USNCO Insider Guide
Everything the USNCO community knows about cutoffs, rankings, and awards — explained clearly.
How Do I Qualify for the National Exam?
There is no universal cutoff score. Most local ACS sections use the Local Exam (some add FRQs or hands-on labs) and follow the same nomination process below — but cutoffs vary significantly based on each section's competitiveness and school-level competition.
All Local Exam Takers
All students in your local ACS section who took the Local Exam
Eligibility Requirement
All students can take the Local Exam (some schools or sections may have specific rules). However, only US citizens and permanent residents are eligible for the National Exam.
Typical Section Allotment
Most local sections have 12 nominee slots. Larger sections with more ACS members may have higher allotments.
Check your section's allotmentSection Competitiveness Varies
Competitive sections (like California, Texas, NY/NJ, Massachusetts) have significantly higher cutoffs than less competitive sections with fewer participants.
School-Level Competition
Due to the top 2 per school rule, strong STEM schools may have internal cutoffs far exceeding the section cutoff.
How Are National Awards Determined?
Tap each tier to see the scoring formula and details.
Tap a tier to see details
Understanding the Formulas
Why ~190 in 2025? The base allotment of National Exam nominees per section increased from 10 (2022-2024) to 12 in 2025, resulting in more students qualifying for Honor awards.
Community-reported cutoff scores for both Local Section nominations and National Awards
Note: The scoring formulas and award thresholds are based on widely-accepted information within the USNCO community but are not officially published by ACS. Actual cutoffs vary each year based on exam difficulty.
Ready to Prepare?
Now that you understand the system, let us help you achieve your USNCO goals.