Cleveland US National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO)

Chemistry Olympiad Banner

We are pleased to announce the Cleveland Section of The American Chemical Society (ACS) will participate in the 2025 U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO). This annual sponsored event supports and acknowledges the efforts and achievements of chemistry students and their high school teachers. Please click here for more information, rules, and eligibility.

Calendar of events:

August – December Local High School Chemistry teachers will be contacted about getting their students involved in the USNCO competition.
January Students need to register by January 30, 2025 to receive instructions on taking the Cleveland Local Section Exam.  Register with the ACS here.
March 1-23 Cleveland Local ACS exam taken via ACS Learning Center after student has registered, 60 multiple choice, 110 minutes
April 5-13 National Exam Parts 1, 2 and 3 – date and location TBD
April/May Cleveland Section Education Night- all students eligible for the National Exam will be invited.
June 1-14 Study camp at the University of Maryland for the top 20 National Exam scores.
July TBD International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The Cleveland section will nominate students to take the USNCO National Examination based on the ACS’s Local Section Exam. The local exam is taken via the ACS Learning Center during March. Once a link to the registration site is open, it will be available here.

Those students eligible for the National Exam (with a maximum of two students per high school) will be notified after March 23, 2025. Parts 1, 2, and 3 of the National Exam will be administered at a local university between the dates of April 5-13, 2025. All three sections are taken on the same day. The exact exam date and location will be determined soon.

 

Part I

Part II

Part III
*Multiple choice

*60 questions

*90 minutes

*Covers broad areas of chemistry

 * Problem Solving

* 8 extended response questions

*105 minutes

*Covers chemical theory and models

 * Lab Practical

*Typically 2 problems

*Typically 90 minutes

*Problem solving lab topic

The top 150 students will be listed in the Honor Roll, and the top 20 students will be selected to attend a two-week study camp, June 1-14, 2025 to prepare for the international competition. The study camp is at the University of Maryland. Based on performance at the camp, four students will be selected to represent the United States in the International Chemistry Olympiad Competition (IChO).

Resources for students

Resources for teachers