Hello everyone! I have just finished AP Chemistry this year and this coming school year, I would really like to make camp (top 20). What can I do to best prepare myself for the 2019 USNCO exam outside of reading a general chem textbook (Atkins) and reviewing past olympiad problems? I have heard that in recent years the tests have gotten much harder and that solely reading a general chem textbook as well as doing lots of practice tests and problems may not be enough to qualify for camp now. Are there any additional resources that I can utilize or anything else I need to do to help me achieve my goal? Thank you all in advance for you help!
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
bump
I found this website:
https://usaolympiadtutorin.■■■■■■■■■■■/website
that might end up being helpful. I think it’s run by students who attended IChO (and other Olympiads) who are offering to tutor students.
I will also be doing USNCO this year for my first time. I am in AP Chem right now, but the teacher is not too good. I am getting the basics down, but most of the higher level details are getting skipped. Luckily I have skimmed through Zumdahl twice, and am studying Atkins and Clayden pretty heavily now. I don’t know what to do besides Atkins, as I assume knowing it like the back of your hand will get you to study camp. I have tried to read some higher level text books such as Housecroft Inorganic, but it seems like the reward is marginal at this stage of the competition. If you want to be successful in this competition, you need to devote the majority of your time towards it.
Do any of you know what the cutoff usually is around for making Study Camp?
@bobnana I believe that in recent years it has been quite high. I think to be safe you should probably be getting 50+ on part 1 and over 90% on part 2. Not sure about the lab portion though
Thanks! I’ve been trying to find data and whatnot, but I could not find any for USNCO.
My exam is in March 22nd I soo nervous.
@ad60rs I just had mine yesterday, I was scared too
My school is super competitive and they’ve sent tons of people to study camp over the years…does anyone who’s taken the exam before have any tips on how I can have a chance at being top 2 in my school to make Nationals?
(Edit: apparently I can’t spell haha)
My school is very competitive too. This is my first time also. I guess just focus on ur weak areas on ur past exams.
There’s really not much u can do at this time except study.
@hsstudent13 If your school is very competitive, I would suggest going through all the previous local exams and learning college general chem. This should prep you pretty well for the local exam and you can go through the national exams to be even more prepared. On the bright side, those who make camp do not take up a spot in the top 2 the following year!
If you don’t want to study from the book. Get Thinkwell’s Chemistry. I studied from it and I’m consistently getting high 40s.
Just took my exam and it was pretty spicy to say the least.
Do you guys think the test was easier or harder than last year?
is the test as hard or easier than last year
About the same I’d say.
How hard is the National Exam multiple choice compared to the Local Exam multiple choice? If I got around 55 around the local, what would I get on the National?
Hey guys, now that locals are over, how’d you all think of it? How’d you all do? Also, how on Earth do I prepare for the lab portion of Nats?