Welcome to the 2025 USABO season! The 2025 changes reflect USABO’s continued growth and recognition, offering biology enthusiasts in the U.S. and abroad a chance to connect with like-minded peers.
Registration
Important: The registration payment deadline for USABO is November 15, 2025.
CEE continues to provide a more user-friendly registration platform, tested for usability by USABO teachers. Once you enter your school information, it will be stored permanently to simplify registration in future years. Teacher information is not stored, as instructors may change positions, retire, or otherwise no longer participate in USABO.
If your school registered for USABO between 2011 and 2024, it will appear in the dropdown menu on the USABO homepage under the “Test Administrators” section. Even if your school is listed, all teachers and students must register for 2025 and pay a $100 registration fee.
Exams
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Open Exam: Multiple-choice questions, one correct answer per question.
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Semifinals: Multiple-choice, short-answer, and multiple true/false (MTF) questions.
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IBO Theoretical Exam and USABO National Exam: Multiple true/false (MTF) format.
Administration:
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All exams will be conducted online at the same time nationwide, managed by The Art of Problem Solving.
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Test administrators will supervise the online exams and must complete an online Exam Administrator Certificate, which includes the USABO Honor Code.
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Students must complete an online Student Certificate, which also includes the USABO Honor Code.
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Exams are password-protected.
New Requirement (2025):
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In addition to monitoring all exams, administrators must review Zoom, Teams, or other software logs of student activity.
Awards
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Open Exam:
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Honors Award: Top 20%
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High Distinction Award: Top 30%
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Scores and certificates available in the Teacher Resource Center (TRC).
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Semifinals:
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Academic Excellence Award: Top 50 students
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Honors Award: Next 75 students
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High Distinction Award: Next 100 students
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Certificates will be mailed to schools.
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National Finals:
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The 2025 National Finals will be held in-person.
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Teacher Resource Center (TRC)
The TRC is a dynamic online hub for registered schools that have completed payment. It provides the latest resources and links to help prepare students for USABO. Content is organized according to the seven IBO focus areas:
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Cell Biology
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Animal Anatomy & Physiology (including Neurobiology)
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Plant Anatomy & Physiology
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Behavior
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Genetics & Evolution
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Ecology
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Biological Systems
The TRC also offers all Open Exam and Semifinals exams from 2003–2023 with answer keys. Exam administrators may use these resources at their discretion but must not share URLs with students or link them externally.
Student Corner (SC)
Open to all students, regardless of USABO registration status. Includes:
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Starting a USABO Club: Step-by-step guidance from students who have founded USABO clubs at their schools. Updated annually based on participant feedback.
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General Content: Resources and information across all seven IBO curriculum areas.
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Additional Resources:
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Recommended websites for in-depth study or supplementary reading
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Profiles of notable scientists
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Favorite links from USABO National Finalists
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Seven IBO curriculum resource areas, with deeper resources available in the Student Resource Center
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Student Resource Center (SRC)
Exclusive to registered USABO students, the SRC offers:
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Updated resources for all seven IBO focus areas, including useful links, research questions, and other materials to prepare for USABO.
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Biodiversity Section: Images of common organisms representing each taxonomy specified by IBO.