What is the competition?
The Schools Analyst Competition has been running for over 40 years. Teams of two Year 12–13 students carry out a series of quantitative analytical experiments in approximately two hours. Accuracy matters more than speed — marks are awarded for results within specified tolerances of the true value, not for finishing first.
Typical tasks include:
- Acid-base titration — standardising a solution of sodium hydroxide against a primary standard such as potassium hydrogen phthalate (KHP), then using it to determine the concentration of an unknown acid.
- Back titration — dissolving a solid of unknown purity in excess acid, then titrating the remaining acid to determine what reacted.
- Colorimetry — measuring absorbance of a series of known concentrations to produce a calibration curve (Beer-Lambert), then reading off the unknown concentration.
- Gravimetric analysis — precipitating, filtering, drying and weighing a product to determine the content of a solution.
Preparation: the chemistry you need
Winning teams are accurate with arithmetic as much as with pipettes. The three most important chemistry areas to master:
1. Moles and concentration
Every calculation in the competition starts with the mole. You must be fluent in converting between mass, moles and concentration, and in using mole ratios from balanced equations to determine quantities. Our moles guide covers n = m/M, the mole ratio from equations, and worked examples.
2. Molarity and standard solutions
Preparing an accurate standard solution — dissolving a known mass of a primary standard in exactly 250 cm³ — is a core competition skill. You must understand how to use a volumetric flask, and why primary standards (low reactivity with air, high purity, high molar mass) are chosen. For dilutions, the relationship c₁V₁ = c₂V₂ is essential. See our molarity and dilutions guide for the full seven-step procedure and worked examples.
3. Acid-base chemistry and indicators
Know the strong/weak distinction, what an equivalence point is, and which indicators work for which titration types (strong-strong: any indicator; strong-weak: methyl orange; weak-strong: phenolphthalein). Our acids and bases guide covers all three definitions (Arrhenius, Brønsted-Lowry, Lewis), neutralisation, and buffer chemistry.
Lab technique tips
- Rinse before filling — rinse the burette with the solution you are filling it with, not water, to avoid dilution.
- Read from the meniscus bottom — for aqueous solutions, read the bottom of the meniscus at eye level.
- Swirl, don't stir — use a circular motion; a magnetic stirrer is better in colorimetry but manual swirling is standard in titrations.
- Run-in to reduce parallax — approach the endpoint slowly, adding half-drops for the last 2 cm³.
- Record every reading — initial and final burette readings to 0.05 cm³; calculate titre to 2 d.p.
Related RSC competitions
The analyst competition is one of several RSC events for school students. Also see our guide to the UK Chemistry Olympiad — a written examination for Year 12–13 that tests problem-solving rather than practical skills, running in January each year.
For biology students, see our Biology Live events guide and the British Science Week page.