United States National Chemistry Olympiad
Encyclopedia
The United States National Chemistry Olympiad (or USNCO) is a contest held by the American Chemical Society
(ACS) used to select the four-student team that represents the United States at the International Chemistry Olympiad
(IChO).
Each local ACS section selects, in whatever way it chooses, eight students (or more for larger ACS sections) to take the USNCO National Exam. Approximately 900 students participate in the National Exam annually. One way to select these students is with the USNCO Local Exam, which is a significantly easier version of the National Exam consisting of 60 multiple choice questions. Thus, the first step on the path to the USA IChO team is usually the local exam, which attracts around 10,000 participants each year.
, titration
and qualitative analysis, and 90 minutes are alloted to complete the two experiments.
in Colorado Springs, Colorado
. At the camp, the students are tested (both free response and lab testing), and the top four students are selected to comprise the U.S. IChO team. Two alternates are also selected, although no alternate has ever actually been called up for duty.
In addition, the top 50 students are recognized as achieving "High Honors", and the top 150 students earn "Honors" designation.
American Chemical Society
The American Chemical Society is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 161,000 members at all degree-levels and in all fields of chemistry, chemical...
(ACS) used to select the four-student team that represents the United States at the International Chemistry Olympiad
International Chemistry Olympiad
The International Chemistry Olympiad is an annual academic competition for high school students. It is one of the International Science Olympiads....
(IChO).
Each local ACS section selects, in whatever way it chooses, eight students (or more for larger ACS sections) to take the USNCO National Exam. Approximately 900 students participate in the National Exam annually. One way to select these students is with the USNCO Local Exam, which is a significantly easier version of the National Exam consisting of 60 multiple choice questions. Thus, the first step on the path to the USA IChO team is usually the local exam, which attracts around 10,000 participants each year.
Multiple choice
The first part contains 60 multiple-choice questions. Each question has four answer choices. The questions are loosely grouped into 10 sets of 6 items; each set corresponds to a different chemistry topic. Typically, the topics are, in order, descriptive chemistry/laboratory techniques, stoichiometry, gases/liquids/solids, thermodynamics, kinetics, equilibrium, electrochemistry, electronic structure/periodic trends, bonding theories, and organic chemistry. There is no penalty for guessing; a student's score is equal to the number of questions answered correctly. One and a half hours (90 minutes) are allotted for this first part.Free response
The second part contains 8 free response questions. Complete written explanations and calculations are required for full credit on a question, and partial credit is awarded. More thorough knowledge of basic theories is required, and often there are questions on less-emphasized portions of normal high school chemistry curricula, such as organic chemistry and coordination chemistry. One hour and 45 minutes (105 minutes) are allowed for this section.Lab practical
Beginning in 1994, the lab practical was added to the National Exam. It contains two tasks to be performed by each student with only the specified materials, and students are expected to describe their procedures and organize their findings. Past tasks have included chromatographyChromatography
Chromatography is the collective term for a set of laboratory techniques for the separation of mixtures....
, titration
Titration
Titration, also known as titrimetry, is a common laboratory method of quantitative chemical analysis that is used to determine the unknown concentration of an identified analyte. Because volume measurements play a key role in titration, it is also known as volumetric analysis. A reagent, called the...
and qualitative analysis, and 90 minutes are alloted to complete the two experiments.
USA representation limits
As the USNCO is seen as a process in which potential candidates for the USA IChO team, only United States passport-holding residents may proceed to the training camp from the USNCO. Further, those who are deemed not fit to represent the United States for discipline reasons during the training camp may be barred from selection for the IChO team, although such cases are extremely rare. A maximum of two students from the same educational institution are allowed to participate in the USNCO, even if more students qualify for the USNCO in a local section based on score. This rule prevents a science-oriented school from sending excessive numbers of people to the training camp.USNCO Study Camp and other recognition
The top 20 scorers on the USNCO National Exam are invited to participate in the two-week USNCO Study Camp at the United States Air Force AcademyUnited States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
in Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
. At the camp, the students are tested (both free response and lab testing), and the top four students are selected to comprise the U.S. IChO team. Two alternates are also selected, although no alternate has ever actually been called up for duty.
In addition, the top 50 students are recognized as achieving "High Honors", and the top 150 students earn "Honors" designation.
Scope of the test as compared to the IChO
The purpose of the USNCO is to select those students who have the chemistry skills necessary to compete in IChOs in general as determined by past IChO. In contrast, the testing administered at the actual training camp aims to select those students who have the skills to do well on the topics that will be covered in the immediate upcoming IChO. Since the host country each year may design the test to their preference, the scope of the USNCO and the training camp may be widely different.See also
- International Chemistry OlympiadInternational Chemistry OlympiadThe International Chemistry Olympiad is an annual academic competition for high school students. It is one of the International Science Olympiads....
- Other International Science OlympiadsInternational Science OlympiadThe International Science Olympiads are a group of worldwide annual competitions in various areas of science. The competitions are designed for the 4-6 best high school students from each participating country selected through internal National Science Olympiads, with the exception of the IOL,...