Resources & preparation
Self-study materials, syllabus and sample problems to help you prepare.
Official syllabus
A concise breakdown of every topic and competence area assessed in Round 1 and Round 2 — published prior to the opening of registration.
Syllabus PDF — available before Round 1 opens
Recommended reading
- Choppin, Liljenzin, Rydberg — "Radiochemistry and Nuclear Chemistry"
- Loveland, Morrissey, Seaborg — "Modern Nuclear Chemistry"
- Lieser — "Nuclear and Radiochemistry: Fundamentals and Applications"
- IAEA — "Radiation Protection and Safety of Radiation Sources" (free PDF)
Sample problems
Two short example problems giving a flavour of the Round 1 paper.
Sample problem 1 — Half-life
A sample of ¹³¹I has an activity of 8.0 MBq today. Given a half-life of 8.02 days, calculate the activity after 24 days. State your assumptions.
Sample problem 2 — Decay equation
Complete and balance the following decay process and identify the daughter nuclide: ²³⁸U → ? + α. State the type of decay and write the corresponding nuclear equation.
Glossary
The SI unit of activity: one nuclear decay per second.
Older non-SI unit of activity; 1 Ci = 3.7 × 10¹⁰ Bq.
SI unit of absorbed radiation dose: 1 Gy = 1 J/kg.
SI unit of equivalent dose, accounting for biological effect.
Time required for half of the nuclei in a sample to decay.
Probability per unit time that a given nucleus decays.
Emission of a helium-4 nucleus from a heavy nuclide.
Emission of an electron and an antineutrino; n → p + e⁻ + ν̄.
Emission of a high-energy photon from a nuclear transition.
Series of radioactive decays connecting a parent to a stable nuclide.
A measure of the probability of a nuclear reaction, in barns.
A plot of gamma-ray counts vs. photon energy from a detector.
The first step is free.
Round 1 is open to all students worldwide. No selection required.