AD Schools' Analyst Competition

The Schools' Analyst Competition is a national competition run by the RSC's Analytical Division for first year sixth form students studying AS level Chemistry or equivalent.  The Analytical Division’s Regions hold heats, generally during March and April, to select a team or teams, to go through to the National Final. Each team comprises three students. 

The first competition was organised in London by then Polytechnic of North London (now the London Metropolitan University) in 1982. In 1985, a similar competition was held in the Manchester area and then, when these proved to be so popular, other regional events were also held. These were brought together for the first time in 1990 in a National Final in London for the winners of all the regional competitions.

The Final of the Competition sees around 16 teams competing for a Challenge Shield. First, Second and Third placed teams in the National Final receive prizes of £750, £500 and £250 respectively with the other finalists receiving £100 each. There are also prizes for the individual team members of the first and runner-up teams.

Teams are required to undertake various practical analytical determinations based on problems relevant to industrial or social needs. These are judged for skill, understanding and accuracy and are intended to promote team work and safety in the laboratory. Each competition aims to provide some tasks which are relatively familiar to the students such as titrations and others which are likely to be unfamiliar, such as chromatographic separations or atomic and molecular spectroscopy. In this way, it is hoped that the competitors will learn new skills, as well as demonstrate their existing knowledge, skills and aptitude for analytical science.

Over the years, the RSC has had a very generous sponsorship for the Regional and National competitions from industry, public utilities, the Regions and Groups of the Analytical Division and in particular the Analytical Chemistry Trust Fund. 

The 2009 final was held on the 29/30 June at the University of Plymouth. The event was won by Ruthin School from North Wales (part of the North West Region), with Abingdon School coming second and Colchester County High School third. For the first time in a number of years a State funded school obtained one of the top three places (3rd on this occasion). 

The final in 2010 will be held at the University of Huddersfield 22/23 June.

The Regions within the UK who hold heats in the competition are: