Key Takeaways

• The USA Biolympiad (USABO) is a four-round biology competition for students in grades 9-12, run by the Center for Excellence in Education (CEE).
• Schools pay a $125 flat registration fee by October 23, 2026, school registration closes on November 15, 2026, and student registration closes on November 22, 2026.
• The USABO Open Exam on February 3, 2027 is a 50-minute multiple-choice exam open to any student in grades 9-12 regardless of citizenship, and U.S. citizens and green card holders in the top 10% advance to the Semifinal Exam on March 2, 2027.
• The top 20 students from the Semifinal Exam attend the in-person National Finals at Harvard University from June 20 to 30, 2027, and four of them form the USA Biolympiad Team for the International Biology Olympiad in Warsaw, Poland, on July 18-25, 2027.
• USABO Open Exams and Semifinal Exams from 2003 to 2024 are available in the USABO Teacher Resource Center, so students should ask their biology teacher to share them.
• The Regeneron Science Talent Search awards up to $250,000 and the Davidson Fellows Scholarship awards $25,000, $50,000, or $100,000 for completed research projects.

What is USABO?

USABO is an abbreviation of USA Biology Olympiad or the USA Biolympiad. To become a champion at the USABO, one has to appreciate what the competition is all about, and that is finding young high school students who are passionate about biology. This is done by introducing these pupils to rather tough and extensive biology tests and simply letting their potential shine through.

Moreover, it is worth mentioning that the USABO was founded in 2002 and is done every year by the Center for Excellence in Education. In the course of the competition, students’ understanding of biology and how to employ the biology laboratory is ascertained in the forms of USABO practice rounds, MCQ, short answers and other tests.

Structure and Progression of the USABO Competition

The USABO exams have four rounds, and these include:

1. USABO Online Open Exam
2. USABO Online Semifinal Exam
3. USABO National Finals Exam (in-person)
4. International Biology Olympiad (IBO, in-person)

The first round, the USABO Online Open Exam, is a 50-minute online multiple-choice exam for students in grades 9-12 who register through a registered school or an authorized USABO test center. Students who score in the top 10% of the Open Exam and are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents move on to the Semifinal Exam.

The Semifinal Exam is a 120-minute online exam. The top 50 Semifinal scorers take a mandatory pretest and a Zoom interview, and 20 of them become National Finalists who attend the in-person National Finals. The four students who form the USA Biolympiad Team then move on to the International Biology Olympiad.

At the International Biology Olympiad (IBO), the USA Biolympiad Team competes against top biology students from around the world. The 2027 IBO takes place in Warsaw, Poland, from July 18 to 25. The USA Biolympiad Team won four gold medals at the 2004 IBO, a first in Biology Olympiad history, and all four members of the 2021 team earned medals.

Eligibility Requirements for The USABO Competition

Students in grades 9 to 12 can participate in the USABO. Home-schooled students are also invited, but they must make arrangements with the USABO before registration closes so that they can take the exam at a high school in their local area.

Each school pays a flat registration fee of $125, and the fee covers all participating students from that school. School registration and fee payment must happen before any student can register. Home-schooled students may be responsible for the $125 fee.

Any student, regardless of citizenship, can take the Open Exam. Only U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents (green card holders) can advance to the Semifinal Exam.

USABO Registration Date and Deadline

Registration for the 2027 USABO opened on August 7, 2026. Schools must pay the $125 registration fee by October 23, 2026, school registration closes on November 15, 2026, and student registration closes on November 22, 2026.

What Biology Topics Will Be Tested in the USABO Exam?

The USABO organizes its study content around the seven focus groups of the International Biology Olympiad (IBO) curriculum. The USABO Teacher Resource Center arranges its resources by these groups, and registered students can use the USABO Student Resource Center, which offers links, study problems, and other resources for all seven.

The USABO Student Corner is open to all students, whether or not they have registered, and it includes content information, suggested texts, and finalists’ favorite links. The seven focus groups are:

• Cell Biology
• Animal Anatomy and Physiology, including Neurobiology
• Plant Anatomy and Physiology
• Ethology
• Genetics and Evolution
• Ecology
• Biosystematics

Note that the USABO questions asked are often based on how biological concepts and lab tools are applied in real-world scenarios. 

