Efficacy of the academic competition (Olympiad) system of admission to higher educational institutions (in Chemistry)

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.