The International Biology Olympiad is a competitive exam that is held annually for high school students. It is one of the most well-known International Science Olympiads. The first IBO exam was held in Czechoslovakia in 1990, and since then, it has been held every year. Students from 75 nations and five continents participate in the competition. The four winners of each participating country’s National Biology Olympiad are sent to the IBO exam. For the examination, these students are accompanied by two adults who are members of the international jury.
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Highlights of the Exam
The International Biology Olympiad, or IBO, is one of the most well-known biology olympiads. This exam is for students who wish to pursue a profession in biology, who are interested in studying anatomy and who are familiar with basic facts about animals and plants. As we all know, biology is a vast field that includes Botany, Zoology, Anatomy, Physiology, Biotechnology, Ecology, Immunology, Genetics, and Microbiology. In the IBO test, all of these topics are covered.
IBO Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria for the International Biology Olympiad are slightly different from other olympiad exams.
Eligibility Norms for the Organisation
Following are the norms that one institution or organisation must follow to fulfil the IBO eligibility criteria.
- One must be a member of the IBO Association to participate in the IBO Challenge.
- One must register the country on the IBO Challenge on the official website.
Eligibility Norms for Students
Students who desire to compete in an IBO must secure first place in their respective National Biology Olympiad (NBO) as one of the top four students. The contestants for IBO are chosen by NBOs in a series of 3-5 increasingly rigorous national competition rounds.
- The four students chosen to compete in the IBO must have competed and won the final round of the National Biology Olympiad (NBO), which is held in each country during the current school year.
- The exam must be open exclusively to students from secondary schools for general education.
Medium of Instruction
The official language of the IBO is English; however, the examinations are translated into a variety of languages to ensure convenience for all students. The translation is done by the team leaders of each participating country, as well as the jury members. They are kept away from the students throughout the tests because they know everything about the tests ahead of time.
Practical and Theoretical Examination
Students must take both theoretical and practical exams at IBO. The theoretical exams consist of multiple tasks that are mostly closed-ended (e.g., multiple true-false). Students must utilise their science skills to analyse advanced biological phenomena in order to complete the projects, which cover all areas of biology. Practicals are usually divided into three or four labs. Approximately 6-12 months prior to the IBO exam, the content categories for each practical exam are revealed. Students demonstrate their knowledge and skills in the lab by performing research and analysing data. One can refer to the IBO solved question paper for more details and clarity of the examination.
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