U.S.

National Chemistry Olympiad

(USNCO)
Coordinator’s Handbook

This manual is meant to assist you with your Chemistry Olympiad competition.

Questions about the USNCO can be directed to:

Margaret Thatcher
American Chemical Society
1155 Sixteenth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-872-6328
Fax: 202-833-7732
E-mail at: USNCO@acs.org
Website: www.acs.org/olympiad

American Chemical Society

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• USNCO Program Information 1

• Goals of the USNCO Program 1

• Rules for Participation in the USNCO 2

• Insurance 3

• Special Situations 3

• Local Section Competition and Selection of Students 3

• Recognition for Local Competition 4

• Sample Announcement to High School Chemistry Teachers 5

• National Exam 6

• Things to Know Before Administering the Exam 7

• Returning Exam Materials 7

• Recognition for the National Exam 8

• How to Prepare the Certificates 8

• Score Reporting 8

• Laboratory Practical 9

• Study Camp 9

• Teacher Recognition & Local Section Mentoring 10

• USNCO Study Camp Schedule 11

• Status Checklist for Study Camp Students 13

• Passport 13

• International Chemistry Olympiad 14

• Topics for Study 14

U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad Program
The U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO) program is a multi-tiered competition sponsored by the
American Chemical Society (ACS) since 1984. It consists of the following:

Local Section Competition - A competition conducted by the ACS local section with the purpose of
encouraging widespread participation and selecting nominees to sit for the national exam.

National Examination - A three-part exam, you have an option of administering in any order, and you are
free to schedule rest-breaks between parts. The examination includes multiple-choice questions (one-hour,
30 minutes), a free-response section (one-hour and 45 minutes), and a laboratory practical (one-hour and 30
minutes) administered by the ACS local sections. The scores are used to select twenty of the top students to
attend the USNCO study camp.

Study Camp - A two-week training camp is held at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado to prepare 20
students for the international competition. Based on the performance at the study camp, four students are
selected to represent the United States at the International Chemistry Olympiad.

International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) -A ten-day competition held abroad where delegations from
more than 70 countries participate. Typically four students accompanied by two mentors comprise a
national team. The competition consists of a five-hour theoretical exam and a five-hour laboratory practical.
The students also participate in cultural exchange activities.

Goals of the USNCO Program

The ACS views the USNCO program as a means of investing in the future of young chemists in this
country. The goals of the Olympiad are:

• to stimulate young people to achieve excellence in chemistry;

• to recognize outstanding chemistry students and, by doing so to encourage additional learning at a
formative time in their intellectual development;
• to recognize the excellent achievement of the teachers of these students and the importance of the school
environment in which they learn;
• to promote contact between ACS local sections and area schools and to foster the interest and influence
of professional chemists in the teaching of chemistry;
• to foster cross-cultural experiences and to acquaint students with similarities and differences between
themselves and their counterparts in other nations; and,
• to challenge the chemical knowledge and skills of students in an international arena.
Rules for Participation in the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad*
The following rules apply to the National Chemistry Olympiad Competition only. For information on local
exams, go to local competitions. Local sections are encouraged to develop their own procedures for
identifying outstanding students at the local level and choosing national examination candidates.

1. Students must be U.S. citizens or legal, permanent residents of the United States (green card holders) to
take the U.S. national examination.

2. High school students who will graduate no earlier than spring of a year in which they participate in the
competition are eligible.

3. Students must be under the 20 years of age on the first of July of the year of the competition.

4. No more than two students per high school per local section may be nominated to take the national
exam. In the case of magnet programs, split enrollment, or cyber students, a student’s school is defined
as the high school from which the student will receive his or her diploma.

5. Eligible students who have previously attended the study camp automatically qualify for the national
exam and do not count against the limit on the number of eligible students from their local section or
school.

6. Winners of gold medals at the International Chemistry Olympiad are not eligible to participate in
subsequent International Chemistry Olympiad competitions or study camps.

7. Students who have taken advanced placement courses in chemistry are eligible.

8. A student may participate only in the competition of the section in which the student's high school is
located. In the case of a cyber-student, the student shall participate in the local section where he or she is
geographically located, regardless of where the cyber school is located.

9. A student who participates in the Physics Olympiad study camp, the Mathematics Olympiad study
camp, or the Biology Olympiad study camp is not eligible to participate in the Chemistry Olympiad
study camp during the same summer.

