Belgian Chemistry Olympiad¶
Vlaamse Chemie Olympiade & Olympiades de Chimie
Overview¶
Belgium operates two parallel national chemistry olympiads, reflecting its linguistic division. The Flemish (Dutch-speaking) community runs the Vlaamse Chemie Olympiade (VCO) through the Vlaamse Olympiades voor Natuurwetenschappen (VONW) at KU Leuven. The French-speaking (Walloon/Brussels) community runs the Olympiades de Chimie through the ACLg (Association des Chimistes sortis de l'Université de Liège). The two communities independently select their best students, who together form the Belgian IChO delegation.
Key Website¶
- Vlaamse Chemie Olympiade (VONW)
- Olympiades de Chimie (French-speaking)
- Royal Flemish Chemical Society (KVCV)
Competition Format¶
Flemish Community (VCO) β Five Stages¶
-
Round 1
- Open theoretical examination at participating schools
- Typically 2,000β3,200 students from over 250 schools participate
-
Round 2
- Held at host universities, typically in late February
- Approximately 300β325 students are invited
- Multiple-choice and open-ended questions
-
Doe-Chemie
- A half-day practical laboratory experience at a university for students who passed Round 1 but did not qualify for Round 2
-
Training Camp
- A multi-day residential camp during the Easter break
- Approximately 17 finalists attend
-
Final
- Theoretical and practical examinations at a host university
- The top 2 students are selected for the IChO team
French-speaking Community (Olympiades de Chimie) β Three Stages¶
-
Round 1 (Qualifications)
- Written examination held at schools, typically in JanuaryβFebruary
- Over 1,000 students from over 100 schools participate
- Split by level: Level I (4thβ5th year) and Level II (6thβ7th year)
-
Round 2
- Held at 5 regional centres (Arlon, Brussels, Liège, Mons, Namur)
- Approximately 100 students per level
-
Training Camp and Selection
- A 5-day intensive camp at the University of Liège for the top ~10 Level II students
- The top 2 students are selected for the IChO team
Why Belgium is unusual¶
Belgium is one of the clearest examples of a country that runs a dual-language national olympiad system. Instead of one single national pathway, the Flemish and French-speaking communities each build their own school-to-national pipeline, and then combine the strongest students into the single Belgian delegation for IChO.
This structure means Belgium has a broader talent base, but also a more complex selection process than many single-language olympiad systems.
History¶
- 1975: Belgium first participated in the IChO.
- 1983β84: The first Vlaamse Chemie Olympiade was held, with 89 students from 24 schools.
- 1985: Belgium earned its first IChO medal (bronze).
- Late 1980sβ1990s: The French-speaking chemistry olympiad developed alongside the Flemish system, with local school and provincial initiatives gradually consolidating into a national francophone programme coordinated by the Walloon/Brussels chemistry community.
- 1990sβ2000s: The French-speaking track expanded into a structured national selection pathway centred on the ACLg and the University of LiΓ¨ge.
- 2000sβpresent: The Flemish competition grew from 89 to over 3,000 participants in roughly 35 years, making it one of the larger national chemistry olympiads in Europe. The peak participation was over 3,200 students from 262 schools.
- 2007β08: VCO management transitioned to the science olympiad secretariat at KU Leuven's Chemistry Department.
The official IChO results database lists Belgium with 0 gold, 3 silver, and 17 bronze medals, and 25 honorable mentions.
Past Exams Archive¶
Flemish part¶
| Year | Round1 Question |
Solution | Round2 Question |
Solution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| 2025 | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| 2024 | Link | Link | MutipleChoice OpenQuestion | Link |
| 2023 | Link | Link | MutipleChoice OpenQuestion | Link |
| 2022 | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| 2021 | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| 2020 | Link | Link | MutipleChoice OpenQuestion | Link |
| 2019 | Link | Link | MutipleChoice OpenQuestion | Link |
| 2018 | Link | Link | MutipleChoice OpenQuestion | Link |
| 2017 | Link | Link | MutipleChoice OpenQuestion | Link |
| 2016 | Link | Link | MutipleChoice OpenQuestion | Link |
| 2015 | Link | Link | MutipleChoice OpenQuestion | Link |
| 2014 | Link | Link | MutipleChoice OpenQuestion | Link |
| 2013 | Link | Link | MutipleChoice OpenQuestion | Link |
| 2012 | Link | Link | MutipleChoice OpenQuestion | Link |
| 2011 | Link | Link | MutipleChoice OpenQuestion | Link |
| 2010 | Link | Link | MutipleChoice OpenQuestion | Link |
| 2009 | Link | Link | MutipleChoice OpenQuestion | Link |
| 2008 | MutipleChoice OpenQuestion | Link |
French part¶
| Year | Grade12 Round1 |
Grade12 Round2 |
Grade11 Round1 |
Grade11 Round2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| 2025 | Question Solution | Question Solution | ||
| 2024 | Question Solution | Link | Question Solution | Link |
| 2023 | Link | Question Solution | 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 | Link |