Kenneth Kim ’13 and Irene Kao ’14 moved one step closer to the International Chemistry Olympiad Saturday when they took the three-part U.S. National Chemistry exam.

“I’m pretty excited about advancing because chemistry is my favorite subject, and I’m glad to see that even after almost a year of not taking it, I still have a good grasp on the subject and am still able to do so well on the test,” Kim said.

Kim and Kao got at least 56 of the 60 multiple choice questions correct, and took the three-part U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad Competition exam April 13. The test consisted of a multiple-choice section, a problem solving section, and a lab practical.

“I really love chemistry and I’m really glad I made it to the next round because the Olympiad gives me a chance to learn a lot more chemistry that we don’t learn in AP chem,” Kao said.

The top 20 scorers on the national exam will continue on to a two-week study camp, where four students will be chosen to participate in the IChO. The team will travel to Moscow, Russia in July to compete against 77 other countries.