Are you passionate about biology and looking for a way to showcase your knowledge and skills?

The USA Biology Olympiad (USABO) is the pinnacle of high school biology competitions for students based in the United States.

Performing well will help you demonstrate expertise and gain recognition on a national level.

With dedication and the right strategies, you will excel in this prestigious competition.

Here’s how you can win the USABO.

Overview of the Competition and Benefits of Winning The USABO is one of the qualifying competitions for the International Biology Olympiad (IBO) for students based in the United States.

It is used to narrow down the thousands of interested students to the top 4 people that will get to represent the US in the IBO.

However, performing well in the USABO is impressive in its own right, as just qualifying to participate in the competition is a challenge.

Stages of the Competition and Question Types The USABO consists of three main stages: Open Exam: This initial stage features a 50-minute, multiple-choice test that covers a broad range of biology topics.

It is open to all registered students.

Semifinals: The top 10% of scorers from the Open Exam move on to the Semifinals, which includes a more challenging multiple-choice and short-answer exam, along with data analysis and interpretation.

National Finals: The top 20 students from the Semifinals are invited to a week-long training camp, that includes additional exams.

This stage determines the four students who will represent the USA at the IBO.

Study Strategies for Each Level of the Competition Open Exam Preparation: Broad Knowledge Base: Focus on building a strong foundation in all major biology topics.

Use Khan Academy to start with this.

Practice Exams: Take past Open Exams to familiarize yourself with the question format and timing.

Semifinals Preparation: Deepen Understanding: Dive deeper into complex topics and understand the underlying principles.

Use Campbell Biology to to this Data Interpretation: Practice analyzing graphs, tables, and scientific data.

Additional Resources: Use resources like Khan Academy’s Biology and Bozeman Science for detailed explanations.

National Finals Preparation: Lab Skills: Enhance your practical skills with hands-on lab experience.

Review common lab techniques and protocols.

Advanced Topics: Study college-level biology materials to prepare for the depth of questions in the Finals.

Comprehensive Review: Utilize Campbell Biology for an in-depth review of topics.

Important Topics to Learn and Recommended Resources I would recommend looking through these resources, but not going into major depth until you have done the practice exams and identified the areas that need to be reinforced Cell Biology: Key Topics: Cell structure, function, and processes.

Resources: Cell Biology by Alberts (free online textbook).

Genetics: Key Topics: Mendelian genetics, molecular genetics, and population genetics.

Resources: MIT OpenCourseWare: Genetics.

Ecology: Key Topics: Ecosystems, energy flow, and environmental issues.

Resources: Crash Course Ecology.

Evolution: Key Topics: Theories, evidence, and mechanisms of evolution.

Resources: Understanding Evolution.

Physiology: Key Topics: Human and plant physiology, including systems and processes.

Resources: Human Physiology by Wikibooks.

Another Thing to Consider If you are interested in biology, you have probably thought about doing research in the field at some point.

One way you can pursue this is by registering for the International Research Olympiad.

This nonprofit competition had over 1000 participants last year and an in-person finals event at Harvard University.

The Olympiad aims to meritocratically assess research capabilities.

Full disclosure: While I am on the board of the IRO, I do believe that it is a genuinely valuable competition.

Board members are not compensated monetarily by the IRO.