FAQ

We are hosting a total of approximately 32 teams from various high schools.

Each team can have up to four students.

The questions are written exclusively by UC Berkeley student volunteers.

The questions will range from high school general chemistry to USNCO test and camp level questions. Please see our past tests under resources for a general idea of format and difficulty!

The competition will have 4 rounds. The first is the Individual round (where each person works individually), which consists of 2 FRQ and 20 MCQ questions. The second is the Topics round (where people work in pairs), in which each pair will be given one of three papers on a specific topic that is composed of 4 FRQs. The third is the Team round (where the four-member teams work together), and will be composed of 8 FRQ questions. The last two rounds are the Lab and Speed rounds - in the Speed round, each team will have to try and finish 12 packets with 3 questions each. The contribution of each round to the total score is as follows:

Individual: 20%

Topic: 15%

Team: 25%

Lab: 20%

Speed: 20%

Each pair of contestants will have the choice of selecting between one of two topic round papers. This year's topics are TBD. The choice does not have to be made prior to the competition and can be selected on the day of, prior to the beginning of the round. 

The competition will run from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Further details are on the Resources page. 

No, but we require at least one non-competing adult from each school to serve as a chaperone. These individuals will be responsible for communicating directly with BCT organizers on competition day.

Yes, food will be catered, and we will have vegetarian options to satisfy those with dietary restrictions. Food will only be available for coaches, competitors, and volunteers.

Each team must bring lab coats/aprons and safety goggles. Ensure that all general PPE guidelines are followed, such as wearing closed-toed shoes, long pants, and adequately fitting lab coats/aprons and safety goggles. Gloves and all other laboratory equipment will be provided by us.