Competition - post a photo you've taken of nature >>

UK Chemistry Olympiad

Scroll to see replies

.snowflake.

Ooh what uni are you going to? I hate organic chemistry - everyone thinks I'm mental but I find physical so much more interesting. Tell us when you find out how you do!

I've got an interview for York this tues, sheffield the week after and UCL the week after that. I apparently got 29 :/ But it's 26 more marks that I though i'd got!!

Reply 61

oli_G

As it's over can we make some kind of unofficial mark scheme on here?

Reply 62

oli_G

I did it today btw. Was slightly annoying as there was loads about equilibrium constants which i've never been taught about/ read about myself before.

Reply 63

Zhy

Original post by oli_G

As it's over can we make some kind of unofficial mark scheme on here?

Hard to do without the paper... have you got a copy? Can't remember what came up anymore, did it on 30th Jan!

Reply 64

Bell-Bell

Did it yesterday. Was told I was doing it on wednesday... I did absolutely no preparation whatsoever. So I think I'll be happy with 20% (especially seeing as I already have had responses from all my unis, so nothing's riding on it).

Reply 65

username638070

Original post by .snowflake.

I've got an interview for York this tues, sheffield the week after and UCL the week after that. I apparently got 29 :/ But it's 26 more marks that I though i'd got!!

Sounds awesome. Do you know where you want to go yet?

29! What does that get you? I still haven't found out.

Reply 66

Zhy

Teacher said he will give me mark after half-term. I was the only person sitting in the exam hall for 2 hours!

Reply 67

.snowflake.

Original post by BlueDuck

Sounds awesome. Do you know where you want to go yet?

29! What does that get you? I still haven't found out.

Bronze if I'm lucky. Nope. I'll wait until module results come out & the last of my offers to come through. Then I'll pick.

Reply 68

Fruippe

Apparently the paper was out of 80 marks for anyone who wanted to know

Reply 69

ilovechuckandsarah

the person who came top of year 12 last year in the olympiad apparently scored 59/80 so hopefully the boundaries will be low this year

Reply 70

trig happy

i got 57/80, helped greatly by lucky guesses for mostly all of q3. I've applied to do maths but I kinda wish I'd gone for chemistry, I like it a lot.

Reply 71

tomp99

56/80 here. Top 16's looking unlikely now that I know at least 3 people who have done better than me :redface:

Didn't really get the point of the general knowledge bit, but was happy following through a seemingly impossible organic synthesis question and getting 22/23 so I have to be proud :biggrin:

Good luck all!

Reply 72

xyll313

Original post by tomp99

56/80 here. Top 16's looking unlikely now that I know at least 3 people who have done better than me :redface:

Didn't really get the point of the general knowledge bit, but was happy following through a seemingly impossible organic synthesis question and getting 22/23 so I have to be proud :biggrin:

Good luck all!

btw, its it really top16? I've counted the number of people did round2 last year and its 19....

Reply 73

tomp99

Original post by xyll313

btw, its it really top16? I've counted the number of people did round2 last year and its 19....

Oh OK - I hadn't counted myself, I'd only heard it was top 16. It's looking better already! ... :redface:

Reply 74

xyll313

Original post by tomp99

Oh OK - I hadn't counted myself, I'd only heard it was top 16. It's looking better already! ... :redface:

I worried about my result anyway,I messed up all question3, its even harder for someone who's first language is not english :frown:

last year a gold is about 70%(which is 40/55). and surely round2 need a higher mark. I really really really want to do round2, but just dont have the mark :frown:

Reply 75

tomp99

Original post by xyll313

I worried about my result anyway,I messed up all question3, its even harder for someone who's first language is not english :frown:

last year a gold is about 70%(which is 40/55). and surely round2 need a higher mark. I really really really want to do round2, but just dont have the mark :frown:

Bear in mind that last year's was VERY easy in comparison. You can expect the percentage boundaries to scale down this year, but the question is how much.

I've literally just been told that I'm in the top 53 of students nationwide, i.e. the group whose papers get sent back to RSC for re-marking. I got 56/80 - I have a feeling that the round 2 mark may be 60 or so? I was 2nd in my school - another got 63!

Good luck all (again)!

Reply 76

tomp99

Essentially, the teachers could be naturally more lenient than the RSC or they could just plain make it up. It seems the RSC only really cares about the people who make it through to Round 2, as those are the people from whom they select the UK team for the IChO, so they take the very top-scoring papers in and mark them themselves, to make sure the marking was fair. It's interesting that they don't check all the papers right down to those close to getting a bronze, which is what I thought happened.

Could I just say that I'm thrilled to be in the top 53, and I don't mean to play that down as an achievement! I was one mark off a medal in the British Maths Olympiad, so it'd be slightly annoying to narrowly miss out again! Well done to all those who got certificates!