Ukrainian Chemistry Olympiad (Всеукраїнська олімпіада з хімії)

Overview

The All-Ukrainian Student Chemistry Olympiad (Всеукраїнська учнівська олімпіада з хімії) is Ukraine's national chemistry competition for secondary-school students. It is organized by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (Міністерство освіти і науки України), with operational management handled by the Institute of Modernization of Education (Інститут модернізації змісту освіти, IMZO). Regional and school-level rounds are administered in cooperation with the Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Мала академія наук, MAN).

Key Website

• Institute of Modernization of Education (IMZO)
• IChO results database: Ukraine

Competition Format

The olympiad follows a four-tier pyramid structure.

• Stage I (School round)

  • Held at individual schools in October–November
  • Open to all students in grades 8–11
  • Tens of thousands of students participate nationwide

• Stage II (District/City round)

  • Held in December–January
  • Top 10–25% of students from each school advance

• Stage III (Regional/Oblast round)

  • Held in January–March across Ukraine's 24 oblasts and Kyiv
  • Approximately 150–200 students compete at a typical regional round

• Stage IV (National final)

  • Held in March–April at a host university
  • Typically 120–150 students compete
  • Includes both theoretical and practical (laboratory) components over 4–5 days
  • Awards are given in three tiers: I degree (~8 students), II degree (~22 students), and III degree (~32 students)

IChO Selection

Top performers from the national final are invited to specialized training camps, from which the 4-member Ukrainian IChO team is selected.

Eligibility

Open to students in grades 8–11 enrolled in Ukrainian schools. Participation is free at all stages. Students must progress through each stage sequentially.

Student Outcomes

• First-place (I degree) winners of the national final receive priority enrollment at Ukrainian universities in chemistry-related and natural-science programmes, admitted outside the standard competitive selection process
• Olympiad success also strengthens applications for scholarships and admission to specialized lyceums

IChO Performance

The official IChO results database lists Ukraine with 21 gold, 62 silver, and 42 bronze medals, and 1 honorable mention. Ukraine is one of the stronger IChO nations, consistently earning medals at every competition attended.

History

• ~1967: The All-Ukrainian Chemistry Olympiad was first held during the Soviet era as a Ukrainian SSR competition, now in its 57th+ edition.
• 1994: Ukraine first participated in the IChO as an independent nation at the 26th IChO in Oslo, winning 1 gold and 3 bronze medals in its debut.
• 2020: Ukraine was absent from the IChO (the only gap in its independent participation history).
• 2021–present: Ukraine has resumed uninterrupted IChO participation, continuing to perform strongly.

Sources

Source	Description
IMZO	Institute of Modernization of Education (competition management)
IChO results database	Ukraine's historical IChO results