10. Only non-programmable calculators are to be used on the national exam and on the ACS local section
exam, if used. The use of a programmable calculator, cell phone, or any other device that can access the
internet or make copies or photographs during the exam is grounds for disqualification.
Insurance
The American Chemical Society provides an excess insurance coverage, during the national examination
activities. To ensure proper coverage, the national office must submit a list of all students nominated to sit
for the exam, and all lab practical sites to the insurance company prior to the exam date. You must submit
the proper form to the USNCO office otherwise students will not be covered by the insurance.
Certified proof of insurance is available from the national office, if needed to secure a site. If you need
more information, please contact the ACS Treasurer’s office at 202-452-2125.

Special Situations
Students with Disabilities: The USNCO will make accommodations to allow students with disabilities to
participate, as long as those accommodations would not require a fundamental modification of the test
standards. Extra time is not allowed. Please contact the USNCO office at usnco@acs.org for more
information.

Translations to Other Languages: You may translate the Local Section Examinations from English into
other languages to encourage participation by non-English speaking minorities. If you do so, please send a
copy to the USNCO office.

The National Exam must be administered only in English.

Local Section Competition

The local section competition is meant to involve a large number of students and to encourage and
recognize excellence in high school chemistry. In addition, the process will select your nominees for the
national exam. You can access Local Exams from previous years at www.asc.org/olympiad

Selection of Students

The local section may use any method of selecting nominees to take the national exam. Methods used in the
past include USNCO-prepared local exam, locally prepared examinations, chemistry competitions between
students ("chemathons"), practical problems, teacher recommendations, science fairs, or some combination
of these. In addition, a locally sponsored event may serve as a forum for local recognition.
Please use a method that involves the largest number of students from as many local high schools as
possible. We do not encourage limiting the number of students participating in Local Section
competition; unlike in the national exam. An important component of the USNCO is the stimulation of
interest in chemistry and local recognition of as many chemistry students and teachers as possible. Please
do not neglect this component by focusing on the national exam only.
You may order the USNCO Local Section Examination from the USNCO office. Since copies of previous
USNCO local section exams have been widely distributed, each local section is strongly encouraged to use
the present USNCO Local Section Exam to ensure a fair screening process. If you do not use the USNCO
Local Section Exam, please do not use either an old Olympiad exam or another ACS exam (either high
school or general chemistry). Many students may have seen (or taken) these exams or may take one of them
in the future. Funds generated by the sales of the local section exams help defray the cost of the USNCO
national examination materials, which are provided free of charge to all local sections.
 Please consider when using the local section exam or other written competition that sometimes two or more
students will have an identical score. To prevent potential problems, please have available a tie-breaker of
some sort, such as a designated question on the exam, an additional question you write, or an evaluation of a
student’s school records.
In choosing a date to hold the local section competition, refer to the USNCO Program, Schedule. You may
want to avoid ACT/SAT testing dates. Check with area chemistry teachers and the local school calendar
before selecting a date to avoid other local conflicts (other competitions, spring break etc.).
Prepare a brief description of the Chemistry Olympiad competition, or use the enclosed announcement, and
mail it to area high school chemistry teachers as soon as possible. Use the mailing labels that are available
from the USNCO office by request.

Recognition for Local Competition

To publicize section winners, finalists, and IChO participants you may use a sample announcement to high
school teachers. One of the goals of the USNCO is to recognize outstanding chemistry students and the
excellent achievements of their teachers.

In an effort to obtain this goal, the ACS national office will provide an award certificate. The participation
certificates, ordered in packages of 5, are meant to recognize all students participating in the local section
competition. You will be able to customize the certificates to recognize participation, achievement or
outstanding student performance in the USNCO program.

The certificate reads: "This Award is presented to (student's name) for: (participation or outstanding
performance) in the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad Local Competition. Presented by the (local section
name) Local Section of the ACS."

Certificates are provided free of charge with any order of USNCO Local Section Examinations. Local
sections may order certificates without purchasing exams for shipping and handling fee. Also, local sections
that order more than twice as many certificates as local exams will be charged shipping and handling fee.

The USNCO pin is another recognition item for students. These pins may be purchased from the USNCO
office. USNCO pin order form is available to coordinators.

