On Thursday 26 January, 30 of our Year 12 and 13 Chemistry A Level students took part in round one of the 55th International Chemistry Olympiad, staying behind after school to compete in it.

This is a competition which involves students using their knowledge from GCSE and A Level and applying it to novel scenarios, solving problems and looking at issues met by Scientists currently.

The RSC (Royal Society of Chemistry) state that: The competition is designed to challenge.  Students should see it as an opportunity to develop their thinking and problem solving skills and to test their existing knowledge of Chemistry in real world situations.

It is a very challenging competition and students can attain Bronze, Silver and Gold awards depending on how highly they score on the test.

Following round one, once scores are in, the RSC invites the top 25-30 students out of the entire cohort of students who have competed to continue to round two, which involves students spending a weekend taking part in lessons and demonstrations, followed by an assessment.

The top four students from round two get the chance to go and compete in round three, which this year will be taking place in Switzerland.

Well done to all the students who took part and all the effort they put into answering the questions on the challenge!  We have had some feedback from a few of our students, which you can read below:

I am glad I had the opportunity to participate the Chemistry Olympiad.  It was two hours long and entailed complex real-life application of Chemistry with each question becoming progressively challenging.  I found that it was an excellent way to put the theory and my prior knowledge of Chemistry into practice, in turn enhancing my passion and respect for the subject immensely.  Having done the Olympiad, I can say that it was beneficial; it improved my critical thinking skills which is a key component of undergrad degrees and the business world, as well as dealing with adversity.  Plus you get a participation certificate, so what is not to like?  Akbar A-K, 13 Holborn

The Chemistry Olympiad was a challenging yet interesting experience.  It showed the diverse range of knowledge within Chemistry and how it can be applied to practical situations. Sarah Anne W, 12 Piccadilly

It was challenging, but it is always good to challenge yourself once in a while.  Obviously, there were a lot of things I had never seen in my life, but I am proud of myself for trying.  Alexis K, 12 Piccadilly

The Olympiad was very stimulating.  It encouraged rational thinking and abstract approach to conventional Chemistry.  Seemingly daunting at first, after careful analysis of the questions the elegant solutions emerged.  Mehdi G, 12 Ludgate

Great opportunity to apply what we have learnt to real life Chemistry scenarios and applications.  With each question being more challenging than the last, I was able to develop my skills in critical thinking and was able to build upon existing knowledge that I have already learnt in Chemistry.  A great chance to learn something new! Definitely worth the two hours!  Veronika B, 13 Ludgate