Korean Middle School Chemistry Competition (KMChC)¶
νκ΅μ€νμννλν
Official Websites¶
Overview¶
The Korean Middle School Chemistry Competition (νκ΅μ€νμννλν, KMChC) is one of the two national chemistry competitions in South Korea, designed specifically for middle-school students. It is organized by the Chemistry Olympiad Committee of the Korean Chemical Society (λνννν, KCS), the same body that runs the high-school Korean Chemistry Olympiad (KChO). Although the two competitions share an organizing body, they operate as fully independent tracks with distinct formats, purposes, and participant pools.
Competition Format¶
The KMChC is held twice a year β once in late winter and once in late summer β and is open to all middle-school students across South Korea, as well as sixth-grade primary-school pupils preparing for middle-school entry.
- Question type: 50 multiple-choice questions
- Duration: 120 minutes (14:00β16:00 KST)
- Scoring: +3 per correct answer, β1 per wrong answer, 0 for unanswered
The competition is offered at two difficulty levels.
- General (μΌλ°): Introductory level; suitable for students with a basic interest in chemistry.
- Advanced (μ¬ν): Higher difficulty; aimed at students with strong aptitude or prior competition experience.
Examinations are administered simultaneously at multiple university campuses nationwide, including Konkuk University (Seoul) and Pusan National University, among others. Awards are given in five tiers: Grand Prize (λμ), Gold (κΈμ), Silver (μμ), Bronze (λμ), and Encouragement Award (μ₯λ €μ), with the number of recipients in each tier determined by the overall performance distribution.
History¶
The KMChC was established as a companion to the high-school KChO programme, with the goal of fostering early interest in chemistry among younger students.
Over the years the competition has grown into one of South Korea's most widely participated chemistry contests at the middle-school level. Its twice-yearly schedule and two-tier difficulty structure make it accessible to a broad range of students β from casual participants to future Olympiad candidates.
Past Exams Archive¶
| Year | Level | Question | Solution |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-1 | Advanced | Link | Link |
| 2026-1 | General | Link | Link |
| 2025-2 | Advanced | Link | Link |
| 2025-2 | General | Link | Link |
| 2025-1 | Advanced | Link | Link |
| 2025-1 | General | Link | Link |
| 2024-2 | Link | Link | |
| 2024-1 | Link | ||
| 2023 | Link | ||
| 2022 | Link | ||
| 2021 | Link | ||
| 2019 | Link | Link | |
| 2018 | Link | Link | |
| 2017 | Link | Link | |
| 2016 | Link | Link | |
| 2015 | Link | Link | |
| 2014 | Link | Link | |
| 2013 | Link | Link | |
| 2012 | Link | Link | |
| 2011 | Link | Link | |
| 2010 | Link | Link |