National Chemistry Olympiad Exam
Number of Nominees
More than 1,000 students sit for the three-part National Exam each April. Coordinators nominate students for the National Exam based on the results of the Local Competitions. Each Local Section can nominate only a certain number of students determined by the number of its ACS members.
| ACS Members | USNCO Nominees | ACS Members | USNCO Nominees |
|---|---|---|---|
1–1000 1001-1350 1351-1700 1701-2050 2051-2400 2401-2750 2751-3100 3101-3450 3451-3800 3801-4150 |
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 |
4151-4500 4501-4850 4851-5200 5201-5550 5551-5900 5901-6250 6251-6600 6601-6950 6951-7300 7301-7650 |
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 |
The national examination is scheduled to be given during the period of nine consecutive days.
No more than two students from any given school can compete in the National Exam. The 20 top-scoring students are invited to attend a study camp to compete for a spot in the U.S. team.
National Exams are often hosted by ACS Local Sections at local universities and colleges. ACS Local Sections recognize USNCO National Exam nominees with certificates, monetary prizes, plaques, or other gifts. Many Local Sections honor the students, their teachers, parents and volunteers at award banquets, luncheons and dinners.
National Examination Administration
The three-part, 4 hour and 45 minutes exam consists of the following (may be administered in any order):
| Part I | Part II | Part III |
|---|---|---|
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How to Prepare
Students can use the past National Exams as guidance to help them study for the tests. Past IChO Exams can also be used in preparation, as each year's study camp curriculum is based on preparatory problems posted by the host country.
Scoring
ACS calculates the average number of correctly answered questions by topic area. 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.
Only student scores for Part I (multiple-choice) are sent to the Local Section coordinators to be distributed to students.
Results
Based on the score of their overall performance, the top 150 students are recognized as high Honors and Honors and receive a certificate from the USNCO national office. The top 50 students are recognized as High Honors and the next 100 as Honors. The list of High Honor and Honor students is published on the USNCO website.
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