Pedagogical olympiad as one of the forms for future specialist professional training

The problem of students’ competitions as a set of active educational methods and technologies is discussed. A brief history is presented. The main concepts are defined. The importance of pedagogical competition in training future specialists for their professional activities is shown, its special features and functions are described and the types of intellectual competitions are defined with respect to their content. Active methods and technologies used in competition organizing are analyzed. Types of competition assignments in pedagogy and solving algorithms are presented. Specifics of intellectual creative school student competition is shown as an educational form targeted to the creative development of students.