<p>I am currently a sophomore and I was planning on attempting to be a part of IBO or IChO next year. I will be taking the corresponding AP classes, college classes (below to the limit of the rules of the program), as well as independently studuing. However, I am undecided on which to take. </p>
<p>I have several questions:
1. Does IBO have labs as well (I know IChO does)
2. Does IChO involve much mathematics?
3. Which is less competitive (relatively of course)
4. Which is easier to independently study
- I will be the only person attempting to qualify for either so most of the info I will most likely have to teach myself</p>
<p>I know that I had way more questions when I created this thread but I am blanking at the moment.... Also, any stories of experience in either would be helpful.</p>
<p>I have never taken part in these competitions, but your post made me worried. Questions #3 and #4 in particular. I think you ought to participate in the one that you think is most interesting instead of worrying about how well you’ll do/difficulty. Both exams are difficult and Bio is probably an easier self study since it’s more memorization than Chem, but I think the biggest factor will be interest. If you’re genuinely interested in a subject, then you’ll be able to learn it much better than an easier subject that you don’t like.</p>
<p>Likewise, this post disturbs me. Selection for IChO and IBO is extremely competitive - you’ve really got to be in the top 4 in the country in either science - so it’s a bit ridiculous to state that you’re doing the programs to be on the team. I don’t want to insult you, but statistically, you almost certainly won’t be. You might be, but then again, it’s far more likely that you won’t. Do whatever you enjoy more, because it’s honestly unlikely that you’ll get to travel overseas for it… but then again, it’s fantastic if you do! Do it for the sake of learning. </p>
<p>In response to your questions:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>There are quite a few labs at IBO. I know that IChO involves a 5 hour experimental exam with two labs, and those don’t usually require higher order thinking but rather, exceptionally good lab technique. At IBO, there are 4 labs - all on different topics. </p></li>
<li><p>Both involve mathematics. You need statistics for IBO and calculus for IChO. There’s also a large physical chemistry section of this year’s IChO - you can look at the preparation problems online. </p></li>
<li><p>Both are exceptionally competitive at the international level. There isn’t the same domination by certain countries at IBO as there is at IChO. At IChO/IPhO/IMO, there seem to be a few countries which always come at the top. At IBO, usually the USA, Japan, Singapore, Australia and a few others do best. </p></li>
<li><p>Biology has a lot of rote learning. If that suits you, you might be able to self study easily. Rather, chemistry’s quite conceptual. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>If you do make it into any of the selection camps, go for it. I’m not from America, but my time at my national selection and training camps was invaluable.</p>
<p>I suppose I wasn’t thinking when I posted this. I’m not implying that I think that I will easily make the team or that either is “easy”. I had just wanted to attempt to qualify for one, if only in the area. I have done similiar (if not as widely known) competitions in the past and I am amazed how much I gain from competing/attempting to compete. I was just wondering which one I would stand a better chance. </p>
<p>So thank you for answering my questions, it was quite helpful - especially the calculus involved in chemistry. Except what are the labs for biology?</p>
<p>I can’t answer anything about signing up because I’m not an American. I’m not going to IBO myself (I’m involved in the physics program), but from what my IBO bound friends have told me, the labs are quite difficult. Labs used in the selection for our national team included basic classification (which was easy but and tedious, apparently) and examining the reactions of animals to light to determine their evolutionary pathways (or something…). I’m not sure about any of the specifics for IBO though… there’s generally a biochem, anatomy, animal behaviour and another lab though…</p>
<p>Yes it does involve math, but typically only algebra and logs/antilogs, plus a little geometry (such as bond angles). There is no calculus on any of the past local or national exams in IChO (link below). Maybe S’s Cat is talking about the final international competition?</p>