The USNCO Subcommittee encourages the local sections to coordinate a recognition program. Some
suggestions include awarding framed certificates or plaques to students and teachers; providing monetary
scholarships/awards; presenting the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics to students; inviting students,
parents, and teachers to a local section awards banquet; and purchasing National Chemistry Week T-shirts
for students. This recognition can bear rich dividends in public relations for the section as well as promote
science education among area students and teachers.

Local sections are responsible for all costs associated with choosing local section nominees. A local section
exam is prepared specifically for the program and may be used by local sections to help them select their
national exam candidates.
Fees charged for the local section examination help defray the cost of the national exam.
Sample Announcement to High School Chemistry Teachers
Dear Colleague,

As chair of the (Section Name) Section of the American Chemical Society (ACS), I am pleased to
announce that we will be participating in the (year) U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO). The
primary goals of this program are to stimulate interest and achievement in chemistry among high school
students throughout the United States and to provide recognition of outstanding young chemistry students,
teachers, and schools.

Students competing in the USNCO are eligible to be selected as members of the United States team for
the International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO). For the past (number) years, the United States has sent a
team of four students to compete with nations around the world at the IChO. The students participate in
both theoretical and laboratory examinations over several days. Gold, silver, and bronze medals are
awarded to the best performers, and the IChO provides students the opportunity to interact with their peers
from other countries. The (year) international event will be held in (city, country), July (date).

My immediate task is to encourage you and your students to participate in this program. The
identification of the four-member U.S. team begins at the local school system level. It is the responsibility
of the (Section Name) section to nominate students from this area to take the USNCO national examination.
In order to identify these students, we have decided to conduct a preliminary screening of students through
(Describe local process).

I encourage your school to participate in this academic Olympiad. All students who participate will be
recognized and presented with a certificate; some students receive recognition for outstanding performance
in certain categories. We hope this recognition will serve to stimulate interest in chemistry and to promote a
positive attitude toward chemistry.

(Section Coordinator) has been appointed the USNCO Coordinator for this area. We encourage you to
enter students from your school in this competition by completing and returning the enclosed registration
form before (Date). Thank you for helping us to promote chemical education in this country.
Sincerely,

Chair, (Section Name) Section, ACS

Be sure to list a contact name, address, and phone number) Send an e-mail message to
m_thatcher@acs.org to receive this letter electronically.
National Exam
The National Exam will consist of three parts: a 90-minute multiple-choice section (Part I), a 105-minute
free response section (Part II), and a 90-minute laboratory practical (Part III). You have the option of
administering the different parts in any order. The overall test time will be four hours and forty-five minutes
-- you may schedule breaks between sections of the exam, increasing the total block of time required.

You can access National Exams from previous years at www.asc.org/olympiad

ONLY students who are U.S. citizens or LEGAL, PERMANENT RESIDENTS OF THE UNITED
STATES (GREEN CARD HOLDERS) and no more than two students from the same school are
eligible to take the national exam.

The national exam is provided by the USNCO office free of charge. You will receive the maximum
allotment of exams based on the size of your local section.

L.S. Member USNCO L.S. Members USNC

Nomine O
es Nomine
es
1–1000 10 4151–4500 20
1001–1350 11 4501–4850 21
1351–1700 12 4851–5200 22
1701–2050 13 5201–5550 23
2051–2400 14 5551–5900 24
2401–2750 15 5901–6250 25
2751–3100 16 6251–6600 26
3101–3450 17 6601–6950 27
3451–3800 18 6951–7300 28
3801–4150 19 7301–7650 29

The national examination is scheduled to be given during the period of seven consecutive days from
Tuesday until Monday in April. We request that geographically smaller sections schedule the national
examination at a single site on one of the four days and require that all students be present and take the
exam together. Geographically larger sections should schedule the exam for a single day and time but may
use different locations throughout the section if necessary.

To preserve the security and therefore, the fairness of the selection process, please make every effort to have
all nominees take the national examination on the same day and at the same time. Regardless of the number
of sites within your section, all test materials should be returned to you, the coordinator, if possible. We
realize that in some instances this will not be possible, but we would like to reduce the confusion of the
multiple packets from a single local section.
Things to Know Before Administering the Exam
1. Students will be asked to sign a statement about their obligations and their legal status in the USA. This
requirement states that a student must be a U.S. citizen or a legal, permanent resident of the United States
(green card holder) in order to take the national exam.

Exams CANNOT be accepted without this signed document. Failure to turn it in will automatically
disqualify the student from competition.

