<p>I don’t have a good place to put this discussion, but i wanted to know how difficult it would be to get into USACHO/USABO solely by self studying. Assume that i have no prior knowledge in both, I’m more of a physics person. I have the Campbell Reece AP bio textbook, and the Zumdahl Chemical Principles book. Will these be enough for me to reach USABO/USACHO level? If not, then what can i do to achieve said level?</p>
<p>For USABO, to become a semifinalist you only need to understand and know Campbell very well. Study the diagrams carefully. To make finals it is recommended to study Ravens Plants Biology along with Campbell. For, UNSCO reading Zumdahls is good for a getting good grasp of the material at the AP-level. To make semifinals, do as many practice exams as possible from the chem Olympiad website and understand how to solve each and every problem. To make semis you’ll have to score in the 40s-50s on the local exam depending how competitive you region is. Then to make study camp it is recommended to read Klein Organic Chemistry along with doing past exams. Hope this helped :)</p>