<p>In chemistry, the local section of the American Chemical Society sends copies of the local exam in March to participating high schools. In order to participate, you need to have a chemistry teacher at your school contact the local ACS to let them know you’re interested. The local exam is 60 multiple choice questions which go beyond the scope of AP Chemistry. Each high school can advance up to two students to the national exam (pending other restrictions). The national exam is taken in April, usually at a nearby university. Up to a total of 10 students from the participating high schools can test (again there are minor exceptions depending on the size of the local ACS section). The national exam is an all-day affair made up of 60 multiple choice questions, 8 free response questions (each with multiple parts a, b, c,…), and 2 lab experiments. The lab experiments on the national exam, again contrary to S’s Cat’s comment earlier, are not technique-focused, but are more creative problem-solving. Usually about 1000 students nationwide take the national exam. The top 20 are selected to go to science camp in July, and the four finalists are chosen there. Old exams are online at [Chemistry</a> Olympiad Exams](<a href=“American Chemical Society”>American Chemical Society)</p>
<p>Wow everyone has been so helpful! Thanks! Here are a few excerpts from my pro/con list for this:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I have an amazing chem teacher, and prbly have a little more experience with chem than bio. Plus our chem teacher is pretty intense so it would be better to take AP chem my junior year than senior year due to coursework load</p></li>
<li><p>However, I feel that I would enjoy biology more and I have a better chance at qualifying with biology bc (at least from what I’ve read) bio is more “rote learning” and “dependant on how hard you work”. Although I actually prefer conceptual thinking, in past academic competitions I have consistently performed better in “rote learning” subjects because (despite the negative connotations of this learning) I find that there are a lot of intelligent people in the world but with this type of learning you are able to set yourself apart with how hard you work *</p></li>
</ol>
<p>And thanks again to everyone who has already posted!! Very helpful!!*</p>
<p>Although I still do have a few questions:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>If I were not in the top 20 who qualified for the training camp would all my studying be for naught (disregarding the valuable experience, enrichment in subject etc.) are there other “levels”</p></li>
<li><p>Biology labs…any more info?*</p></li>
<li><p>Could anyone who has qualified for/attempting to qualify share some of your experiences, particularly with prep. Apart from reading textbooks (campbells if I do bio…got it ) what else did you do to prepare? Starting this summer is Early enough correct?</p></li>
<li><p>Dates!!! Does anyone know when these tests (Esp the qualifying ones) happen?</p></li>
<li><p>Any more info on math? I’m not exactly a math person but I’d prbly take the corresponding college math course if one was necessary for ibo/icho</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks in advance! This is by far the most helpful thread I’ve read/created!! *</p>
<p>Everybody who takes the national exam gets a certificate. The top 50 finishers (including the 20 who advance) receive “High Honors,” and get a certificate to that effect. The next 100 finishers receive “Honors,” and a certificate. So the top 150 (out of 1000) on the national exam receive some kind of recognition regardless of whether they advance.</p>
<p>Dates:
Register: before Jan 15
Local test: usually mid-March, but can be any time during that month.
National Test: near the last weekend of April
Science camp: two weeks in July</p>
<p>Math: algebra all over the place; logs and anti-logs in pH and occasionally in other areas; geometry only in molecular shapes and bond angles. No trig or calculus at least through the national exam.</p>
<p>Prep: Two students from my daughter’s high school advanced. One is a junior in AP chem. He’s also on the Science Olympiad team, and routinely takes first place in the Chemistry Experiment competition. He’s scary smart and destroys other schools in whatever academic competition he enters. I don’t know how he preps other than just by being awesome all the time. The other is also a junior (my daughter) who skipped regular chem last year and took AP Chem as a sophomore. She got a 5 on the AP exam. Her dad (me) teaches chemistry at a university. We have prepped by printing out previous years’ exams and then going out to restaurants a couple times a week and doing the past exams in a relaxing environment. I’m able to explain the concepts when she gets stuck, so they’re like mini-tutoring sessions. Our high school doesn’t have a good chemistry program, and this is their first year participating. From all appearances the teacher in charge was forced into this against her will, and is of no use.</p>
<p>Thanks spdf!! Good luck to you and your daughter! </p>
<p>Does anyone have anymore info esp on IBO? After considering it, I think I may be leaning towards IBO. Esp considering the chem labs, not necessarily one of my strengths</p>
<p>And I have a question for you about IChO (well, it’s more about Olympiad in general.) Should you know organic chem for the test? I’m planning on doing IChO next year and I’m just wondering.</p>
<p>You do have to know some organic chem, even for the local test. Off the top of my head, this is what I’ve seen come up repeatedly on the past ten years worth of tests:</p>
<p>1) identify organic compounds by functional group (acid, aldehyde, ketone, alkane, alkene, alcohol, amine, amide, ester, ether, etc).
