Swedish Chemistry Olympiad¶
Kemiolympiaden Sverige
Key Websites¶
Overview¶
Key Facts
- Official name: Kemiolympiaden (Swedish Chemistry Olympiad)
- Organizer: Svenska Kemisamfundet (Swedish Chemical Society) through the Kemiolympiadsnämnden (Chemistry Olympiad Committee)
- Founded: 1974, jointly with the Swedish National Board of Education (Skolöverstyrelsen)
- IChO since: 1974 — Sweden was among the first Western (non-socialist-bloc) nations to join the IChO
- IChO hosting: Once — Stockholm 1982 (14th IChO, 17 countries)
The Kemiolympiaden is Sweden's national chemistry competition for upper secondary school students, organized by the Swedish Chemical Society (Svenska Kemisamfundet) through the Kemiolympiadsnämnden (Chemistry Olympiad Committee). Founded in 1974 together with the National Board of Education, it is one of the world's longest-running national chemistry olympiads, with over fifty years of continuous history. Sweden was one of the very first Western nations to enter the IChO — invited to the 6th edition in Bucharest in 1974, the first IChO to open beyond the Eastern bloc — and has maintained a tradition of olympiad excellence ever since.
Competition Format¶
Open to students enrolled in Swedish upper secondary schools (gymnasieskola) who have not yet commenced university studies. The selection follows three stages.
-
Round 1 (Omgång I — kvalprov)
- An optional qualifying test taken at the student's own school
- Held in weeks 45–46 (mid-November)
- Around 400 students participate
- Open to all interested upper secondary students
-
Round 2 (Omgång II)
- A more demanding written examination, typically held in week 6 (early February)
- Around 200 students qualify (207 in 2022)
- The sole basis for national selection in many years
- Top scorers are invited to the national final
-
National Final (Finalprov)
- Held in late March or early April, hosted by a Swedish university (Lund in recent years)
- Approximately 10–11 finalists compete
- Includes theoretical and practical (laboratory) examinations
- Final rankings determine the 4-member IChO team
After the national final, the newly selected IChO team undergoes a training camp at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg before travelling to the international competition.
Student Outcomes — Wallenberg Chemistry Prize¶
Sweden's top chemistry olympiad performers are eligible for the Wallenberg Chemistry Prize (Wallenbergs kemiapris), a prestigious award that includes scholarship funding for university studies.
Prize Details
- The four highest-ranked finalists each receive an individual prize of 4,000 SEK
- The winner's school receives three prizes of 3,000 SEK plus 10,000 SEK for its chemistry programme
- Former olympiad participants have gone on to study at institutions including KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Uppsala University, and Lund University
Strong Schools¶
Among Swedish schools, Berzeliusskolan in Linköping stands out as a traditional stronghold of the Kemiolympiaden, regularly sending students to the national final and the IChO team over the years.
History¶
- 1974: The first Kemiolympiaden was organized by the Swedish Chemical Society and the National Board of Education. The same year, Sweden became one of the first Western nations to participate in the International Chemistry Olympiad, joining the 6th IChO in Bucharest — the first edition to welcome non-socialist-bloc countries.
- 1977–1986 golden years: All three of Sweden's IChO gold medals were won in this period — Lincoln (1977, overall rank 3), Tambour (1979, rank 4), and Eriksson (1986, rank 4).
- 1982: Sweden hosted the 14th IChO in Stockholm, with delegations from 17 countries.
- 2000s–present: The Kemiolympiaden has been organized continuously by the Svenska Kemisamfundet, making it one of the world's longest-running national chemistry olympiads, with over fifty years of history.
- Nordic involvement: Sweden hosted the Scandinavian Chemistry Olympiad in 2014 and the successor Nordic Chemistry Olympiad (NChO) in 2017 and 2025; the 2020 NChO edition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 2024: Sweden deliberately skipped the IChO in Riyadh, a rare absence in its participation record.
IChO Performance¶
IChO Medal Record
3 Gold · 
13 Silver · 
58 Bronze · 
23 Honorable Mentions
The gold medals all date from the competition's early years (1977, 1979, 1986); since then Sweden has remained a consistent medal-winning nation, with silver and bronze medals in most editions.
Past Exams Archive¶
| Year | Round 1 | Solution | Round 2 | Solution | Experiment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Link | Link | |||
| 2025 | Link | Link | Link | Link | |
| 2024 | Link | Link | Link | Link | |
| 2023 | Link | Link | Link | Link | |
| 2022 | Link | Link | Link | Link | |
| 2021 | Link | Link | Link | Link | |
| 2020 | Link | Link | Link | Link | |
| 2019 | Link | Link | Link | Link | |
| 2018 | Link | Link | Link | Link | |
| 2017 | Link | Link | Link | Link | |
| 2016 | Question+Solution | Question+Solution | |||
| 2015 | Question+Solution | Link | Link | ||
| 2014 | Link | Link | Link | Link | |
| 2013 | Question+Solution | Link | Link | ||
| 2012 | Question+Solution | Question+Solution | |||
| 2011 | Question+Solution | Question+Solution | Link | ||
| 2010 | Link | Link | Link | ||
| 2009 | Link | Link | Link | ||
| 2008 | Link | Link | Link | ||
| 2007 | Link | ||||
| 2006 | Link | Link | |||
| 2005 | Link | Link | |||
| 2004 | Link | Link | |||
| 2003 | Link | Link | |||
| 2002 | Link | Link | |||
| 2001 | Link | Link |