Indian Chemistry Olympiad (INChO)¶
Overview¶
The Indian National Chemistry Olympiad (INChO) is India’s national chemistry competition, organized by the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), a national centre of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR). The first stage (NSEC) is conducted by the Indian Association of Physics Teachers (IAPT) in collaboration with the Association of Chemistry Teachers. India’s chemistry olympiad programme is notable for its enormous scale, with tens of thousands of students participating across multiple stages.
Key Website¶
- HBCSE — Olympiads
- Association of Chemistry Teachers — Chemistry Olympiad
- Indian Association of Physics Teachers
- IChO results database: India
Competition Format¶
India’s chemistry olympiad follows a five-stage pathway.
-
Stage 1: NSEC (National Standard Examination in Chemistry)
- A 2-hour pen-and-paper examination with 60 multiple-choice questions
- Typically 30,000–50,000+ students participate
- Approximately 300 students qualify based on score thresholds and state proportionality
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Stage 2: INChO (Indian National Chemistry Olympiad)
- A 3-hour subjective examination with 5–6 long-form problems
- The top 35 students advance
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Stage 3: OCSC (Orientation cum Selection Camp)
- A multi-week residential camp at HBCSE Mumbai
- Theory (60% weightage) and practical/laboratory (40% weightage) components
- The top 4 students are selected for the national team
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Stage 4: PDT (Pre-Departure Training Camp)
- Intensive theory and lab training for the 4 team members at HBCSE
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Stage 5: IChO
- The 4-member team competes at the International Chemistry Olympiad
Open to students enrolled in Class 10, 11, or 12. Students must fall within a specified age range (typically a 5-year band). Students appearing for NSEJS (Junior Science) in the same year cannot appear for NSEC.
History¶
- 1999: India first participated in the International Chemistry Olympiad.
- 2001: India hosted the 33rd IChO in Mumbai.
- 2000s–present: HBCSE has been the nodal centre since the programme’s inception. The five-stage model was established to handle India’s large student population, and the NSEC is among the largest national chemistry olympiad screening exams globally by participation volume.
The official IChO results database lists India with 35 gold, 55 silver, and 18 bronze medals. India is one of the stronger-performing nations, consistently winning multiple medals per year.
Past Exams Archive¶
India ChO¶
| Year | Date | Question English |
Question Hindi |
Solution | Answer Sheet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2025-02-01 | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| 2024 | 2024-02-03 | Link | Link | Link | |
| 2023 | 2023-01-28 | Link | Link | Link | |
| 2022 | Link | Link | |||
| 2021 | 2021-02-06 | Link | Link | Link | |
| 2020 | 2020-02-01 | Link | Link | Link | |
| 2019 | 2019-02-02 | Link | Link | Link | |
| 2018 | 2018-01-27 | Link | Link | ||
| 2017 | 2017-01-28 | Link | Link | ||
| 2016 | 2016-01-30 | Link | Link | ||
| 2015 | 2015-01-31 | Link | Link | ||
| 2014 | 2014-02-01 | Link | Link | ||
| 2013 | 2013-02-02 | Link | Link | ||
| 2012 | 2012-01-28 | Link | Link | ||
| 2011 | 2011-01-29 | Link | Link | ||
| 2010 | 2010-01-30 | Link | Link | ||
| 2009 | 2009-01-31 | Link | Link | ||
| 2008 | 2008-02-02 | Link | Link |
NSEC¶
| Year | Date | Question | Solution |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2025-11-23 | Link | Link |
| 2025 | 2024-11-24 | Link | Link |
| 2025 Delhi |
2024-12-22 | Link | Link |
| 2024 | 2023-11-26 | Link | Link |
| 2023 | 2022-11-27 | Link | Link |
| 2022 | Link | Link | |
| 2021 | 2021-01-17 | Link | Link |
| 2020 | 2019-11-17 | Link | Link |
| 2019 | 2018-11-25 | Link | Link |
| 2018 | Link | Link | |
| 2017 | Link | Link | |
| 2016 | Link | Link | |
| 2015 | Link | Link | |
| 2014 | Link | Link | |
| 2013 | Link | Link | |
| 2012 | Link | Link | |
| 2011 | Link | Link | |
| 2010 | Link | Link | |
| 2009 | Link | Link | |
| 2008 | Link | Link |