USABO Exam Style/Format

What kind of questions will you be asked on the examination day? Well, participants can expect multiple-choice questions and can only respond once per question. Note that this applies to the USABO Open Exam, which has no penalty for guessing.

As for the USABO Semifinal Exam, students will be asked multiple-choice questions, Multiple True/False questions, and short answer questions. The National Finals exam and the IBO theoretical exam use Multiple True/False questions, and the National Finals also include a practical exam of about 6 hours that tests laboratory skills.

Reasons To Compete in The USABO Competition

Unlike other competitions, the USABO doesn’t offer students any financial reward for coming out on top, only gold medals. Nevertheless, there are still some benefits that make competing worthwhile.

For example, it helps high school students broaden their understanding of biology more than what they may ever learn in the classroom. This is also useful for kids aspiring for a career in Biology because it gives them a head start before college.

USABO National Finalists attend a residential program that is an official Harvard University course in 2027, and the USABO evaluates each finalist’s scores for successful completion of the class. The USABO provides room and board for the 12 days. Finalists pay their own transportation, and students with financial need can contact the Center for Excellence in Education for assistance.

On the topic of college, winning the USABO exam and even the IBO can boost the student’s chances of entering their desired university. This is because it is a prestigious national competition, and winning means you may be an asset with the potential for even greater contributions to the field of Biology.

In the end, the best reason to compete is because winning helps improve your understanding of biology. At the same time, the USABO awards gold medals and recognition, which makes it easier to enter your desired university.

How To Prepare For The USABO Competition

It is time to analyze how you can get prepared for the examination now that you are through with the competitiveness and advantages of the USABO competition.

1. Register for the Exam

Students register for the USABO through a registered school or an authorized USABO test center. A teacher or administrator registers the school as the Test Administrator and pays the $125 registration fee, and each student then registers on the USABO site for a USABO ID number.

A student whose school is not registered can ask a biology teacher to register it, and requests to register with another school must be approved by the USABO. Home-schooled students must make arrangements with the USABO before registration closes so that they can take the exam at a high school in their area.

2. Study More on Biology

The National Biology Olympiad will test your knowledge on biology and science, so it makes sense to gather more information and refresh on what you knew before. In this case, start with the basics like cell biology and genetics or ecology and evolution.

Afterward, you can move to more advanced topics like molecular biology and biochemistry, with a focus on getting more information and strengthening your weak points.

Keep in mind that you can build your knowledge with the USABO Student Corner, which is open to all students and lists suggested texts and sites for in-depth study, an introduction to the seven IBO curriculum areas, and finalists’ favorite links. You can still rely on your school’s biology curriculum as a base.

3. Improve your Understanding of Practical Biology

Besides biological concepts, the USABO will test how well you understand the practical application of these biological and scientific elements. So, to prepare yourself, consider seeking hands-on help from laboratories.

You can do this by becoming an intern at a local university, being part of a summer research program, or becoming a lab attendant for your biology teacher. These options will be glad to receive and guide you if it means contributing to your USABO journey.

However, if you don’t have access to a well-equipped lab in your area, consider using a virtual lab. Options like Labster (https://www.labster.com/high-school) help high school students familiarize themselves with the lab, the tools, and how experts use them with hundreds of interactive simulations and detailed explanations.

4. Use USABO Past Papers

One of the best ways to prepare for any exam is to look at old questions and test your knowledge. The USABO Teacher Resource Center holds all Open Exams and Semifinal Exams from 2003 to 2024 with answer keys. Only teachers and test administrators can log in to the Teacher Resource Center, and the USABO does not allow the link to be shared with students, so students should ask their biology teacher to share the past exams.

Once a teacher shares the past exams, it’s best to start with the most recent exam and work your way back to the first paper in 2003.

You can even simulate the exam conditions by timing yourself whenever you review these exam papers. Even when you make a mistake and answer a question wrong, analyze why you made it and try to avoid it next time.

5. Join or Create a Study Group

You can work with others to prepare for the competition, and these people can either be fellow biology enthusiasts or even supportive friends and classmates. The group should have regular meetings online or in-person to review past exams, revise lab tools and applications, and much more.

