The International Biology Olympiad is a competition for secondary school students. The competition occurs annually in July and is hosted by one of the member countries of the IBO Association. This year, the IBO 2025 is organized by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Through this competition, students' ability to tackle biological problems and conduct experiments is assessed. Interest in Biology, creativity, inventiveness, and perseverance are essential for participants. Each member country nominates four students who are winners of their national competitions. In this article, we will explore the International Biology Olympiad (IBO) exam, its structure, the topics covered, and its significance in promoting Biology education and fostering international scientific collaboration.
The International Biology Olympiad (IBO) is like a big science competition for high school students worldwide. It tests their understanding of biology. This year's IBO in 2025 is all about bioinformatics, a mix of biology, math, statistics, computer science, and data science. It's happening in Astana, Kazakhstan.
The main goals of the IBO are:
If you are interested in the International Biology Olympiad, you must know the crucial details. Here, we are providing a table highlighting key aspects of the competition:
Full Exam Name | International Biology Olympiad |
Short Exam Name | IBO |
Conducting Body | This year, Astana, Kazakhstan |
Frequency of Conduct | Annually |
Languages | English |
Mode of Exam | Theoretical and Practical |
Official Websites | ibo-info.org/en/ |
To create a study schedule, you need to know the dates of the exams. When you know the date, you can allocate an appropriate time based on the weight and complexity of different topics. The following are the dates for the IBO International Biology Olympiad exams:
Event | Date |
IBO 2025 Registration Process | To be notified |
IBO 2025 Exam Dates | 20th - 27th July, 2025 |
Result of International Biology Exam | July 2025 |
Despite common knowledge, IBO has no fixed syllabus or curriculum. This implies that students cannot just memorize a list of topics and expect to achieve success in their IBO exams, regardless. In spite of that, rules determine the content and skill set necessary for these exams.
Theoretical tasks in the IBO aim to assess competitors' comprehension, processing abilities, and application of biological knowledge. They should cover the following topics in the specified proportions.
Theoretical Exam Topics | Proportion (%) |
I. Cell Biology
| 20 |
II. Plant Anatomy and Physiology (with emphasis on seed plants) | 15 |
III. Animal Anatomy and Physiology (with emphasis on vertebrates and especially man) | 25 |
IV. Ethology | 5 |
V. Genetics and Evolution | 20 |
VI. Ecology | 10 |
VII. Biosystematics | 5 |
In the practical examination, competitors should be assessed on their ability to solve biological problems using common laboratory methods and skills. Below are a few valuable skills that can be tested at the IBO Competition but are partial.
Types of Practical Skills | Topic Name |
Science Process skills |
|
Basic biological skills |
|
Biological methods |
|
Physical and chemical methods |
|
Microbiological methods |
|
Statistical methods |
|
To participate in the competition, individuals must meet the following criteria:
The main requirement for participating in the IBO Competition is to join the IBO Association. Here are the summarized requirements for membership:
The General Assembly makes decisions about membership and exclusions, usually during the Annual General Meeting held during the IBO Competition.
Exam Pattern helps you to understand the detailed structure of how the exam will be conducted. It provides information about the questions, markings, durations, and more. So, here is a brief overview of the exam pattern of IBO 2025:
The IBO Competition takes place annually in July in one of the IBO Association member countries.
Students appearing for the IBO 2025 exam can refer to previous years' question papers to understand the exam structure and marking scheme. These IBO past papers will also help them increase their speed for the actual exam, and they will gain confidence to perform well on the main exam day. The International Biology Olympiad 2025 past year's papers can be accessed from the IBO's official website (https://www.ibo-info.org/en/info/papers.html).
The procedure of declaring the results of IBO 2025 exams includes various important steps. First, it is the duty of the International Jury to meticulously examine and accept the official results, as well as any individual awards given to participants, before their declaration by the host.
Notably, the outcome will be announced individually and not as a total national team result. Moreover, each contestant will be awarded a certificate for taking part in the IBO.
It's stressed that all discussions are kept confidential until the official release of the results, ensuring fairness and impartiality in the assessment process.
The IBO awards are given to the top-performing students at IBO. The t-score method determines winners by carefully considering both practical and theoretical marks.
Following are the details of the IBO awards:
(Session 2025 - 26)