THOMASVILLE — Two young chemistry students will put their knowledge of matter to the test in a national setting.

Chandler Watson and Hannah Dixon, juniors in Advanced Placement Chemistry at Thomas County Central High School, qualified to take the National Chemistry Olympiad Exam.

“It’s amazing to qualify for a national test that thousands tried to qualify for,” Watson said. “I’m excited for this opportunity and will do my very best.”

The exam will be given on Saturday at Valdosta State University. About 20 students in Georgia are selected for the honor each year.

“I was thrilled when I learned that we had two students qualify,” teacher Laura Kornegay said. “According to the local director, our students scored very well compared to other schools in South Georgia.”

The U.S National Chemistry Olympiad national exam is a three-part exam that last four hours and 45 minutes. One part is multiple choice, another is free-response and the third part is a lab test.

“The lab-based part involves problem solving,” Kornegay said. “AP Chemistry students have practice with this in their lab work, but completing it by themselves in a testing atmosphere will be new for Hannah and Chandler.”

In March, students took the local Chemistry Olympiad test and top students were selected to take the national test. The tests were sponsored by the American Chemical Society and are used to select 20 from the nation to participate in a summer camp to represent the US at the International Chemistry Olympiad, which will be held in Tbilisi, Georgia, this year.

“I am proud that I am one of the students in Georgia selected to take the national test,” Dixon said.

Alexandrina Ligia Focsan, associate professor of chemistry at VSU, who coordinates the event for South Georgia, told the qualifiers in an email, “the fact that you were selected for the national exam marks you as an outstanding chemistry student.”

The two students are preparing for the exam by looking over previous study guides, as well as older versions of the qualifier test, Kornegay said.

“I’m going to study as hard as I can and let the cards fall as they may on test day,” Watson said.