New Zealand Chemistry Olympiad (NZChO)¶
Overview¶
The New Zealand Chemistry Olympiad is run by the New Zealand Chemistry Olympiad Trust under the umbrella of Science OlympiaNZ (SONZ), the national body that coordinates New Zealand's science olympiads. The programme selects New Zealand's IChO team through a multi-stage process involving a national selection exam, assignment-based study, a second examination, and a residential training camp. New Zealand has participated in the IChO since 1992.
Key Website¶
Additional Resources¶
Competition Format¶
The selection process follows four stages, followed by team training for the final delegation.
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Stage 1 β Selection Exam (September)
- A 1-hour multiple-choice examination covering NCEA Level 2 Chemistry content, administered digitally
- Used as the main national screening exam
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Stage 2 β Problem-Based Assignments (February-March)
- Advancing students complete problem-based assignments and online learning modules
- This stage develops students before the second examination
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Stage 3 β Second Examination (March)
- A second examination selects the training group
- The training group typically contains about 32 students, with no more than 3 from any one school
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Stage 4 β Residential Training Camp
- About 30 students attend a camp held during the Term 1 holidays
- The camp includes both practical and theory examinations
- The top 4 students form New Zealand's IChO team
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Final Team Training (Term 2)
- The selected team completes a further training programme before the international competition
Eligibility¶
The initial exam is open to Year 12 students or below. For IChO eligibility, students must be under 20 years of age, not attending university, hold NZ citizenship or permanent residency, and have attended school in New Zealand for at least 2 of the last 4 years.
Student Outcomes¶
New Zealand does not offer formal university admission benefits for olympiad performance. The programme provides experiential benefits: exposure to university-level chemistry, networking with academic researchers, and hands-on research experience in university science facilities.
IChO Performance¶
The official IChO results database lists New Zealand with 0 gold, 19 silver, and 88 bronze medals, and 8 honorable mentions. New Zealand has been a consistent bronze-medal-earning nation, with silver medals in some years.
History¶
- 1992: New Zealand first participated in the International Chemistry Olympiad.
- 2009: Science OlympiaNZ was established as the coordinating body for all New Zealand science olympiads.
- Ongoing: New Zealand continues to run a domestic training and selection programme culminating in a four-student team for the IChO.
| Year | Question | Solution |
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| 2025 | Link | Link |
| 2024 | Link | Link |
| 2023 | Link | Link |
| 2022 | Link | Link |
| 2021 | Link | Link |
| 2020 | Link | Link |
| 2019 | Link | Link |
| 2018 | ||
| 2017 | Link | Link |
| 2016 | Link | Link |
| 2015 | Link | Link |
| 2014 | Link | Link |
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| 2012 | Link | |
| 2011 | Link | |
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| 2009 | Link | |
| 2008 | Link | |
| 2007 | Link | |
| 2006 | Link |