Romanian Chemistry Olympiad: Grades 7-9¶
Olimpiada Națională de Chimie
This page covers the junior grades (7, 8, 9) of the Romanian Chemistry Olympiad. For senior grades, IChO team selection, and full competition overview, see the main page.
Exam Content by Grade¶
Each junior grade has its own syllabus scope, with difficulty building progressively through the gymnasium years. Grade 7 problems centre on introductory chemistry — atomic structure, simple substances, basic chemical notation, and qualitative observations. Grade 8 broadens to stoichiometry, chemical equations, solutions and concentration, and the periodic table. Grade 9 reaches the most advanced junior content, including introductory organic chemistry, redox reactions, acid-base chemistry, and multi-step quantitative problems that begin to bridge towards the senior curriculum.
Grade 7 Adjustments¶
Grade 7 was formally added to the olympiad by the 2025 regulation. At the national stage, Grade 7 students sit 2-hour exams (both theory and practical), one hour shorter than Grades 8 and 9. County-level papers for all three grades share the standard 3-hour / 100-point format.
Cross-Grade Participation¶
Students may compete one grade level above their enrollment with approval — for example, a talented Grade 8 student can enter the Grade 9 regional round. This mechanism allows motivated younger students to reach the national stage earlier and, from Grade 9 onward, access the IChO preparation pathway.
Why Separate Grade-Level Exams¶
Romania runs independent competitions per grade rather than a single open contest. This ensures age-appropriate assessment — younger students are judged against peers at the same stage of chemistry education, not against seniors with years more coursework. It also creates a year-by-year talent pipeline: strong Grade 9 performers at the national stage can sit the IChO selection exam during the same event and potentially enter the extended national team (lotul național lărgit), starting their IChO preparation well before upper secondary school.
Bilingual Papers¶
Regional and national round papers are available in both Romanian and Hungarian in several years (marked -HU in the tables), serving the Hungarian-speaking minority schools in Transylvania (Harghita, Covasna, and Mureș counties).
Grade 09¶
Grade 08¶
Grade 07¶
| Year | Regional Round | National Round Theory |
National Round Experiment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Question Solution | Question Solution | |
| 2025 | Question Solution | Question Solution | Question Solution |
| 2024 | Question-RO Question-HU Solution | Question Solution |