Cleveland US National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO)
We are pleased to announce the Cleveland Section of The American Chemical Society (ACS) will participate in the 2027 U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO). This annual sponsored event supports and acknowledges the efforts and achievements of chemistry students and their high school teachers. Please see below for more information, rules, and eligibility.
2026-27 coordinator: Mark Waner, Professor of Chemistry, John Carroll University. Contact me for questions and updates.
Calendar of events:
| August – December | Local High School Chemistry teachers will be contacted about getting their students involved in the USNCO competition. |
| February | Students need to register prior to Feb. 20, 2027 to receive instructions and verify operation of testing system on your device (Mac, PC or Chromebook). If you do not have access to a secure device please let me know ahead of the exam. Register with the ACS here. |
| February 27 - March 2, 2027 | Cleveland Local ACS exam taken online but in person with an approved/trained proctor, 60 multiple choice, 110 minutes. One option is Sat. Feb. 27 at 9am on the JCU campus (more info to follow). Other testing options may be made available based on interest and availability of teachers to train and host. |
| April 16-18, 2027 | National Exam Parts 1, 2 and 3. Sat. Apr. 17 at John Carroll University (more details to come) |
| April | Cleveland Section Education Night- all students eligible for the National Exam will be invited. |
| May 30 - June 12, 2027 | U.S. team study camp for the top 20 National Exam scores. |
| July 19-28, 2027 | International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) in Taipei, Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) |
The Cleveland section will nominate students to take the USNCO National Examination based on the ACS’s Local Section Exam. The local exam will be taken on paper. The registration site is available here.
Those students eligible for the National Exam (with a maximum of two students per high school) will be notified once scores are provided by the National ACS. Parts 1, 2, and 3 of the National Exam will be administered at John Carroll University on Sat. April 117, 2027. All three sections are taken on the same day. The specific location and schedule will be determined soon.
Part I |
Part II |
Part III |
| *Multiple choice
*60 questions *90 minutes *Covers broad areas of chemistry |
* Problem Solving
* 8 extended response questions *105 minutes *Covers chemical theory and models |
* Lab Practical
*Typically 2 problems *Typically 90 minutes *Problem solving lab topic |
The top 150 students will be listed in the Honor Roll, and the top 20 students will be selected to attend a two-week study camp, June 2026 (dates TBD) to prepare for the international competition. The study camp is at the University of Maryland. Based on performance at the camp, four students will be selected to represent the United States in the International Chemistry Olympiad Competition (IChO).
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Local students that participated in the USNCO