[wisniapl]

Hello. I'm preparing for Chemistry Olympiad in Poland and since I've done all of the tasks from previous editions I'm looking for other theoretical problems from other countries. Do you know any sites where I could find tasks with similar difficulty as say Austrian, Polish or Ukrainian Olympiad ( in English of course)?
And yes, I've tried Google before.
Thank you for your help.
And also I'm sorry for my English .

[Borek]

Browse http://www.chemicalforums.com/index.php?board=67.0 - some of the problems you may know.

Back in eighties WSiP Warszawa published two books - "Zbiór zadań z olimpiad chemicznych XXIII-XXIV" and "Zbiór zadań z olimpiad chemicznych XXV-XXVII". Check if you can find them. Or do you mean you have already seen these books?

Note: you are not looking for "tasks" but for "problems" or "questions". Asking for "tasks" you show you are a Slav

[wisniapl]

I've heard about them, but the level of difficulty is way to low comparing to present problems.
Although thanks for help

[Borek]

I've heard about them, but the level of difficulty is way to low comparing to present problems.

That's not true. There are some differences, no doubt about it - for example todays problems assume much higher level knowledge about spectroscopic methods - IR or NMR spectrum was unheard of in the Olympic questions 30 years ago. But when it comes to physical or inorganic chemistry, level has not changed. Compare this problem (taken from one of these books).

[wisniapl]

Well maybe, but still, those books are nearly impossible to find. And I also have a similar one with problems from 35-45 editions I guess.
By the way, would you please give me your email or number of GG if you have one, because I can't send you private messages ( any clue why?)

[Sophia7X]

I prepared for last year's Olympiad with Zumdahl's Chemistry (the chapter's aren't really good but the exercises are). So check that book out along with the solutions manual. Atkin's Chemical Principles: The Quest for Insight is good for knowledge, but the exercises aren't as good for preparation (it's a calculus-based text). I use David Klein's Organic Chemistry As a Second Language, which is a great little self-teaching book for organic (full of info without being a huge 1000 paged textbook), nice examples and very understandable explanations, and practice problems. I totally recommend both Organic Chem As a Second Language books (first semester topics and second semester topics).

Did you do the US problems?
http://portal.acs.org/portal/acs/corg/content?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=PP_SUPERARTICLE&node_id=1508&use_sec=false&sec_url_var=region1&__uuid=4169a157-5979-400c-b34c-5199a9ccc805

^Haha, super long link. Looks like they're missing Part II (free response) for 2012 though. If you really want that, I could scan it for you because I took the 2012 national test and I still have my old papers. In the US Olympiad, it seems like theyre putting more organic chemistry on tests now; might be the same for other countries. More US past exams can be found here (older than 1999): http://www.chemteam.info/NChO/NChO-Menu.html

And yes, Borek is correct about spectroscopy. I use this site for nice practice: 
http://www.chem.ucla.edu/%7Ewebspectra/#Problems

This site for iChO problem sets: http://olympiads.ijs.si/icho/Icho.html#icho34
And http://chemistryolympiad.weebly.com/preparatory-problems.html.
Try doing the old problems and compare it with the new problems (I.e. the 2012 US iChO problems).

[Borek]

Well maybe, but still, those books are nearly impossible to find.

Not that hard.

Also note if you will ever decide to study chemistry at University, you will find most of the Olympiad problems are in fact not much more difficult than problems done routinely by students - so any University level problem book is a good source of questions. They are usually much more specific and shorter than Olympiad problems, which tend to be bloated with side questions, but if you are ready to do these partial questions fast you have more time for the rest. That means books like "Ćwiczenia rachunkowe z chemii analitycznej" prepared by Zbigniew Galus (or rather his team) are a great help.

[wisniapl]

Thank you very much for your response. I've already known these sites ( I've done all the ICho tasks from 1st to 40th edition, while the US is a little too easy).
By the way, did you manage to reach the finals?

Borek, I've already done Galus, along with Śliwa and many many more books like McMurry, Bielański, Clayden or Atkins. That's why I'm looking for other problems

[Sophia7X]

1 through 40? Dang you certainly are in a better shape than me .
I've only done 1 iChO problem set. If by finals you meant getting invited to attend the study camp, then no. I just got honorable mention.

I'm just hoping this year I won't make as many stupid mistakes. Or have a bad lab experience. My goggles were so tight during the lab practical that I had a throbbing headache, but I didn't want to waste any time adjusting them lol.

McMurry, Bielański, Clayden or Atkins. That's why I'm looking for other problems

Try Wade?

[Borek]

Wade Organic Chemistry? As far as I know it was not translated and published here.

[wisniapl]

And what do you think about these series of books : http://www.amazon.com/National-Chemistry-Olympiads-Book-Belarus/dp/1450530745/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348993018&sr=1-7&keywords=national+chemistry+olympiads   ?