2. Programmable calculators and cellular phones are NOT permitted during the USNCO Local Section and
the USNCO National exams. This rule should be publicized so students come to the exam prepared. The
local section may want to have one or two non-programmable calculators on hand for student use.

3. Each Scantron sheet for Part I will have a number already encoded. Make sure that the students do not
erase this number, and use it on the answer sheets for Part II and III.

IMPORTANT: Please complete and keep a copy of the “Summary of Local Section Testing” sheet for
your records. You will need this information to identify your students by their ID numbers after you
receive their Part I test performances by the end of May.

Returning Exam Materials

As soon as the exam is over, gather the exam materials for each student. The exam materials must arrive at
the USNCO office on or BEFORE the given deadline. Exams received after this date cannot be
graded!

Exam materials to be returned are:

• the Scantron sheets
• Nominee Acknowledgment Form ,(lilac form)
• blue books only, and
• Laboratory practical answer sheets
• Coordinator’s survey
• Post Exam Questionnaire Comments.

Please review and ensure that all exams have students’ ID number.

The students may NOT keep copies of the USNCO National Examination until after
the date printed on the exams.

Return the exam materials to the ACS USNCO office (address below) in the provided prepaid envelope.
We strongly encourage local sections to send the materials in the prepaid envelope provided to minimize
confusion.

Do not rely on regular mail.

Send exams for grading to:

ACS USNCO
1155 Sixteenth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20036
Recognition for the National Exam
One of the major goals of the USNCO is to encourage local sections to develop closer ties with area schools
and to provide recognition for outstanding high school chemistry students and their teachers. Please use a
sample press release to notify local newspapers, radio, and television stations of the students (and their
teachers) who have qualified to take the national exam in your local section.

Before administering the National Exam you must send a list (Excel file) of all nominees who are
sitting for the National Exam (student names, addresses and e-mails, teacher names, addresses and e-
mails, high school names and address) to the USNCO office.

Upon your request, information from this Excel file can be used to generate certificates for all students
taking the national exam and their teachers. Certificates are printed free of charge by the USNCO office.

You can also request blank certificates from the USNCO office and print them by yourself. These
certificates are usually sent within two weeks after we receive the request. You may wish to arrange to
present the students and their teachers with these certificates at a local ACS meeting or during an award
assembly that many schools have at the end of the school year.

How to Prepare the Certificates

If you request blank certificates, before printing them, we suggest that you print out a sample certificate on
blank paper and place it behind one of the original certificates to be sure the information falls in the correct
place. (It may help if you hold the two sheets up to the light.) The USNCO office uses the following
instructions in producing the certificates: Imprint MT Shadow 26 points.

Sample format: JOHN DOE

Score Reporting
In addition to the certificates, the results from the national exam are sent approximately one month after the
national exam. Individual performances only on the multiple-choice section are released. Student’s scores
for Part I will be released to the local section coordinator.

Based on Part I scores, questions are grouped by topics and the average of the number of correctly answered
questions within each topic is calculated. Based on this average, each student's score in a particular topic is
compared to the overall average and rated as: below average, average, above average, or outstanding
performance. Also the total score is calculated.

U.S. NATIONAL CHEMISTRY OLYMPIAD

National Exam Part I – Individual Performance
by Categories of Questions
Local Sec Student Bonding Equilibriu Kinetics Stoich./ Organic/ Atomic Oxidation States of Thermo- Total Score
section # # Molec/Stru m Descriptive Solutions Biochem. Str./ Reduction Matter dynamics
c. Chem/Lab. Periodicity

Below Avg Below Avg Below Avg Above Avg Below Avg Below Avg Below Avg Below Avg Average Below Avg

Below Avg Below Avg Below Avg Below Avg Below Avg Above Avg Below Avg Average Below Avg Average

Above Avg Above Avg Below Avg Above Avg Above Avg Below Avg Below Avg Below Avg Below Avg Outstandg

Outstanding Below Ag. Average Average Above Avg. Average Outstanding Outstanding Average Above avr.
 Based on the score of their overall performance, 150 students will be recognized as having earned High
Honors or Honors. Besides the 20 students, a group of 30 students will receive High Honors for
performances that are comparable to those of the 20 invited to the study camp. The next group of 100
students will receive Honors. All of these students (High Honors and Honors) receive special recognition
certificates issued by the USNCO office and sent for distribution to coordinators. The list of High Honor
and Honor students will be published on the USNCO website.

In compliance with the Family Rights and Privacy Act, the USNCO does not release a list of
numerical scores of the students to the local section. If your local section is awarding a prize to your
top scorer(s) and you need specific rankings, please call the Olympiad office at usnco@acs.org .

Laboratory Practical
As part of the USNCO National Exam, a 90-minute laboratory practical is also administered by ACS local
sections. This laboratory practical is meant to test the problem-solving skills of the student in the
laboratory. A preliminary detailed list of materials needed for the laboratory practical will be sent to all local
sections prior to the exam. This list will be updated and final list will be sent with the exam.
With the gaining popularity of small-scale chemistry, at least part of the laboratory practical will utilize
small-scale chemistry techniques.

Study Camp
Typically within two weeks after the National Exam you may receive a call from the USNCO office at ACS
headquarters that one of your students has been invited to the study camp. As local section coordinator, you
may be asked to inform the student of his/her invitation. Due to the very short time available between the
selection and the study camp, we try to contact students immediately. Students have 24 hours to accept or
decline the invitation. Important documents need to be sent to the student before the study camp and the
USNCO office finalizes travel arrangements. Student needs to return the Statement of Acceptance form
immediately. In addition, the local section is encouraged to set-up a mentoring session with the student. If
there are questions, please feel free to call the USNCO office.
The study camp will be held in two weeks in June at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado. The camp is
very intense -- much of the time is spent in the laboratory or in lecture. The student should come prepared
to work hard and learn a great deal.
The ACS will cover the costs of the students attending the study camp (and the IChO) except for
transportation from home to the nearest airport and back.

Student will receive a letter containing the following information:

• Passport - the students should send a copy of their passport prior to attending the study camp to the
USNCO office. If they do not have one, they should apply for one as soon as possible.
• Travel - travel arrangements will be made by the ACS.
• Attendance - students must attend the entire camp. They cannot arrive late or leave early.
• Study camp banquet - the parents, teachers, and local section coordinators are invited to attend (traveling
at their own cost) the study camp banquet in Colorado Springs. A RSVP form will be provided.

In addition, the students will also be given letters of introduction by the Camp Director of the USAFA and
the head mentor. The set of practice problems, upon which much of the study at the camp is based and other
materials will be included to help the student begins preparing for the camp. (The practice problems will be
available on the International Chemistry Olympiad website early in February).
 Finally, the student will have to have a Special Power of Attorney, Hold Harmless Agreement and Covenant
Not to Sue (provided by the USAFA) to be signed and notarized. Students will not be accepted to the
USAFA study camp unless this document is complete and delivered to the USAFA.

Please send the Olympiad office copies of news articles arising from your student’s selection and attendance
at the study camp and/or IChO.

Teacher Recognition
The teachers of the students who attend the study camp are given special recognition by the Olympiad
office. The local section is asked to present this teacher with a certificate (provided by the Olympiad
program) at one of their local meetings in the fall. The student can also be asked to attend this ceremony
and to describe the Olympiad experience. An alternate forum for presenting such a certificate is at an
assembly program at the teacher’s school.

Local Section Mentoring

In an effort to better prepare the students for the study camp, the USNCO suggests that the local section
arrange for mentoring sessions with the student. The sessions are meant to help the student learn advanced
topics that may not be generally covered in the high school chemistry classroom, such as organic or
biochemistry. A list of topics and a set of preparatory problems is available online. Through this mentoring,
the study camp should be more efficient in preparing the U.S. competitors at the IChO.
Study Camp Sample Schedule
Day Morning Afternoon Evening Note
Tuesday ARRIVAL MOVE INTO 6:00-8:00 Lights out at 11:00
ROOMS Dinner/Welcoming
“Serve-yourself lunch” Meeting (DFC
conference room)
8:30 group meeting

Wednesday 7:15 breakfast 12:15 lunch 5:30 dinner Lights out at 11:00
8-10 Orgo intro 1-1:30 safety
10-11 glassware, 1:30-5 lab techniques
precision,
accuracy
11-12 NMR
Thursday 7:15 breakfast 12:15 lunch 5:30 dinner Lights out at 11:00
8-10 orgo 1-5 lab Quiz 1
10-12 p-chem

Friday 7:15 breakfast 12:15 lunch 5:30 dinner Lights out at 11:00
8-10 analytical 1-5 lab Group meeting
10-12 orgo
Saturday 7:15 breakfast 12:15 lunch 5:30 dinner Lights out at 11:00
8-10 inorganic Quiz 2
10-11 biochem Spartan exercise
Sunday Continental 12:15 lunch 5:30 dinner Lights out at 11:00
breakfast in Group meeting
dorms
Free Time
(church, wash
your clothes)
Monday 7:15 breakfast 12:15 lunch 5:30 dinner Lights out at 11:00
8-10 orgo 1-5 lab
10-12 p-chem
Day Morning Afternoon Evening Note
Tuesday 7:15 breakfast 12:15 lunch 5:30 picnic at Lights out at 11:00
8-11 inorganic 1-5 lab dorms
Quiz 3

Wednesday 7:15 breakfast 12:15 lunch 5:30 dinner Lights out at 11:00
8-9:30 orgo Lab practical 1-5 Group meeting
9:30-12 pchem
Thursday 7:15 breakfast 12:15 lunch Mentor’s night out; Lights out at 11:00
Catch up 1-5 final exam students with
lectures, USAFA personnel
additional topics for dinner
TBD
Studying for
final

Friday 7:15 breakfast 12:15 lunch 5:30 dinner Lights out at 11:00
Visit falcons Lab cleanup (all) Dorm cleanup (all)
Misc lectures Magic Show—
Furstenau

Saturday 7:15 breakfast 12:15 fast food at GoG Banquet Lights out at 12:00
Garden of the Hiking, visitor’s center
Gods

Sunday Continental 12:15 lunch 5:30 dinner Lights out at 11:00

(14 students breakfast in
DEPART) dorms
Free Time
(church)

Monday 7:15 breakfast 12:15 lunch 5:30 dinner Lights out at 11:00

Tuesday 7:15 breakfast 12:15 lunch Dinner at a Lights out at 12:00

restaurant
Wednesday Continental
breakfast in
dorms
DEPART
Checklist for Study Camp
TITLE OF ABSOLUTE SEND TO: CHECK
DOCUMENT: DUE DATE: WHEN
COMPLETED:

Acceptance Form Margaret Thatcher

m_thatcher@acs.org
or fax 202-833-7732

Banquet Response Form Dr. Kimberly Gardner

Dept. of Chemistry
U.S. Air Force Academy, CO
80840-6230
or fax 719-333-2947

Covenant Not to Sue Dr. Kimberly Gardner

Dept. of Chemistry
(MANDATORY DUE U.S. Air Force Academy, CO
DATE) 80840-6230
719-333-6047

Power of Attorney Dr. Kimberly Gardner

Dept. of Chemistry
(MANDATORY DUE U.S. Air Force Academy,
DATE) CO 80840-6230

Student Survey Bring to the study camp

(USAFA, Colorado)

Passport – (copy) Margaret Thatcher

m_thatcher@acs.org
or fax 202-833-7732

Passport
A copy of the students’ passports should be sent to Margaret Thatcher, at the ACS USNCO office upon the
acceptance to participate in the Study Camp.

The USNCO office will inform students whether or not they need visas for the IChO host country and if
visas are needed they will be obtained by the USNCO office for the entire delegation.

See application form and instructions on how to apply for a U.S. passport.
International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO)
The International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) is an annual competition for the world’s most talented
chemistry students at the secondary school level. Nations around the world send a team of four students,
who are tested on their chemistry knowledge and skills in a five-hour laboratory practical and five-hour
written theoretical examination.

Topics for Study

The following topics are recommended areas of proficiency/study for students attending the study camp.
These topics have been designated by the IChO and may be in both the study camp and IChO testing.

Appendix C of the regulations contains a list of concepts and skills expected to be

mastered by the participants. Organizers may freely include questions and tasks in the
theoretical or experimental competition based on the knowledge listed there.
The organizer can include problems in the exams based on the use of concepts and skills
from not more than 6 theoretical and 2 practical fields outside this list, if a minimum of 2
tasks from each field is included and the necessary skills demonstrated in the set of
preparatory problems. Examples of such external fields are also listed in Appendix C. Fields
not already listed should have a breadth similar to the examples. These 6 theoretical and 2
practical fields must be stated explicitly at the beginning of the Preparatory problems. If an
equation not covered by the listed fields is required for the solution of the exam questions,
then this should be defined in the exam text.
Appendix D contains an outline of the factual knowledge supposedly familiar to the
competitors. If specific facts not included here are required for the solution of the exam
questions, then these should be included in the exam text or in the preparatory problems and
their solutions.

