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🇨🇦 Canadian Chemistry Contest

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Overview

The Canadian Chemistry Contest (CCC) is administered by the Chemical Institute of Canada (CIC) and held in conjunction with the Canadian Chemistry Olympiad (CCO; OCC in French). The programme is offered in English and French and serves Canadian high-school and Cégep chemistry students under age 20.

CIC describes the CCC as intended for approximately the top 10% of chemistry students and the CCO as aimed at approximately the top 5%. These percentages indicate the expected academic level rather than published qualification cutoffs. Canada's programme is notable for its bilingual delivery and volunteer coordinator network — because school education is administered provincially, CIC works through national, regional, and district coordinators rather than a single centralized school system.

Competition Format

Stage 1 — CCC Parts A and B

  • Part A: Multiple-choice contest (historically 25 questions)
  • Part B: Short-essay contest (historically 4 prompts, answer 2)
  • Both are delivered online but must be written in person under a teacher's supervision
  • Participation: Over 600 students nationwide each year

Stage 2 — Canadian Chemistry Olympiad (CCO / Part C)

  • A written examination with advanced problems (typically five 10-mark problems in two hours)
  • Approximately 5% of CCC participants (~30 students) are invited based on combined Part A and Part C results
  • Serves as the primary selection tool for the national training camp

Stage 3 — National Training Camp and IChO Team

  • Top CCO performers are invited to a 10-day intensive training camp at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver
  • The camp covers organic, inorganic, and physical chemistry at an advanced level, directed by UBC faculty
  • 4 students are then selected for that summer's IChO

Student Outcomes

While Canada does not have a formalized university admission bonus for olympiad medalists (unlike many European and Asian systems), CCC/CCO achievement is widely recognized in university applications. Top CCO performers have historically received scholarship invitations from institutions such as the University of Waterloo and the University of Toronto. The Lionel Chemistry Scholarship, administered through CIC, covers up to 4 years of tuition for high-achieving students with an interest in chemistry. IChO team members frequently go on to study at top Canadian and international universities.

History

  • 1986 — Canada first participated in the IChO
  • 1997 — Canada hosted the 29th IChO in Montreal (July 13–22)
  • 2015 — Scott Xiao narrowly missed gold by 0.1%, the closest near-miss in Canadian IChO history

Canada first participated in the IChO in 1986 and hosted the 29th IChO in Montreal in July 1997. Through the 58th IChO, the official results database records 10 gold, 39 silver, 75 bronze, and 6 honourable mentions.

Past Exams Archive