Hi! I apologize if this is the wrong forum to put this. I’m a current sophomore who’s interested in competing in the USABO this year and I have no idea where to start. I have limited biology knowledge, but I’m currently taking AP Biology and am doing well in the class. I want to qualify for semifinals (at the least), but I have no idea what to study, how to register, or what is tested on the open exam. So, I was wondering if any of you that are experienced in the USABO exam could answer some of my questions:
How can I get my school to register for the exam? What is the procedure for doing so and who should I ask in my school?
What is the best way to study for the open exam? I’ve heard Campbell Biology is good but is reading through it good enough to qualify for semifinals?
Should I take notes as I read Campbell Biology for the open exam or not? How much detail should I be looking for understanding and learning on each page?
How difficult is it generally to qualify for semifinals if you’re taking AP Biology and read through Campbell Biology? Is it reasonable to study for if you’re not particularly good at or knowledgable about biology?
With about 4 months left for the open exam, how much time do you think I should dedicate for studying for the USABO to qualify for semifinals and do well on the semifinal exam?
What resources (textbooks, websites, online courses, practice tests, etc) do you recommend for studying?
Can someone help me make a study schedule of 4 months up until the open exam?
I would really appreciate any help. Thank you in advance!
Hi! I’m a current senior thinking about USABO too, even though it won’t help my college apps at all - I’m just in AP Bio and absolutely love it haha. I’m looking forward to hearing other people’s answers too, but my advice for getting registered would be to talk with your AP Bio teacher about it. If yours is anything like mine, they’ll be excited to hear that one of their students is interested enough to compete. Good luck!
So I will share my opinion. I have participated in USABO 2019 and I am aiming to get into the Top 20 this year. My answers are below.
How can I get my school to register for the exam? What is the procedure for doing so and who should I ask in my school?
Check on the CEE website. As a student you cannot do anything. Your teacher must register the school and pay the fee.
What is the best way to study for the open exam? I’ve heard Campbell Biology is good but is reading through it good enough to qualify for semifinals?
Campbell is good for the open exam but not for semis. If you looked at the past semifinal exams, you must have noticed that they are more in-depth and require more details. There are some topics in semis, for example, stats which were not in Campbell.
Should I take notes as I read Campbell Biology for the open exam or not? How much detail should I be looking for understanding and learning on each page?
Everything from Campbell is important. Especially pay attention to the diagrams and graphs. I would strongly recommend taking the notes because this helps you retain information.
How difficult is it generally to qualify for semifinals if you’re taking AP Biology and read through Campbell Biology? Is it reasonable to study for if you’re not particularly good at or knowledgable about biology?
Of course. You need a bit of luck, also some problem solving skills and then you are ready. Semis are heavy on maths and calculations so if you are good at this, semis will be easy.
With about 4 months left for the open exam, how much time do you think I should dedicate for studying for the USABO to qualify for semifinals and do well on the semifinal exam?
Aim to spend 3-4 hours every day.
What resources (textbooks, websites, online courses, practice tests, etc) do you recommend for studying?
Check Biolympiads. They have lots of tips and tricks, they published some books on that and also I bought their worked solution books for opens and semis. Also do all past open and semifinal exams from 2012 onwards. Older exams are less useful because the exam style has changed in 2012. Looking at some IBO questions and MIT Opencourseware materials can also help a lot!
Can someone help me make a study schedule of 4 months up until the open exam?
Send me your email address and I will share my study plan.
Hi, sorry I had just some clarification questions. I wanted to participate in the USABO for the 2020-2021 School year. When is the open exam administered? And to become a semi finalist, what do you have to do? Do you just have to get a certain score on the open exam? Lastly, if I just go through the Campbells book this summer thoroughly and then during the school year, do I have a chance at doing well on the open exam? Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!
@Darwin9 Hi, I apologize if I’m doing anything wrong since I’m kinda new to CC but I’m also really interested in making semis this year and it would be really helpful if you could share your study guide with me too. Would you be willing to share it with me? And if so, how do I share my email privately?
Hey! The open exam is held in February. You can check the schedule here: https://www.usabo-trc.org/usabo-2021-calendar. If you want to become a semifinalist, you first need to get lots of knowledge and practice past papers. After the open exam, the cut off is determined and everyone above it qualify for semis. Usually, it’s around 500 students.
As for the preparation, Campbell is not enough anymore. It was a good book 10 years ago when the exam was easy, but now the style of the questions have changed completely. Check out the textbook list which is recommended for USABO here: Book list | Biolympiads.