Appendix C

Concepts and skills expected to be known by all participants:

(predominantly equivalent to former number 1 and 2 topics)

Concepts
Estimation of experimental errors, use of significant figures;
Nucleons, isotopes, radioactive decay and nuclear reactions (alpha, beta, gamma);
Quantum numbers (n,l,m) and orbitals (s,p,d) in hydrogen-like atoms;
Hund’s rule, Pauli principle;
Electronic configuration of main group and the first row transition metal atoms and their ions;
Periodic table and trends (electronegativity, electronaffinity, ionization energy, atomic and
ionic size, melting points, metallic character, reactivity);
Bond types (covalent, ionic, metallic), intermolecular forces and relation to properties;
Molecular structures and simple VSEPR theory (up to 4 e pairs);
Balancing equations, empirical formulae, mole concept and Avogadro’s number,
stoichiometric calculations, density, calculations with different concentration units;
Chemical equilibrium, Le Chatelier’s principle, equilibrium constants in terms of
concentrations, pressures and mole fractions;
Arrhenius and Bronsted acid-base theory, pH, self ionization of water, equilibrium constants
of acid-base reactions, pH of weak acid solutions, pH of very dilute solutions and simple
 buffer solutions, hydrolyis of salts;
Solubility constants and solubility;
Complexation reactions, definition of coordination number, complex formation constants;
Basics of electrochemistry: Electromotive force, Nernst equation; Electrolysis, Faraday’s laws;
Rate of chemical reactions, elementary reactions, factors affecting the reaction rate, rate law
for homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions, rate constant, reaction order, reaction energy
profile, activation energy, catalysis, influence of a catalyst on thermodynamic and kinetic
characteristics of a reaction;
Energy, heat and work, enthalpy and energy, heat capacity, Hess’ law, standard formation
enthalpies, solution, solvation and bond enthalpies;
Definition and concept of entropy and Gibbs’ energy, second law of thermodynamics,
direction of spontaneous change;
Ideal gas law, partial pressures;
Principles of direct and indirect tiration (back titration);
Acidi and alkalimetry, acidimetric titration curves, choice and colour of indicators for
acidimetry;
Redox titrations (permanganometric and iodometric);
Simple complexometric and precipitation titrations;
Basic principles of inorganic qualitative analysis for ions specified in factual knowledge,
flame tests;
Lambert-Beer law;
Organic structure-reactivity relations (polarity, electrophilicity, nucleophilicity, inductive
effects, relative stability)
Structure-property relations (boiling point, acidity, basicity);
Simple organic nomenclature;
Hybridization and geometry at carbon centers;
Sigma and pi bonds, delocalization, aromaticity, mesomeric structures;
Isomerism (constitutional, configuration, conformation, tautomerism)
Stereochemistry (E-Z, cis-trans isomers, chirality, optical activity, Cahn-Ingold-Prelog
system, Fisher projections);
Hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups, micelle formation;
Polymers and monomers, chain polymerizations, polyaddition and polycondensation;
Laboratory skills
Heating in the laboratory, heating under reflux;
Mass and volume measurement (with electronic balance, measuring cylinder, pipette and
burette, volumetric flask);
Preparation and dilution of solutions and standard solutions;
Operation of a magnetic stirrer;
Carrying out of test tube reactions;
Qualitative testing for organic functional groups (using a given procedure);
Volumetric determination, titrations, use of a pipette bulb;
Measurement of pH (by pH paper or calibrated pH meter);

Appendix D

Outline of the factual knowledge supposed to be known by the

competitors:

