ISSN 1070-3632, Russian Journal of General Chemistry, 2013, Vol. 83, No. 6, pp. 1272–1281. © Pleiades Publishing, Ltd., 2013. Original Russian Text © T.O. Gordeeva, E.N. Osin, N.E. Kuz’menko, D.A. Leont’ev, O.N. Ryzhova, 2011, published in Rossiiskii Khimicheskii Zhurnal, 2011, Vol. 55, Nos. 5–6, pp. 68–76. 1272 Efficacy of the Academic Competition (Olympiad) System of Admission to Higher Educational Institutions (in Chemistry) T. O. Gordeeva a , E. N. Osin b , N. E. Kuz’menko a , D. A. Leont’ev a,b , and O. N. Ryzhova a a Lomonosov Moscow State University, Vorob’evy Gory, Moscow, 119991 Russia a National Research University Higher School of Economics, ul. Myasnitskaya 20, Moscow, 101000, Russia e-mail: tamgordeeva@gmail.com; eosin@hse.ru; nek@educ.chem.msu.ru; dleon@smysl.ru; ron@phys.chem.msu.ru Received April 24, 2011 Abstract—The association between the academic competition (Olympiad) results and subsequent academic performance during the first two years at a higher educational institution was examined. The data for three cohorts (N = 738) of students of the Chemistry Department, Moscow State University, were analyzed, including the results of international and nationwide academic competitions in chemistry, university grade point averages, and Unified State Examination scores. It was shown that students admitted on the basis of academic competition results (winning or prize-winning) perform significantly better during the first two years at the university than those admitted on the basis of Unified State Examination scores. It was shown that the results of academic competitions of different levels are not equal in predicting subsequent academic performance for students. DOI: 10.1134/S1070363213060479 The Olympiad movement is a system of academic contests that aims to support gifted school students and to develop their cognitive skills, intrinsic learning motivation, logical and creative thinking abilities, and their interest in scientific research. Winners of schoolchildren Olympiads tend to choose prestigious higher educational institutions. In 2011, the five Russian universities they preferred most were (in descending order): Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU), Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Higher School of Economics, Siberian Federal University, and St. Petersburg State University. In 2011, the MSU admitted 1961 academic competition winners and prize-winners (Olympians) and, nationwide, 4% budget places at higher educational institutions were given to Olympians, while in 2010 they accounted for only 1.6% of the enrollment. In 2010 and 2011, the All-Russia Rectors’ Union undertook a study into the academic performance demonstrated by students of different higher educa- tional institutions [1, 2], based on the data available for 150 thousand students. The results of the first end-of- term exams showed that the Olympians achieved higher grade point averages than the students admitted through the standard procedure (4.0 against 3.7, 4.1 against 3.8, and 4.1 against 3.9 for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd terms, respectively). The proportion of “excellent students,” and students who get only good and excellent marks among the Olympians is also higher, compared to that among the students admitted on the basis of Unified State Examination (USE) scores (46.4 against 38.9, 47.2 against 40.5, and 52.7 against 46.1% for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd semester, respectively). Comparison of the academic achievements demon- strated at the first end-of-term exams by the students enrolled in 2010 and a year earlier showed that the gap in performance between Olympians and students admitted on regular terms increased (49.3 against 39.2% for 2009). Thus, findings of the inter-university study of student performance indicate solid grounding and high creative abilities in students who participated earlier in schoolchildren Olympiads. The Olympians consistently demonstrate better academic performance compared to their peers admitted on regular terms. The exam results at the end of the first and second terms indicated progressive convergence of the academic achievements of the Olympians and students