Chemistry Olympiad

USNCO Logo

The U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO) program is a chemistry competition for high school students. The purpose of the competition is to stimulate young people to achieve excellence in chemistry. The American Chemical Society has sponsored the program since 1984. 

The USNCO is a multi-tiered chemistry competition. The top four students of the national competition represent the United States in the annual International Chemistry Olympiad. The competition tiers are as follows:

  1. Registration. Before January 19, 2024, all students must register at the following link https://fs10.formsite.com/ACS_Outreach/USNCO2024/index until December 15th deadline.
  2. The local competition, March 10th, Sunday, 3pm – 4.50 pm ET, local exam for all registered students will take place at St. John Fisher University. The 10 winners of the local exam will be nominated for the national exam. Students can review past Local Exams to study for their local competition.
  3. National Chemistry Olympiad Exam: April 21st, Sunday, 9-3 pm. National exam, at St. John Fisher University. The national exam involves three parts administered to more than 1,000 students. The 20 top-scoring students are chosen to attend a study camp where students are selected for the International competition.
  4. Study Camp: June 2-14, 2024     The 20 top scoring students from the National Exam spend two weeks at a study camp to undergo rigorous training. Based on their performance, four students are chosen to represent the U.S. at the International Chemistry Olympiad.
  5. International Chemistry Olympiad, July 22-31, 2024.

If you are interested in participating as a student, teacher or coordinator, please fill out the form: