Exam ordering instructions

Chemistry high school exams are only available for purchase by a teacher at an accredited high school – tutoring schools are not eligible.

Ordering deadlines

Ordering for the 2025 Chem 13 News and Avogadro Exam Contests will open in mid-February 2025.

Ordering information

The School Exam Administrator (supervising teacher) will register, order, and submit payment for exams online.

  • The School Exam Administrator is the teacher registering for each exam on behalf of all participants/classes in the high school. It is important to tally and order the correct number of exams if more than one class in the same high school is participating.
  • The School Exam Administrator is restricted to:
    • ONE (1) ORDER PER SCHOOL for the Chem 13 News Exam (Grade 12)
    • ONE (1) ORDER PER SCHOOL for the Avogadro Exam (Grade 11)
  • Students are only eligible to be registered for ONE (1) exam appropriate to their level:
    • Chem 13 News Exam is for Grade 12 students who have completed, or are nearing completion of, their second high school chemistry course.
    • Avogadro Exam is for Grade 11 students who have completed, or are nearing completion of, their first high school chemistry course.
  • NO REFUNDS will be processed. It is important to confirm you are ordering the correct exam and quantity.
  • Submitted an order and need additional exams?
    • Determine which exam and the number of additional exams required.
    • Complete the exam order form again, adding a note under the heading “ADDITIONAL NOTES” stating “Please add ___ extra exams to my original order.”
  • School email addresses and school phone numbers are required. No personal information is accepted.
  • Shipping address must be entered as the school’s physical mailing address. No personal addresses accepted.
  • No P.O. boxes will be accepted.
  • Credit card payment is required when submitting the registration. Once the teacher (School Exam Administrator) completes online ordering and payment, they will receive an automated email confirmation, including the exam registration details. Please retain this email as proof of payment, as this is your official receipt.
  • We are not able to provide invoices or accept purchase orders.
  • All schools in China have customs requirements that for all purchases made, you must include your resident ID number. It will be on the checkout page where you make the payment. If you are not including this as requested when ordering, you will not be able to checkout. This is not something that we enforce; it is a requirement of the Chinese government.

Exam process information

  • Teachers must ensure students write the exam on the designated day. Please see the Chemistry high school exams page for exam dates.
  • All correspondence will be sent to the School Exam Administrator (supervising teacher) via email.
  • Approximately a week prior to the exam, the School Exam Administrator will receive an email from noreply-scion@uwaterloo.ca with information on the online exam process, instructions for administering the exam, and a login and password for SciOn. SciOn is the platform used by the Faculty of Science at the University of Waterloo for its annual science contests.
    • Note: Students cannot log in until the day of the exam. We recommend not giving login and password information to students in advance if the exam is being written in their school.
  • For schools registered for both the Chem 13 News and Avogadro exams, School Exam Administrators will receive a separate login and password for each exam. Make sure you are using the correct login and password for each exam. Check your spam/junk folder, as well. If you still require assistance, please email us at chem13news@uwaterloo.ca.
  • For more exam details and process-related questions, please refer to the Frequently asked questions page.
  • The administration of the exam and awards are the responsibility of Dr. Laura Ingram of the University of Waterloo. Her decision is final.
  • All correspondence about the exam, exam results, and prizes should be addressed to Dr. Laura Ingram (laura.ingram@uwaterloo.ca), Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1.

Each student will require:

  • A device with Internet access. Approved devices for writing the exams include: desktop computers, laptops, Chromebooks, and iPads.
  • One of the following browsers installed on an approved device: Firefox, Chrome, or Safari. Other browsers may cause unforeseen problems. (Teachers will also need one of these browsers to administer the exam and to access student results.)
  • A scientific calculator. A periodic table is supplied.

Special accommodations

Please email us at chem13news@uwaterloo.ca if a student requires a time extension.