Reactions of s-block elements with water, oxygen and halogens, their color in flame tests;
Stoichiometry, reactions and properties of binary non-metal hydrides;
 Common reactions of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur oxides (CO, CO2, NO, NO2, N2O4, SO2,
SO3);
Common oxidation states of p-block elements, stoichiometry of common halides and
oxoacids (HNO2, HNO3, H2CO3, H3PO4, H3PO3, H2SO3, H2SO4, HOCl, HClO3, HClO4);
Reaction of halogens with water;
Common oxidation states of first row transition metals (Cr(III), Cr(VI), Mn(II), Mn(IV),
Mn(VII), Fe(II), Fe(III), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(I), Cu(II), Ag(I), Zn(II), Hg(I), and
Hg(II) )and the color of these ions;
Dissolution of these metals and Al, amphoteric hydroxides (Al(OH)3, Cr(OH)3, Zn(OH)2);
Permanganate, chromate, dichromate ions and their redox reactions;
Iodometry (reaction of thiosulphate and iodine);
Identification of Ag+, Ba2+, Fe3+, Cu2+, Cl–, CO3 2–, SO4 2– ;
Organic:
Common electrophiles and nucleophiles
Electrophilic addition: addition to double and triple bonds, regioselectivity (Markovnikoff’s
rule), stereochemistry
Electrophilic substitution: substitution on aromatic rings, influence of substituents on the
reactivity and regioselectivity, electrophilic species;
Elimination: E1 and E2 reactions at sp3 carbon centers, stereochemistry, acid-base catalysis,
common leaving groups;
Nucleophilic substitution: SN1 and SN2 reactions at sp3 carbon centers, stereochemistry;
Nucleophilic addition: addition to carbon-carbon and carbon-hetero atom double and triple
bonds, addition-elimination reactions, acid-base catalysis;
Radical substitution: reaction of halogens and alkanes;
Oxidations and reductions: switching between the different oxidation levels of common
functional groups (alkyne – alkene – alkane – alkyl halide, alcohol – aldehyde, ketone –
carboxylic acid derivatives, nitriles – carbonates)
Cyclohexane conformations;
Grignard reaction, Fehling and Tollens reaction;
Simple polymers and their preparation (polystyrene, polyethylene, polyamides, polyesters);
Amino acids and their classification in groups, isoelectric point, peptide bond, peptides and
proteins;
Carbohydrates: open chain and cyclic form of glucose and fructose;
Lipids: general formulae of triacyl glycerides, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids;

Examples of concepts and skills allowed in the exam only if

included and demonstrated in the preparatory problems
6 theoretical and 2 practical topics from these or other topics of similar breadth
are allowed in a preparatory problem set. It is intended that a topic can be
introduced and discussed in a lecture of 2-3 hours before a prepared
audience.
• VSEPR theory in detail (with more than 4 ligands);
• Inorganic stereochemistry, isomerism in complexes;
• Solid state structures (metals, NaCl, CsCl) and Bragg’s law;
• Relation of equilibrium constants, electromotive force and standard Gibbs energy;
• Integrated rate law for first order reactions, half-life, Arrhenius equation,
determination of activation energy;
• Analysis of complex reactions using steady-state and quasi-equilibrium
approximations, mechanisms of catalytic reactions, determination of reaction order
and activation energy for complex reactions;
• Collision theory
• Simple phase diagrams and the Clausius-Clapeyron equation, triple and critical points;
• Stereoselective transformations (diastereoselective, enantioselective), optical purity
• Conformational analysis, use of Newman projections, anomeric effect
• Aromatic nucleophilic substitution, electrophilic substitution on polycyclic aromatic
compounds and heterocycles
• Supramolecular chemistry
• Advanced polymers, rubbers, copolymers, thermosetting polymers. Polymerization
types, stages and kinetics of polymerization;
• Amino acid side groups, reactions and separation of amino acids, protein sequencing;
• Secondary, tertiary and quaternary structures of proteins, non-covalent interactions,
stability and denaturation, protein purification by precipitation, chromatography and
electrophoresis;
• Enzymes and classification according to reaction types, active sites, coenzymes and
cofactors, mechanism of catalysis;
• Monosaccharides, equilibrium between linear and cyclic forms, pyranoses and
furanoses, Haworth projection and conformational formulae;
• Chemistry of carbohydrates, oligo and polysaccharides, glycosides, determination of
structure;
• Bases, nucleotides and nucleosides with formulae, Functional nucleotides, DNA and
RNA, hydrogen bonding between bases, replication, transcription and translation,
DNA based applications;
• Complex solubility calculations (with hydrolysing anions, complex formation);
• Simple Schrödinger equations and spectroscopic calculations;
• Simple MO theory;
• Basics of mass spectrometry (molecular ions, isotope distributions);
• Interpretation of simple NMR spectra (chemical shift, multiplicity, integrals);
• Synthesis techniques: filtrations, drying of precipitates, thin layer chromatography.
• Synthesis in microscale equipment,;
• Advanced inorganic qualitative analysis;
• Gravimetric analysis;
• Use of a spectrophotometer;
• Theory and practice of extraction with immiscible solvents;
• Column chromatography;