Information for Coordinators
Frequently Asked Questions
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Becoming a Coordinator
What do USNCO Coordinators do?
Coordinators handle the following tasks:
- Advertise and promote the Olympiad program in their local section
- Contact high school teachers
- Inform students where to register for participation
- Order exams, certificates, USNCO pins, etc.
- Oversee the administration of Local Section and National Exams
- Distribute test results
How do I become a coordinator?
Coordinators are appointed by their ACS Local Section Chair. Find your local section.
How do I register my local section to participate in this year’s Olympiad program?
Contact your Local Section Chair or email the USNCO office.Do coordinators and volunteers have to complete a background check?
The American Chemical Society has updated their Youth Protection Policy. USNCO volunteers and coordinators will be required to have a background check conducted by Sterling Volunteers. ACS will cover the cost of background checks. Volunteers may request a background check online to receive a verification badge and meet the requirements of the ACS Youth Protection Policy.
Who will be ensuring compliance and verifying that USNCO volunteers have background checks?
USNCO coordinators are responsible to make sure all volunteers completed this requirement.
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Administering Exams
What are the rules for the National Exam?
You can review rules online or find them in the Coordinator Handbook (PDF).
Where do I get exams?
Email usnco@acs.org to request an order form for paper exams. Only USNCO Coordinators are authorized to submit this order form and will be providd acess to digital exams.
Can digital local exam be administered with virtual proctoring?
No, all exams must be administered in person in a school or other testing environment and proctored by a teacher or USNCO volunteer (parents/guardinas cannot proctor the exam to their students at home).How is the ACS local exam going to be graded?
Paper/pdf of LSE: graded by coordinators, key received with paper or pdf of the exam
Digital: graded immediately
Gradescope sheets sent to USNCO office: graded by ACS staff
How do I know what materials and chemicals I will need for the competition lab practical?
Coordinators receive a listing of materials and chemicals to prepare for the lab practical by email. Email usnco@acs.org for more information.What is my section's National Exam allotment?
Your section will have 12 or more participants. This number varies depending on the number of ACS members in your local section. 2025 allotments were determined based on the membership counts as of October 2024. View 2025 allotments (PDF)What if I have a Study Camp returner? Does that affect my National Exam allotment?
Study Camp returners do not count against your allotment and are automatically eligible to sit for the National Exam.
Who exactly needs to register (students who take national exam? Students who take the local exam?)?
Parents/guardians register their students by completing and signing the Student Registration Form. As soon as ACS (local section or national) knows the student’s name or any identifiable student information, we need their parent/guardian’s consent. This includes all students taking the digital exam and any student’s exam that will be graded by ACS National (i.e. given on paper and then answer sheets are sent to ACS national).
If students don’t register during LS exam period, how do they register for the National Exam if they qualify? How do returning Study Camp participants register ?
There is a local section specific form that can be sent to them by USNCO Coordinators (this skips the logic steps funneling students to the correct section).
Will teachers be notified that their student registered?
Teacher’s name and email has to be provided in the registration form, and the teacher will receive a message that their student registered for UNSCO exam.Do teachers need background checks to administer exams to students?
No. if teachers administer the exam to their students in their classroom
Yes, if the teachers are proctors at an ACS organized exam and serve as volunteers who help the USNCO coordinator
Who does USNCO office contact with inromation related to students' participation?
Parent/guardian (email address and name provided on registration form).Will registration be extended after the deadline?
No, there will be no extensions after the deadline.
USNCO Teacher Training Course
The USNCO Teacher Training course is a cooperative project of the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad program. There are a lot of topics that are not covered yet, and we would like to invite high school teachers, and college and industry professionals to contribute to this resource. If you are interested in preparing and recording a short lecture, have resources that you would like to share, please sign up below for a topic that you would like to cover. You will be provided with the templates to use for the presentation.
Please sign up to contribute content for the Teachers Training Course.
Submit topic, name and email here.
All contributors to the course are being acknowledged on the USNCO website and can request to receive a special letter from the USNCO program describing their involvement in this project.
Please contact the USNCO office at usnco@acs.org if you have questions.
Coordinator Handbook
Includes all information about administering the Chemistry Olympiad program.
USNCO Webinars and Other Support
Webinars, coaching sessions and Preparation Hub to help coordinators, teachers and students participate in USNCO.

USNCO Media Kit
Posters, flyers, graphics, and sample social media posts to promote USNCO.
Buy merch to show your support
Show your support by purchasing USNCO merchandise in the ACS Store.