International Biology Olympiad

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The International Biology Olympiad ( IBO ) is an international school competition aimed at promoting the interest of schoolchildren, especially those at upper secondary level, in the subject of biology . Each participating country may send four participants who are not older than 20 years to this competition. Schoolchildren from over 50 countries are now taking part.

The International Biology Olympiad is aimed at individuals, so it is not a team competition. After several theoretical and practical tests, gold, silver and bronze medals are awarded. So far, participants from the People's Republic of China and Russia have been the most successful . German participants mostly took one of the places 10 to 20.

Qualification process in Germany

The selection process in Germany is divided into four rounds, each of which takes place in different formats. The tasks to be worked on in each round increase in difficulty from round to round. Sample tasks for tasks in the second round, as well as learning sheets for frequently asked topics can be found on the website of the Biology Olympiad Germany.

Every pupil from a German general education school can take part in the first round. It takes place from around May to September of the previous IBO as housework using any aids. The tasks can be obtained from the regional representative or on the website of the Biology Olympiad Germany (see web links).

The 400 or so best from the first round are invited to the second round. You have to write a two-hour exam under the supervision of a subject teacher in November of the previous IBO. In this exam you have to work on multiple-choice tasks as well as more complex tasks.

Of these 400, as a rule 45 participants advance to the third round. This round usually takes place at the end of February of the IBO year as a one-week seminar in Kiel at the IPN . There, the participants have to work on a four-hour theoretical and several one to two-hour practical exams (in the areas of zoology, botany and physiology). In this round, various internships are also given to the participants. In addition, the four best participants, who are under 16 years of age, can qualify for the selection round for the EUSO .

For the fourth round, the resulting 10-12 best will be selected, who will again travel to Kiel for a one-week seminar at the end of May of the IBO year. In this seminar, the participants have to work on various theoretical and practical exams. The aim of these exams is to prepare the participants for the format of the international round. Of these participants, the four best go as a German team to the international Olympics, which are held in a different country every July.

Qualification process in Switzerland

The selection process in Switzerland consists of three stages.

The first round assignments are usually sent to Swiss cantonal schools and grammar schools in early autumn, and the exam is supervised by a local teacher. The questions are available in German, French and Italian.

The 60 to 70 best participants in the first round will be invited to a one-week preparation week in November. School knowledge is deepened and advanced material is taught. The preparation week is a unique opportunity for young people from all over Switzerland interested in biology to make acquaintances and friendships.

At the beginning of February the second round will take place in the form of a theory test. In particular, the knowledge from the preparation week is tested.

The 20 best of the second round are invited to the SBO week at the University of Bern . Over 15 practical exams will be held during this week. Finally, four bronze, silver and gold medals will be awarded on SBO day. The four gold medal winners represent Switzerland at the International Olympics.

Venues

The IBO has been held annually since 1990.

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ IPN - International Biology Olympiad. Accessed June 1, 2020 .
  2. ↑ a b c d e Future IBOs. Retrieved June 1, 2020 .
  3. ↑ Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated cancellation of the 2020 Olympic Games , the on-site IBO was canceled. Instead, a digital IBO Challenge will probably take place ( IBO Challenge 2020 (A Substitute for the 31st IBO in Nagasaki) ).
  4. ↑ Regarding COVID-19. March 6, 2020, accessed June 1, 2020 (American English).