Biology Olympiads

Hi,

Is anyone planning to participate/has participated in the Biology Olympiads? I am planning to, however I'm not too sure how difficult it is. If anyone who has done it has any advice, it would be greatly appreciated

Reply 1

aarynmb

Original post

by unknown_1219

Hi, I did the Intermediate Biology Olympiad in 2022 and the normal British Biology Olympiad this year! I would say they are definitely tricky, but nowhere near impossible. Looking through some of the old Olympiads can help to familiarise you with various question styles they can do, and while they don't provide answers, if you feel like it, trying a few of the questions and comparing answers with friends can be quite helpful too! The questions can be from any A-Level or GCSE spec, so a refresh of some GCSE knowledge and look over what is on other A-Level specs that isn't on yours wouldn't hurt either, but realistically, you don't have to do any preparation if you feel super confident in your knowledge - I was 0.5% under a Gold this year with a bit of preparation and one of my friends who didn't do any preparation got just under a Silver, so you can still get a very good mark without doing anything! Hope this helps :smile:

Reply 2

nerdusolympiad

Hi there,
I've participated in the Biology Olympiad before, and I can definitely share some insights. The difficulty level can vary, but generally, it’s a step above what you encounter in typical high school biology classes. The questions often require a deeper understanding of concepts and the ability to apply knowledge in novel ways.
My advice would be to start by reviewing past papers and getting familiar with the types of questions asked. It’s also helpful to strengthen your understanding of core topics like genetics, cell biology, ecology, and evolution. Practice is key, so work through as many problems as you can and focus on understanding the reasoning behind each solution.
Additionally, if you have access to any resources or guides that offer worked solutions, they can be incredibly beneficial in showing you how to approach and solve complex questions. Google biolympiads for study notes and worked solutions. Good luck with your preparation, and feel free to ask if you have any specific questions!

Reply 3

biomed9817

At least in my school none of the teachers know anything about the olympiads. So, the best thing is to find someone to help you with past papers. You can google BBO olympiad coach and there are many options. My coach was very supportive and I couldn't win anything without her. The olympiad is beyond A levels.

Reply 4

CatLover1

I did the Olympiad, but I did it in Year 12 and so a lot of the questions were based on Year 13 contact, so I didn’t do as well as I would be able to a year later (I didn’t do it again though).
I got 52% and commended through guessing most of it.

Reply 5

stilllearning123

Original post

by unknown_1219

Hi,
Is anyone planning to participate/has participated in the Biology Olympiads? I am planning to, however I'm not too sure how difficult it is. If anyone who has done it has any advice, it would be greatly appreciated

Intermediate is very easy, I did human biology Higher and breezed through it, even though it was mainly plant and animal related. The actual Olympiad is much harder from what I've heard, the questions can vary from gcse at minimum to first year uni maximum, but you can achieve the easy marks and still get an award.
Best of luck!

Reply 6

beefernandes865

I've done the British Biology Olympiad twice and got silver award both times!!! Just do past papers and you'll be sorted tbh. Make sure ur foundation knowledge of Year 1/2 A Level content is ok tho!! (and if you're only in Y12 don't worry about the year 2 stuff as much - I still managed to guess/data interpret a lot of it in Y12 and get a silver!)

Reply 7

jb1773

Hi! I did the Olympiad last year as a Y12 and thought it was great. A lot of the questions are application based and I didn't think it went well at the time but I somehow ended up with a Gold Award and made it to the next round (which was much harder and involved reading a graduate level paper). This came in very handy on my personal statement so even if you don't do great, it shows keenness and engagement with the subject so there's really no harm in giving it a go.

Reply 8

biomed9817

Original post

by jb1773

Also check US medicine & disease olympiad, UK medicine & disease olympiad, british neuroscience olympiad and international medicine and disease olympiad. They are all global championships forinternational students.