Chemistry Olympiad

Here is the announcement of the USNCO national team for 2026:

With great pleasure we would like to announce the team that will represent the U.S. in the 58th International Chemistry Olympiad July 10-19, 2026 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.  The four members of the Team USA are:; Enzhi Chen, Princeton International School of Mathematics and Science, NJ, Princeton Local Section; Ethan Cho, BASIS Scottsdale, AZ, Central Arizona Local Section; Alex Dong, Shanghai High School International Division, Shanghai, Shanghai International Sciences Chapter; Liran Zhu, Troy High School, CA, Orange County Local Section

The two alternates are:  1st alternate: Phil Yao, Newport Senior High School, WA, Puget Sound Local Section; 2nd alternate: Bowen Shan, BASIS Chandler, AZ, Central Arizona Local Section

Team USA will be supported during the IChO by the following mentors:  Mrs. Komal Jain, Lake Braddock Secondary School, VA, Head mentor; Dr. Borislava Bekker, American River College, CA, College mentor; Dr. Steve Lantos, Brookline High School, MA, High School mentor; Dr. Monica Arroyo, Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico, PR, College Mentor

Please join us in congratulating our exceptional students! 

Here in the Chicago section, we are equally proud of all 18 participants in the national exam, and are pleased to announced those students who achieved 'honors' for their performance on the national exam:  Ian Cabiness of Munster HS, Eli Cui of Libertyville HS, Leroy Jing of William Fremd HS, David Li of University of Chicago Laboratory School, Nora Witting of New Trier Township HS, Seunga Yang of Lake Forest Academy, and Albert Zhu of New Trier Township HS.

The International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO), one of the International Science Olympiads, is an annual academic competition for high school students. To demonstrate their expertise, participating students take a series of written and laboratory exams at regional, national, and international levels. Ultimately the top ~200 students in the world are identified, ranked, and awarded gold, silver, and bronze medal status. Click here for the results of the 2025 International competition held in Dubai. The 2026 International Chemistry Olympiad will be held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, beginning July 25.  See here for additional information.

Statement on Accommodations from the national office

The USNCO is a contest. However, the USNCO will consider providing competitors with disabilities with accommodation to enable them to compete within the rules of the USNCO to which all competitors are subject.  Accommodations that fundamentally alter the highly competitive nature of the USNCO contest and/or create undue hardship cannot be granted.  For example, in nearly all cases time extensions cannot be accommodated because they fundamentally alter the competitive nature of the exam and create an undue hardship on volunteers. Competitors must request accommodation as soon as possible to enable the USNCO to consider the request.  

Competitors requesting accommodation must submit documentation from a school official establishing that the accommodation the competitor has requested is being provided by the secondary school.  USNCO cannot proceed with considering a competitor’s request until he or she provides this documentation.  Upon reviewing the documentation, a designated representative of the USNCO will contact the competitor and/or his or her parent(s) or legal guardian to discuss the need for the accommodation, its impact on the uniformly applied rules of competition for the USNCO and any alternative, effective accommodations.  The USNCO may require the competitor to provide additional medical information and/or to authorize his or her health care provider to share relevant information with representatives of USNCO in connection with a request for accommodation.

All medical information received by the USNCO will be maintained as a confidential medical record and will only be shared with USNCO officials and representatives who need to know this information because they are, for example, addressing and/or implementing the competitor’s request for accommodation.  Competitors who have questions should email us at [email protected].

Competition levels

• Local: The exam has been completed for 2026.
  

  • Parent/guardians must register students and all communication will occur through parent/guardians.  Registration for the 2027 exam will be available at https://www.acs.org/education/olympiad.html. 
  • Please list your student's teacher with email on the registration as your child may receive important exam information through their teacher.
  • The exam will be in-person and on paper only.
  • NOTE:  There is online help to prepare for the exam at https://www.acs.org/education/olympiad/prepare-for-exams/coaching-program.html.

• National: (April) The students with the TOP 18 scores on the Regional exam may proceed to he National exam level with no more than two from any one school. This exam will also only be offered in-person at North Central College on April 13, beginning at 9 am.
  

• International Team: (June) The students with the TOP 20 scores in the nation may proceed to a special "boot camp" at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. For one month, these students study intensively for international competition.

• International Competition: (July) The TOP FOUR students from the boot camp proceed to international competition, where they take exams with four-person teams from countries all around the world.