Skip to content

🧪 Chemie – die stimmt! (CdS)

Germany's Junior Chemistry Olympiad

Overview

Chemie – die stimmt! (literally "Chemistry – that's right!"), abbreviated CdS, is Germany's only nationwide chemistry competition for middle-school students (grades 8–10, ages 13–16). It is organized by the Förderverein Chemie-Olympiade e.V. (FChO) — the same non-profit association that runs Germany's IChO selection — and holds KMK endorsement (recognized by the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education since 2021). CdS serves as the critical early-identification mechanism for chemistry talent in Germany, filling the gap below the upper-secondary IChO-Auswahl pathway.

Competition Format

CdS progresses through four rounds, each more challenging than the last:

Round 1 — Hausaufgabenrunde (Homework Round)

  • Administered by teachers in schools across all 16 German states
  • ~4,000 students participate nationwide
  • Take-home or in-class problems designed to spark interest

Round 2 — Landesrunden (State Rounds)

  • Synchronized events across approximately 13 locations in March
  • 3-hour theoretical examination
  • ~900 students advance from Round 1

Round 3 — Regionalrunden (Regional Rounds)

  • 4-day gatherings at 4 sites across Germany in May–June
  • Combines advanced problem solving with team activities and excursions
  • ~150 students qualify from the state rounds

Round 4 — Bundesfinale (National Final)

  • 5-day event held in Leipzig (the competition's birthplace)
  • Includes a 5-hour practical lab examination, a 4-hour written theory exam, and a multiple-choice test
  • Cultural activities (zoo visit, city tour, scavenger hunt)
  • 36–37 finalists compete
  • Awards ceremony at the Alte Handelsbörse

The competition relies on approximately 100 volunteers (mostly former participants) and 13 coordinating teachers, with an annual budget of roughly €80,000 funded primarily by the chemical industry.

Awards and Prizes

  • Ingeborg-Gross-Stiftungspreis: Foundation prize named for the philanthropist Ingeborg Gross
  • School prizes: Gold (€2,500), Silver, and Bronze for schools with highest participation
  • Literature awards, certificates, and tangible gifts
  • MINT-EC certification points for students at MINT-EC network schools

Relationship to IChO

CdS is explicitly a feeder pipeline to the main German chemistry olympiad. Top Bundesfinale performers receive advancement to the national IChO-Auswahl selection phase (which targets upper-secondary students in grades 11–13). The FChO organizes both competitions, creating a seamless pathway from junior-level discovery to international competition. Many current IChO team members first discovered their passion for chemistry through CdS.

Student Outcomes

  • KMK endorsement: Participation is formally acknowledged by state education ministries across Germany
  • MINT-EC points: Recognized credentials within the MINT-EC school network, supporting university applications in STEM fields
  • Prestige: CdS achievement is widely recognized by German universities and strengthens applications in chemistry, pharmacy, and related sciences
  • The competition's multi-round format develops both theoretical depth and practical laboratory skills valued in university admissions

History

  • 2000 — Founded at Leipzig University, initially targeting central German youth with seed funding from the Klaus Tschira Stiftung
  • ~2000s — Gradual expansion across Germany, state by state
  • 2020 — Bavaria joined in the 20th-anniversary year, completing nationwide coverage across all 16 states
  • 2021 — Received KMK recommendation status (endorsement by the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education)
  • 2025 — 25th edition Bundesfinale held in Leipzig; national winner was Luis Yuchen Mao. Werner-von-Siemens Gymnasium Magdeburg won the Gold school prize

Significance

CdS occupies a unique position in German science education as the only nationwide chemistry competition for the Unterstufe (lower secondary). It cultivates chemistry interest during the critical ages of 13–16, before students reach the advanced IChO-Auswahl level. The competition's four-round structure, volunteer-driven organization, and industry funding create a sustainable model that has operated continuously for over two decades. Its explicit linkage to the IChO selection pathway means that Germany identifies and nurtures chemistry talent from middle school through to international competition.

Sources