USABO Student Corner
USABO Student Exam Instructions
Review before the Open and Semifinal Exams!
The Honor Code for each exan will be the first thing that you complete on the AoPS site. You must verify the Honor Code at the start and end of the Open and Semifinal Exams.
1. Open Exam: Click here to view the 2024 USABO Open Exam Student Certification includes Honor Code and Exam Instructions.
2. Semifinal Exam: Click here for the 2024 USABO Semifinal Exam Honor Code and Exam instructions.
Below is the Practice Page for uploading Part C. You will have access to this when you login to your AoPS account and go to USABO Exams.
Follow the instructions
a. Have 10 (ten) sheets of paper without any marks.
b. Double check that your submissions are all properly labeled with your USABO ID and Question Number.
c. Scan the pages for each question and produce a single PDF file for each question. Compress the PDF to ensure the file is at most 8MB; larger files could cause technical issues. Please note you may use a scanner or a smartphone with a camera or another device with a camera.
d. The scanned PDF may be loaded onto the contest page or uploaded directly on the device used to scan the question or send the PDF to your computer (via AirDrop, Bluetooth, or another method) and upload the PDF file from your computer. Here are some recommended scanning applications:
- On Android devices, the Google Drive App has a scanning feature.
- On iOS devices, the Notes App has a scanning feature.
- Other apps that can be downloaded on iOS and Android devices are "Tiny Scanner" or "Cam Scanner".
AoPS Information 
Resources
- 2024 "AoPS Registration Information" Click here.
- 2023 "AoPS Registration information" Click here.
- 2022 "Preparing for the USABO Exams. AoPS Information on USABO Exam Registration and Taking the Exams on the AoPS platform." Click here.
- 2022 "How to Prepare for the USABO". Advice from USABO Alums. Click here.
- 2022 "How to Study for the USABO Semifinal Exam" Click here.
- 2023 Studying and Test Taking Tips from Alums. Click here.
- 2023 USABO Tips for the Semifinal Exam. Click here.
USABO Exam Cutoff scores
2024 Open Exam cutoff scores, click here.
USABO/Biology Clubs
Click the state or country flag to see the USABO Clubs in the specific country/state.
Alabama (2) 
Arizona (2) 
California (29) 
Canada (2) 
Colorado (1)
Connecticut (3) 
Delaware (10 
Florida (5) 
Georgia (4) 
Kentucky (2)
Illinois (2) 
Maryland (1) 
Massachusetts (3) 
Michigan (2) 
Minnesota (2)
Missouri (2) 
New Jersey (11) 
New Hampshire (1) 
New Mexico (1) 
NewYork (6)
North Carolina (1) 
Oklahoma (1) 
Ohio (2) 
Pennsylvania (4) 
South Carolina (1)
Spain (1) 
Switzerland (1) 
Taiwan (1) 
Tennessee (7) 
Texas (8)
Virginia (5) 
Washington (3) 
Wisconsin (2)
USABO Team/Club Strategies
"Steps to setting up your USABO Club": Information piece on how to establis a USABO Club.
USABO Club Resources
- " How to start a USABO Club". Cartoon of how to set up a USABO Club. Click here.
- "How to Set Up a USABO Club". Advice from current USABO Club Presidents. Click here.
USABO Insights from USABO Alums
- Rebecca (Becky) Shi’s experience (First Place, 2011 International Biology Olympiad). Click here to read about Becky’s journey to the IBO.
- Nikhil Buduma (IBO Gold Medalist 2012 & 2013) from his talk May 1, 2014 at the Capitol Hill Luncheon, Washington, DC. Click here.
- Thomas Xiong's experience (IBO Gold Medalist 2016 & 2017). Click here to read Thomas' life lessons from the USABO and IBO.
Other useful information
- Visit the International Biology Olympiad (IBO) site to obtain an overview of the IBO. The USABO is structured similarly.
- The team should start to strategize and form a plan of study for the content to include resources, speakers, practice sessions, and lab time.
- Click here for the 2024 USABO Brochure and 2024 USABO Poster.
