Q: What is the current status of SJChO 2026? A: Both rounds have finished. SNIC held Round 1 online on 20 May 2026 and Round 2 as a written examination at NUS on 1 July. The awards ceremony is still listed as TBA, with details to be sent to teachers-in-charge. The public pages reviewed on 19 July did not contain a final 2026 winner list.
TL;DR SJChO is organised by the Singapore National Institute of Chemistry in partnership with NUS and with MOE support. Round 1 was a two-hour online MCQ paper. Round 2 was a written NUS examination for selected students, not an experiment-video paper. Registration closed on 10 April and cost S$20 per student for schools in Singapore. Use SNIC's live pages for the current format and treat its experiment video as sample material only.
Last reviewed: 19 July 2026.
2026 status at a glance
Item
Current SNIC information
Registration deadline
10 April 2026, closed
Payment deadline
8 May 2026, closed
Round 1
20 May 2026, 3pm to 5pm, online through ClassMarker
Round 2
1 July 2026, 3pm to 5pm, written examination at NUS
Awards ceremony
Date, time, and venue remain TBA; details go to the teacher-in-charge
Public final result list
Not present on the pages reviewed on 19 July 2026
SNIC warns that dates and arrangements can change with the MOE calendar. For a participant-specific result or ceremony instruction, ask the teacher-in-charge and check the
SNIC describes SJChO as an upper-secondary chemistry competition. It is organised by SNIC in partnership with NUS and supported by MOE. Its stated aims include developing interest in chemistry, identifying and nurturing talent, and encouraging collaboration through chemistry.
The public overview says the competition began in 2010 and now attracts more than 2,000 students from over 80 Singapore secondary schools. These are organiser descriptions, not a current participant count for the 2026 sitting.
Eligibility, registration, and fee
SNIC's competition page says the event is open to full-time Secondary 3, 4, and 5 students. It also includes international students based in Singapore, but its boundary wording is unclear: it writes below grade <=10 or age 17. An international student close to that boundary should ask SNIC rather than infer a precise rule from the malformed expression.
Students in Singapore register through their school's teacher-in-charge. SNIC says it does not accept registration from students outside Singapore.
For 2026:
the fee was S$20 per student for all schools in Singapore;
participation was confirmed only after SNIC received the fee;
registration fees were non-refundable; and
a school registering at least 10 participants was guaranteed at least one Round 2 participant.
The 2026 deadlines have passed. Later cohorts should wait for a new SNIC cycle rather than reuse them.
Round 1: online MCQ paper
All registered students sat a two-hour theory paper online through ClassMarker at their school. The school supplied the invigilator and each student received a unique login through the teacher.
SNIC describes the paper as 100 percent multiple choice. A correct answer received marks; an incorrect or unattempted answer received no marks. This supports a no-penalty boundary for Round 1 in 2026, but it does not publish the number of questions or the cut-off for Round 2.
Round 2: written examination at NUS
SNIC says the top-scoring Round 1 students, typically up to 20 percent, were selected. For every 10 participants from a school, at least one student was selected, although more could qualify by meeting the competition cut-off.
Round 2 was a written examination at NUS Kent Ridge. SNIC says students answered open-ended questions and/or MCQs. They were asked to bring stationery and a non-graphic calculator, while a periodic table was provided.
An older version of this guide called Round 2 an experiment-video paper. That was not the live 2026 format published by SNIC. The carrot-chemistry video on the sample page is preparation material, not evidence that the completed Round 2 used videos.
Awards and results boundary
SNIC publishes these award rules:
every Round 1 participant receives an e-certificate of participation;
every Round 2 participant receives a Gold, Silver, Bronze, or Merit e-certificate; and
top-performing schools are recognised in three bands.
The organiser says the Round 2 invitation list is released to teachers approximately three weeks after Round 1. It does not publish a fixed public medal cut-off or final 2026 result list on the pages reviewed here.
The awards ceremony remains TBA. SNIC says more details will be released to teachers-in-charge, so do not forecast a public date.
Syllabus and official samples
SNIC says questions are generally based on the GCE O-Level Chemistry syllabus but may not resemble the O-Level examination. The scientific committee focuses on analytical, reasoning, and creative skills.
SNIC's live sample page still links a 2024 version of the 6092 syllabus. Students preparing for the 2026 competition should use the current SEAB 2026 Chemistry 6092 syllabus for school-syllabus scope, while remembering that SNIC can ask higher-level reasoning questions in a different style.
SNIC also provides:
a past-year question PDF for Round 1; and
a Round 2 sample based on a carrot-enzyme experiment video, with questions and model answers covering solvents, heating, UV activity, thin-layer chromatography, retention factors, polarity, and hydrogen bonding.
SJChO, SChO, and IChO are related chemistry competitions, but the SJChO pages do not publish an automatic selection ladder from a junior result to the senior competition or national team. Use the SChO guide and IChO guide only after checking each organiser's current rules.
SNIC also does not assign a DSA, scholarship, or admissions weight to an SJChO result. A receiving school or scholarship provider controls its own criteria, so an award can be documented as an achievement without promising an outcome.
Frequently asked questions
Who organises SJChO?
SNIC organises the competition in partnership with NUS and with MOE support.
Who was eligible in 2026?
SNIC lists full-time Secondary 3, 4, and 5 students. It also includes international students based in Singapore under an ambiguously written grade or age rule, so international applicants near the boundary should confirm directly with SNIC.
How did students register?
Through their school's teacher-in-charge. Registration closed on 10 April 2026 and cost S$20 per student.
What was the Round 1 format?
A two-hour online ClassMarker paper made entirely of MCQs. Correct answers earned marks; wrong and blank answers earned none.
What was the Round 2 format?
A written examination at NUS for selected candidates, with open-ended questions and/or MCQs. The live page does not describe the completed 2026 paper as an experiment-video exam.
How were students selected for Round 2?
SNIC says typically up to the top 20 percent were selected. A school with at least 10 participants was guaranteed at least one selected student, and more could qualify above the cut-off.
What awards are available?
Round 2 participants receive Gold, Silver, Bronze, or Merit e-certificates. Round 1 participants receive participation e-certificates. Public medal cut-offs are not stated on the current page.
Are final 2026 results public?
The reviewed SNIC pages did not contain a final public winner list on 19 July. Ask the teacher-in-charge for participant communication and ceremony details.
Does SJChO guarantee an SChO, DSA, or scholarship advantage?
No such guarantee appears on the SJChO pages. Each later competition or receiving institution controls its own selection rules.
