Chemistry Olympiad

Local Preliminary Exam:

This year, the North Carolina Section will be conducting the local exam stage as a proctored paper exam. Students will have two options for taking this exam. Students may either:

• Identify a proctor at their local school to administer the 110 minute local exam during the window of Friday, February 27 through Monday, March 16, 2026.

• Come to the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM) in Durham for an in-person sitting of the local exam, scheduled for 6-8 p.m on Monday, March 9, 2026.

To register, both of the following forms should be completed by parents or guardians and submitted by February 15, 2026:

(1) The National USNCO registration form

(2) Our local section exam information form, where students will choose one of the above options for taking the local exam (and provide the proctor's information, if taking the exam at their school).

National Exam:

The next stage after the local exam is the national exam, which involves three parts (including a laboratory component), administered in person to more than 1,000 students. Students who sit for the national level of the competition receive certificates for national nominees and a commemorative lapel pin. Approximately 150 top scoring students receive recognition for outstanding performance at the national level. 

Based on performance on the local exam, students (no more than two per high school) will be invited to our local section's administration of the national exam, which will be held in person on Saturday, April 11, 2026 at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham. 

International Chemistry Olympiad:

Students competing in the USNCO are eligible to be selected as members of the United States team for the International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO). The United States sends a team of four students to compete with nations around the world at the IChO; this year, the 58th annual international event will be held July 2026 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Preparing for Exams:

One of the best resources to help get a sense of what the local and national exam stages are like is the past exams for each stage, which are available on the "Prepare for Exams" page of the USNCO website.