Chemistry Olympiad 2024

Designed to challenge and inspire, the UK Chemistry Olympiad (UKChO) is a unique opportunity for students to push themselves further and excel in the field of chemistry, within and outside the curriculum.  

On 26th January, we took part in the prestigious Royal Society of Chemistry Olympiad 2024. The  Olympiad gives students the opportunity to develop critical problem-solving skills, apply their knowledge to unfamiliar scenarios, offering valuable insights into real-world chemistry applications.  

The questions this year covered topics such as the composition of the FIFA 2023 Women’s World Cup trophy, iodate salts, fuel producing bacteria and sulphur-containing molecules in the atmosphere.

The Olympiad includes content from both years of the Chemistry A-Level, some of the topics that are unfamiliar to Year 12 students.  However, we were well-prepared, thanks to Mrs Bharate who graciously gave up a lunchtime every week to run sessions where students could practise past Olympiad papers, which improved our exam skills and also helped us in our Chemistry lessons.   

Although the paper was quite challenging, it was extremely rewarding and made all the more satisfying when we were able to solve a question.  

By Raffaella, Kimberly, Natalie and Inakshi, Year 12