t already know. There’s not much point to taking notes on things you already know and feel comfortable with, so listen closely for terms, words, subjects, and topics that are new to you or difficult to understand and take notes on those. If they tie into information you already know, be sure to jot down how so that you can get a better understanding later. 
  • Annotate your textbook. Simply using a highlighter, pen, or even a pencil to annotate right inside your textbook is much quicker than rewriting sentences and phrases, but before you do this, consider whether you’re planning to sell your textbook – or even whether you’re using a rented one. Marking in textbooks will reduce their resale value.

 

Finally, another option that can help you (and other students in the lecture) a great deal involves creating a study group or meetup after the lecture to share notes and discuss the topics that were presented. The new perspectives are important for learning about new material, and everyone can benefit from seeing someone else’s notes from the same lecture.