UK Chemistry Olympiad (RSC)

Our Take

CompeteMap's editorial perspective, based on our research and competition guide.

The UK Chemistry Olympiad is open to all secondary schools and colleges in the British Isles. However, the questions are aimed at students in their last year of study before higher education so we recommend that entrants should be at least 16. Run annually, the competition is made up of three stages that start with a written test and end with four students representing the UK at the prestigious International Chemistry Olympiad. - UK Chemistry Olympiad is aimed at strong older secondary chemistry students, especially those near the end of pre-university study. - It is school-entry and open to secondary schools and colleges in the British Isles. - Questions are significantly harder than routine exam questions and reward chemical reasoning. - The competition forms the first stage of the UK route toward the International Chemistry Olympiad. - Preparation should focus on foundations, calculations, mechanisms, past papers and mistake review.

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Last checked at: 5 Jul 2026

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Source URLs

• https://edu.rsc.org/enrichment/uk-chemistry-olympiad

Why this listing is included

• Registration: Wednesday 17 September 2025 – Wednesday 14 January 2026
• Round one written test: Wednesday 28 January 2026
• Round one marking: Thursday 29 January – Sunday 8 February 2026
• Round two: April 2026 (exact dates and location TBC)
• UK training camp and the International Olympiad: Training between May and July 2026 | Finals in July 2026, Uzbekistan

Related Competitions

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Preparing for competitions

Read our student competition guides for pathways, timelines, and tips.