Your group can even organize a USA Biology Olympiad practice test with random questions from past exams or mainly of an area you don’t yet understand. This approach will definitely motivate you to work on areas that need improvement and also connect better with members of the group.

The USABO Student Corner includes step-by-step guidance on how to start a USABO club, written by students who formed USABO clubs at their schools. Students who want to start a club can follow that guidance and invite classmates who also plan to take the exam.

What Happens After Winning the USABO Competition?

Suppose you prepare hard enough and eventually pass the USABO exam and even the International Biology Olympiads; what’s next? The best way to answer this question is to look at the testimonials of previous USABO finalists.

Greycen Ren - 2021 USABO National Gold Medalist

Greycen won a gold medal at the 2021 USA Biolympiad (USABO) National Finals, which he stated was the most precious in his life. He also earned a silver medal at the 2021 IBO Challenge II as a member of the USA Biolympiad Team. He further explained that the competition was useful in nurturing his love of Biology, and at the same time, he met other students of the same spirit as him.

For Greycen, his strongest reward was having built a complimenting relationship with other participants. This is also the reason why he expects this particular experience to be helpful to him wherever he goes, while in college or elsewhere, be it in biology or other domains.

Greycen Ren’s experience shows that the USABO is rewarding beyond the medal, because the competition helped him meet other students who share his love of biology.

You can find more testimonials on the official USABO website.

Compete Where the Rewards Are Bigger: Regeneron STS, Regeneron ISEF, and Davidson Fellows

The USABO measures biology knowledge through exams. The Regeneron Science Talent Search, the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), and the Davidson Fellows Scholarship instead reward a completed research project, and each one offers financial awards or scholarships.

The Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS) is open to high school seniors who have completed original research. The 2027 application runs from June 1 to November 5, 2026, and Regeneron STS announces its 300 scholars on January 7, 2027 and its 40 finalists on January 21, 2027. Each scholar receives $2,000, another $2,000 goes to the scholar’s school, and scholars are invited to apply to Regeneron’s summer internship program. All 40 finalists win an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., at least $25,000, and a chance at the $250,000 first prize.

The Regeneron ISEF is open to students in grades 9-12, and students qualify by winning at a Society for Science-affiliated fair instead of applying directly. At ISEF 2026, more than 1,700 finalists competed for more than $7 million in awards and prizes, and ISEF 2027 took place from May 8 to 14 in Los Angeles.

The Davidson Fellows Scholarship awards $100,000, $50,000, and $25,000 scholarships to students 18 years old or younger who have completed a significant piece of work. Applicants must be 18 or younger as of the application deadline, and the 2027 application opens in the fall of 2026. Indigo Research explains the application in its guide to Davidson Fellows Scholarships, and the Top 10 Awards for High School Students article lists more options.

A Calendar for 2026-27: USABO, STS, and ISEF Dates in One Place

• By October 23, 2026, schools must pay the $125 USABO registration fee.
• On November 5, 2026 at 8 pm ET, the Regeneron STS application closed.
• On November 15, 2026, USABO school registration closes, and on November 22, 2026, USABO student registration closes.
• On January 7, 2027, Regeneron STS announced its 300 scholars, and on January 21, 2027, it announced its 40 finalists.
• On February 3, 2027, the USABO Open Exam took place at 4 PM ET.
• On March 2, 2027, the USABO Semifinal Exam took place at 4 PM ET, and on March 30, 2027, the USABO announced the National Finalists.
• From May 8 to 14, 2027, Regeneron ISEF took place in Los Angeles.
• From June 20 to 30, 2027, the USABO National Finals take place in person at Harvard University.
• From July 18 to 25, 2027, the International Biology Olympiad took place in Warsaw, Poland.

Conclusion

In the end, the USABO is a competitive event that aims to reward biology enthusiasts and expand their exposure to science through comprehensive examination. Winning the competition is hard since you’ll be competing with more than 10,000 students.

Nevertheless, by studying hard and strategically with past USABO exams, a study group, your teachers, and a virtual lab, you can maximize your chances of winning. 

However, if the USABO doesn’t meet your expectations, especially in terms of rewards, consider looking at the Top 10 Awards for High School Students. Whatever you choose, we wish you good luck!