International Science Olympiads

The International Chemistry Olympiad

About the ICho
The International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) is an annual academic competition for high school students. It is one of the International Science Olympiads.

Visit their official website to find out more
Mandate of our Organisation
For the International Chemistry Olympiads, The Science Olympiad Foundation serves the sole purpose of preparing and sending teams to represent the country at the ICho.
Format of the Examinations
The competition consists of two examinations, a theoretical examination and a practical examination. Both have durations of up to 5 hours (at the international olympiads), and are held on separate days with the practical examination usually being before the theoretical examination. The theoretical examination has a value of 60 points and the practical examination has a value of 40 points. Each examination is evaluated independently from the other and the sum of the results of the examinations determines a participant's overall result. A scientific jury, which is installed by the host country, suggests the tasks.
History of the ICHO
The first IChO was held in Prague, Czechoslovakia, in 1968. The event has been held every year since then, with the exception of 1971. The delegations that attended the first events were mostly countries of the former Eastern bloc and it was not until 1980, the 12th annual International Chemistry Olympiad, that the event was held outside of the bloc in Austria. Up to 4 students for each national team compete around July in both a theoretical and an experimental sections, with about half of the participants being awarded medals.
Structure
Each delegation consists of up to four students and two mentors/teachers (one of them is designated as the head of the delegation or "head mentor"). A delegation may also include a handful of guests and scientific observers. Students must be under the age of 20 and must not be enrolled as regular students in any post-secondary education institution. The National Olympiad series are conducted in two stages; the Regional Series and the National Series (Check links below for details about each serie.)
Preparation Resources
Please visit our resources page to find material you can use to prepare for the International Chemistry Science Olympiad
The Syllabus
The syllabus of the competition contains subjects from several areas of chemistry, including organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, physical chemistry, analytical chemistry, biochemistry, and spectroscopy. Though some of these subjects are included in most secondary school chemistry programs, for the most part, they are evaluated at a much deeper level and many may require a level of knowledge and understanding comparable to that of post-secondary education. In addition, the host country of each IChO issues a set of preparatory problems well in advance of the competition every year. These preparatory problems cover specific topics in considerable more depth than typical post-secondary education.

Kindly download the detailed syllabus of the International Chemistry Olympiad via this link http://icho.csj.jp/34/IChO34rep/IChO34Reoprt/syllabusE.pdf