Beginner’s Guide to the Biology Olympiad

martyna p Tips and Tricks

It’s no surprise that biology is understandably vast. Knowing what and when do is critical to success for any Biology Olympiad. Moreover, having a clear idea of what steps you need to undertake will help you get the most enjoyment out of biology, too.

So before we review the most important things that you need to do when preparing for the science competition, let me share one tip from my experience.

For any field of biology whether it is biochemistry or plant biology, I personally learn most efficiently when I dedicate enough time to go into greater detail than presented in Campbell. Definitely read Campbell Biology first to get a succinct yet broad insight into biology. But then estimate the time needed to review each topic from a more advanced textbook. Remember that in the olympiad, each topic carries a different weight:

  • Animal anatomy and physiology: 25%
  • Cell Biology: 20%
  • Genetics and Evolution: 20%
  • Plant anatomy and physiology: 15%
  • Ecology: 10%
  • Ethology: 5%
  • Biosystematics: 5%

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