Introduction to the USABO

What is the USABO?

The United States of America Biolympiad is a three-round competition that is the qualifying test to select the United States Team for the International Biology Olympiad (IBO).

What is the format of the competition?

The competition is split into three rounds:

The Open Exam is a multiple-choice test that consists of fifty questions, and each question having five possible answers, only one of which is correct. All questions are weighted evenly for a total of fifty possible points. The cutoff to advance to Semifinals is usually between 22 and 27.

The Semifinal Exam is a longer, 120 minute exam with three parts. Part 1 and part 2 each have 60 multiple choice questions, with part 2's questions being more complex. Part 3 is a free response section, similar to "FRQs" on the AP Biology Exam. There may be fill in the blank or paragraph response questions.

National Finals is an in-person camp. The 20 highest scoring semifinalists are chosen to participate. Open exam scores are not taken into account.

What is on the test?

The USABO topic distribution chart is below.

How do I prepare?

To prepare adequately for the Open Exam, a thorough understanding of the concepts in the textbook Campbell's Biology will be sufficient. Students who can comfortably score a "5" on the AP Biology Exam should be able to pass the Open Exam if they review Plant Anatomy and Physiology and Ethology. For more, read this post comparing the AP Bio Exam and the USABO Opens.

General tips to pass the Open Exam

"The Three E's": Ecology, Ethology, and Evolution/Genetics make up 35% of the questions on the test. These topics have the most questions for the least amount of reading.
Manage your time: You only have fifty minutes for fifty questions! That's one minute per question. To pass the Open Exam, you generally need to solve correctly around half the fifty questions. If you don't understand what the question is asking after thirty seconds, skip it.
It is highly beneficial to take an Intro/Honors Biology course concurrently or before studying for the USABO. Studying Campbell after taking a Biology class will reinforce and deepen your understanding, and help you make connections between different topics.
Don't focus on Biosystematics: Biosystematics questions show up less than 3 times each year. Most biosystematics questions on the USABO test concepts that don't even appear in Campbell, making preparation for these questions difficult and inefficient.
Use your resources! If you're confused about a chapter/concept in Campbell, you can ask your Biology teacher, watch a Youtube video, or do the section about it on Khan Academy. Both Khan Academy's regular and AP Biology courses are extremely helpful, but you should try doing the AP version if you are aiming to become a Semifinalist.
Have fun! Preparing for the USABO should (hopefully!) cultivate a true interest in life science.

No matter where you are in your USABO journey, good luck! Feel free to email me with any questions at olympiadinsider@gmail.com.