Dual citizenship shouldn’t affect your eligibility, and neither should how long you’ve lived abroad (I also have dual nationality, and though I’ve only lived abroad for two years, nowhere on the registration forms do they ask how long you’ve been in a country other than the US). To take the test you first have to find a teacher sponsor, and have your school register with the USABO; after that you have to register as an individual student. I should note that neither school registration nor student registration is open at the moment, so check the USABO website (https://www.usabo-trc.org) every month or so, and see if the links to the registration forms at the bottom of the page are open yet.
um wait so yeah ur supposed to take the test at your school, and have a teacher proctor. 
I see! Thanks for the help! 
Registration starts October 14: https://www.usabo-trc.org/usabo-2015-2016-calendar
Hi everyone,
I’m a previous national finalist for USABO. Since a lot of you have been asking questions about what to read/how to study, I thought I’d drop my own two cents on the best way to prepare for the exams. Obviously everyone is different, but the following methods worked well for me:
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Read through Campbell’s – Campbell’s 9th edition is the official reference source for questions used on the exam (though anywhere from 7th through 10th should still be good). It alone will prepare you for >95% of the questions you see. Don’t overdo it by trying to read the book cover to cover multiple times; this will just make it so you can’t remember anything. Instead, focus on the important chapters you’re still unclear about. The IBO guide (which USABO bases their tests off), specifies the exact breakdown of the different sections of the exam, so there’s no reason to spend all your time re-reading the 10 or so chapters on biosystematics (5% of the exam), when you still don’t fully understand animal physiology (25% of the exam). If you aren’t sure what chapter to look at next, try skimming through chapter summaries. If you see something you don’t quite remember or understand, go back to that chapter and re-read it.
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Take past exams – After Campbell’s this is honestly the most helpful thing you can do to practice for the exams. It helps you to develop the problem-solving skills you’ll need, as well as prepares you for the types of questions you can expect. Pretty much all the past open and semifinal exams are available online with their keys. Try to take an exam under exam conditions. Once you finish, check your answers, and do internet research on any questions you got wrong or didn’t understand.
And that’s it. You don’t need to read Campbell’s 5 times. You don’t need to read through Raven’s. And you absolutely do not need Albert’s. If you’ve followed those two steps, and you still feel like you want to know more, only then should you start to check out other books (e.g. Raven’s, Albert’s, BRS Physiology/Biochemistry). But keep in mind that these books should only be used as accessories to expand upon information already contained within Campbell’s. It’s one thing to read Raven’s to get a better idea of how photosynthesis works. It’s another thing entirely to use it to learn the anatomical differences between plant families.
I hope that this helped clarify some of your questions. If anybody is still unsure of what to do, or has any questions about USABO in general, just message me and I’ll be glad to help out. Good luck!
Hi guys! Did CEE ever release the 2014/2015 semifinals exam and the 2015 open exam? Not sure if they’re out there or I just can’t find them. Thanks!
@OrangeRush7 Very useful info. thanks fam
is the campbell tenth edition international version alright?
Hi guys,
I’m trying to restart the biology olympiad club at my school. how do i re-register for my school? my advisor doesn’t want to do anything, so do i have to create the “test administrator registration” account myself or should i make my advisor do it? do i have to pay for the account again (and if so, myself)?
I am a junior in AP Bio right now - and I have definite passion for biology, but not specific practice for the USABO. Given that I start seriously studying now, is it likely I will become a finalist? How much studying realistically should I study on average each day to make Semi-Finals? Finals? Would reading Campbell’s be sufficient alone? Any other tips? Thanks!
“realistically study average each day”
Just don’t set outrageous plans for yourself to do like 2 chapters every day considering you’d most likely have other responsibilities that would ultimately take precedence
since you’re studying AP bio, I suggest you to read Campbells thoroughly as your teacher goes through the materials. You can worry about making finals once you are confident of making semis or after you make it
just curious, what’s the cutoff score usually around for making semifinalist? And do we need to memorize specific amino acids?
Would starting to study now for the 2016 exam be too late? I really like biology and I’ve taken 3 years of bio (counting middle school) so far, and this year will be my fourth year, however none have been too in-depth courses. I don’t know if it’s even realistic, and our school would need to register this year too since it’s never held the USABO before. But my goal would only to make the semi-finals so ehhhh?
be able to recognize amino acids
Hey guys. I am freshman, this is my first of taking Biology and it is only Biology honors. I have read like maybe 4 chapters of Campbell’s. I am probably going to start cramming like next week. I don’t know if I can make Semi’s, but I hope to .
@PercyFowl At your age, I was just enjoying life, but I guess you can start as early as you want. It would just be easier to start with AP Biology.
Does the first or qualifying test include anything that isn’t in the AP Biology curriculum?
u think if i crammed with campbell i could make semis? btw im taking ap biology rn
Is Campbell’s enough to make semi-finals? That and maybe the Raven’s book?
@JuicyMango Yes, 25% of the test is on animal anatomy and physiology, which is something entirely missing in the AP Biology curriculum.
Just curious, how popular is the Open Exam at your guys’ schools? Do a lot of people just take it randomly (like the AMC 10/12), or is it mostly people who are very interested in bio and want to actually make semifinals?