2) know different representations of organic molecules. Given a structural formula, know when you have an acid or an ether or an aldehyde, for example. Also know how to read a stick diagram of an organic molecule.
3) be able to identify simple organic oxidation reactions and know what the product will be (for example, a primary alcohol becomes an aldehyde when gently oxidized, or becomes an acid when not gently oxidized; a secondary alcohol becomes a ketone, etc).
4) be able to identify the reactants or products in the synthesis esters and amides.
5) recognize how halogens and H-X compounds (HCl, HBr, etc) add to the double bond in alkenes.
6) know what structural isomers are and be able to determine how many different compounts have some given formula.</p>
<p>Those are the kinds of things I would expect to see any given year. Then they occasionally also throw in some more advanced material like:</p>
<p>7) addition to a substituted benzene ring. For example, in chlorobenzene, the chlorine is an ortho/para director, so any added group will occur in one of those positions.
8) every so often they throw in a random question that requires you to know the structure of a fatty acid, or know what a geometric isomer is, or what chirality means. It’s impossible to predict what this might be, because unlike structural isomers or oxidation of organic compounds that appear every year, these pop up on a test one year and then disappear, only to be replaced by some other random question (like Whack-a-Mole, if you’ll excuse the pun).</p>
<p>The previous 10 years of tests (including this year’s local exam) are available online at [Chemistry</a> Olympiad Competition for High School Students](<a href=“American Chemical Society”>American Chemical Society). Click on the Past Exams link.</p>
<p>Sorry to keep asking IBO questions…but I know with the ICho you are only able to take a certain number of university credits in chemistry subjects and still be eligible. I was unable to find any info about that on IBO’s website. Are you allowed to take university classes at all?</p>
<p>Maybe you should rephrase your question into, “how do I made USNCO/USABO?”</p>
<p>unless you are a genius, as in, actually a genius, or you put in 8 hours a day everyday for the next year. you are not going to be able to make IBO/IChO next year especially at the point you are at, not even taken the AP classes yet.</p>
<p>take phospho. she studied for 4 years. made USABO twice, silver medaled (top 8 in nation) and didn’t even make finals this year.</p>
<p>4 years studying for USABO. didn’t make it.</p>
<p>also, which is less competitive? LOL. if by least competitive, which top 4 in the nation are less beastly in their respective subjects. LOL. </p>
<p>wow. maybe you should provide some background as to your capabilities.</p>
<p>oh. and no there is no limit to how many university classes you can take.
unless you are planning on self-studying ap bio in a month, then taking college chemistry and biology classes over summer and first semester next year, you will have no problem regardless.</p>
<p>IChO is by far one of the most competitive, most challenging opportunities for high schoolers. But it’s the farthest thing from a cakewalk that you’d imagine. Dozens of kids at my school, including myself, have studied since freshman year (a couple of them since 8th grade), devoted entire weekends to college-level classes, gotten department awards (for having highest grade in the class) in honors/AP chemistry, and earned 55-60 on the USNCO Local Exam.</p>
<p>But so far the only person whom we know to make internationals (and got a silver medal) was a homeschooler who yielded from a dynasty of math and science geniuses. If you want to make internationals, you’ve got to dedicate yourself every day to working your butt off.</p>
) what else did you do to prepare? Starting this summer is Early enough correct?</p></li>