Indian National Chemistry Olympiad (INChO)
by Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE)
Gold medal for all selection camp attendees
The second stage of India's chemistry olympiad, a three-hour theory paper set by HBCSE for students who qualify through NSEC, leading to the national selection camp.
Mode
In-Person
Fee
₹300
Participation format
Individual
Duration
Single three-hour theory paper
Time needed
3-hour exam
Eligibility
Open to students in Class X, XI or XII who qualify through the National Standard Examination in Chemistry. Candidates must be eligible to hold an Indian passport, fall within the date-of-birth window published for the cycle, have been residing and studying in India or in an Indian school system since the published cut-off date, must not have taken the Class XII board examination before the stated date, and must not begin university study before the stated date.
- Grade level
- Grade 10 to 12
- Age range
- 14 to 19 years
- Eligibility region
- Available nationwide across India
- Academic requirement
- Must qualify through the National Standard Examination in Chemistry by clearing the minimum admissible score and the merit-index or state-quota criteria applied to the candidate's group.
- Prerequisites
- Qualified the National Standard Examination in Chemistry
- Senior secondary chemistry up to Class XII CBSE level
- Mathematics up to senior secondary level
See if your child qualifies.
Rewards and recognition
Award
Books and cash award for Indian team members
Students selected at the chemistry selection camp to represent India at the International Chemistry Olympiad receive merit awards in the form of books and cash. HBCSE publishes the existence of this award but not the value of the cash component.
Prizes
Gold medal for all selection camp attendees
Every student attending the Orientation-cum-Selection Camp in chemistry receives a gold medal, and special prizes recognise meritorious performance in theory and experiments. Indian students have won gold, silver or bronze medals at the International Chemistry Olympiad in every year of participation on HBCSE's published record.
Certificate
Certificate of Merit for top scorers
A Certificate of Merit is issued to every candidate whose INChO score is equal to or higher than the cut-off for selection to the chemistry camp, whether or not the candidate is called to the camp. It is downloaded from the INO portal once results are declared.
Recognition
National olympiad recognition
Skills your child builds
Key dates
- Registration opened
- 21 Aug 2026
- Registration closed
- 14 Sept 2026
- Competition
- 30 Jan 2027
- Results
- 28 Feb 2027
NSEC 2026 qualifying examination
First-stage examination held from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. Candidates must clear it to be considered for INChO.
Multiple Locations, Nationwide, Multiple States
How to apply
- 1Enrol for the National Standard Examination in Chemistry at a registered school centre or directly on the IAPT website
- 2Appear for the first-stage examination and meet the qualifying criteria for the candidate's group and state
- 3Check the INChO selection list published on the IAPT website
- 4Complete the mandatory INChO registration on the HBCSE INO portal and download the admit card
- 5Appear for the INChO theory paper at the allotted HBCSE centre
Rules and guidelines
- Registration on the HBCSE INO portal is mandatory and missing it disqualifies the candidate
- A candidate may attend the selection camp in only one subject each year, by declared preference
- Candidates appearing in the Junior Science examination in the same year are not eligible
- Overseas Citizen of India candidates may compete up to the selection camp but cannot be picked for the Indian team
- Decisions of the examination committees on selection and awards are final
Fees and financial support
Fee details
The fee is the Stage 1 enrolment fee for the National Standard Examination in Chemistry, paid to IAPT and charged per student per subject per examination. It is paid in cash to the centre in charge, or by bank transfer or card for students enrolling online, and it cannot be refunded. NSEC is the only entry route to INChO, so this is the unavoidable cost of entering the pipeline. INChO itself and the later selection camps carry no further charge, and candidates travelling to an examination centre are paid a travel allowance under programme norms.
About this opportunity
The Indian National Chemistry Olympiad (INChO) is the second stage of India's national chemistry olympiad programme, conducted by the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education for students who qualify through the first-stage National Standard Examination in Chemistry.
The paper is a three-hour written theory examination with no experimental component. Problems are long, multi-part and non-conventional, drawing on physical, organic, inorganic and analytical chemistry at senior secondary level, and they reward reasoning from first principles rather than recall.
Candidates are ranked in two separate merit lists, one for Class XII students and one for students in Class X and XI. Every candidate scoring at or above the camp cut-off receives a Certificate of Merit, and the top twenty in each group are called to the Orientation-cum-Selection Camp in chemistry at HBCSE in Mumbai.
That camp selects four students who represent India at the International Chemistry Olympiad after a period of training at HBCSE. The programme is funded by the Government of India, and there is no charge for INChO itself.
Exam format
- Duration
- 180 minutes
- Format
- Descriptive theory problems in several parts, each part carrying a stated mark weight, across physical, organic, inorganic and analytical chemistry
- Language
- English, Hindi
Rounds and format
INChO is a single three-hour written round and sits second in a five-stage national programme. Stage one is the National Standard Examination in Chemistry, conducted by the Indian Association of Physics Teachers. Stage two is INChO, conducted by HBCSE at designated centres across India. Stage three is the Orientation-cum-Selection Camp in chemistry at HBCSE. Stage four is pre-departure training of the selected team at HBCSE. Stage five is the International Chemistry Olympiad. Candidates selected from stage one register on the HBCSE INO portal, download an admit card, sit the theory paper at their allotted centre, and read their scores and merit certificates on the same portal once results are declared.
How entries are judged
Answers are marked against a published model solution, with every problem and sub-part carrying a stated mark weight, and candidates are ranked purely on total INChO marks within their group. Selection to the next stage is made in order of merit in INChO, so first-stage marks do not carry forward.
Selection process
Candidates are split into two groups, Class XII students in one and Class X and XI students in the other, and a separate merit list is drawn for each. The top twenty from each group are invited to the Orientation-cum-Selection Camp in chemistry, forty candidates in all. Every candidate with marks at or above the camp cut-off receives a Certificate of Merit whether or not they are called to the camp. Where candidates tie at the last qualifying position, all of them qualify.
Academic details
Difficulty: Advanced
What's covered
Broadly equivalent to senior secondary chemistry up to and including Class XII of CBSE, with mathematics expected at the same level and general science up to Class X assumed. Questions are non-conventional and pitched at a difficulty comparable to the international olympiads.
Frequently asked questions
Can students apply for INChO directly?
No. Entry is only through the first-stage National Standard Examination in Chemistry. Candidates who clear the first-stage criteria are listed for INChO and then complete a mandatory registration on the HBCSE INO portal.
How many candidates sit INChO and how many go further?
HBCSE sets a minimum target of 200 candidates in each of two groups, so at least 400 candidates in all. The top twenty in each group, forty candidates in all, are invited to the Orientation-cum-Selection Camp in chemistry.
Is there a practical or laboratory component in INChO?
No. INChO is a theory paper only. Experimental work begins at the Orientation-cum-Selection Camp, where several theoretical and experimental tests are held.
What does a candidate receive for a strong INChO score?
Every candidate scoring at or above the camp cut-off receives a Certificate of Merit, downloadable from the INO portal, whether or not the candidate is invited to the camp.
Can a candidate attend camps in more than one subject in the same year?
No. A candidate may attend the orientation and selection camp in only one subject each year, including mathematics, and indicates the preference order during the mandatory registration.
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