Portuguese Chemistry Olympiad¶
Olimpíadas de Química
Key Websites¶
- Olimpíadas de Química (SPQ)
- SPQ — Sociedade Portuguesa de Química
- DGE — Olimpíadas Química
- IChO Country Info — Portugal
Overview¶
The Olimpíadas de Química is Portugal's national chemistry competition programme for secondary students, organized by the Sociedade Portuguesa de Química (SPQ) — founded in 1911 — in collaboration with the Direção-Geral da Educação (DGE). The programme engages thousands of students from hundreds of schools nationwide and serves as the selection pathway for both the International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) and the Iberoamerican Chemistry Olympiad (OIAQ). The current national coordinator is Sara Pinto (Universidade de Coimbra).
Competition Format¶
The Portuguese programme has distinct tiers targeting different age groups:
Olimpíadas de Química Júnior¶
- For younger students in grades 8–9
- Designed to spark early interest in chemistry
Olimpíadas de Química Mais¶
- For senior students in grades 10–12
- The main competitive track and IChO selection pathway
- Includes the Prova Nacional de Química 2+, a national examination
Schools register students, exams are administered at accredited host institutions (universities across Portugal), top scorers advance to national finals, and the highest performers are selected for international delegations.
SPQ operates a support programme for chemistry degree admission, suggesting olympiad success provides pathways to university chemistry programmes.
History¶
- ~2000 — SPQ restarted its youth olympiad programme, eventually expanding to cover grades 8–12
- 2003 — Portugal first competed at the IChO (35th edition)
- 2006 — Hosted the 11th OIAQ in Aveiro
- 2019 — Hosted the 24th OIAQ in Porto; achieved best-ever OIAQ result (2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze)
IChO Performance¶
Portugal first competed at the IChO in 2003 (35th IChO). Through the most recent edition, the official results database records 23 participations and 91 total contestants, with a lifetime record of 5 bronze medals and 6 honourable mentions.
Recent years:
- 2023, 2024, 2025: Each yielded 1 bronze + 1 honourable mention
- 2026: 1 bronze
OIAQ Performance¶
Portugal is an active Iberoamerican competitor and has hosted the OIAQ twice:
- Aveiro (2006) — 11th edition, first Portuguese host
- Porto (2019) — 24th edition
The 2019 Porto edition produced Portugal's best-ever OIAQ result: 2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze.
Recent OIAQ results: - 2021: 1 silver, 2 bronze, 1 HM - 2022: 1 silver, 1 bronze, 1 HM - 2023: 2 silver, 1 bronze
Past Exams Archive¶
| Year | Final Theory |
Solution | Final Experiment |
Semi-final Question |
Solution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Link | Link | |||
| 2025 | Link | Link | |||
| 2021 | Link | ||||
| 2018 | Link | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| 2017 | Link | Link | |||
| 2016 | Link | Question Solution | Link | Link | |
| 2015 | Link | Link | Link | Link | |
| 2014 | Link | Link | Link | Link | |
| 2013 | Link | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| 2012 | Link | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| 2011 | Link | Link | Link | ||
| 2010 | Link | Link | Link | ||
| 2009 | Link | Link | Link | ||
| 2008 | Link | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| 2007 | Link | Link | Link | Link | |
| 2006 | Link | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| 2005 | Link | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| 2004 | Link | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| 2003 | Link | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| 2002 | Link | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| 2001 | Link | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| 2000 | Link | Link | Link | Link | Link |