In addition to organizing the International History Bee and Bowl, International Academic Competitions organizes the International Science Bee and the International Environmental Science Olympiad! See below for a summary of our science event calendar. Practice questions (both Qualifying Exams and buzzer-based questions) can be found here. For further information on our science competitions, please contact nolwenn@iacompetitions.com
For the 2024-25 School Year, the International Science Bee will now feature two qualifying methods:
1. Qualifying Method A
Online Regional Qualifying Exam and Online Regional Finals
This qualifying method has two stages. The first is the Online Regional Qualifying Exam, which is offered free of charge to all students. Teachers, administrators, or parents begin by registering for the ORQE here, and then they will be sent a link to the ORQE that they can share with their student(s) or child(ren) when they’re ready to take it. There is no limit to how many students can take the ORQE at a school, and it consists of 50 basic-level multiple choice questions on all aspects of science. About 60% of students across Europe in each of the four age divisions listed below then qualify for the Online Regional Finals:
Varsity: Secondary school students born before 1 September, 2008
Junior Varsity: Students born between 1 September, 2008 and 31 August, 2010
Middle School: Students born between 1 September, 2010 and 31 August, 2012
Elementary: Open to any student born 1 September, 2012 or thereafter
Sample ORQEs from past years are available here on the USA Division website for practice.
The Online Regional Finals is the second stage of this qualifying method. These are offered on two separate dates. The cost is $35 USD per student per tournament.
Online Winter Science Bee Regional Finals
Date: January 19, 2025
Winter Science Question Set
Registration will open in early December
Registration Deadline: January 10, 2025
Online Spring Science Bee Regional Finals
Date: April 13, 2025
Spring Science Question Set
Registration will open in early December
Registration Deadline: April 4, 2025
Students who have passed the ORQE may compete at either or both tournaments; the deadlines to register are 10 January and 4 April. The Regional Finals consists of 4 rounds of 30 paragraph-length questions each, all of which are played with an online buzzer system. The questions progress from harder to easier information on any given science topic; the first student to buzz with a correct answer scores the point for that question.
Past National Science Bee questions (the content distribution is identical to that used in Europe) are available for practice here.
Study guides will be posted here shortly for both Regional Finals.
The rules are identical to the International History Bee rules posted here, except students will go out at 6 points, not 8, in each round, and the bonus points will be adjusted accordingly.
All students play in the first 3 rounds; the final round is for the top students to determine the champions. There are four different age divisions for students, so that students ages 11-18 only compete with other students at most one year ahead or behind them in school. The top 2/3 of students in each age division then qualify for the European Championships. Note that students may compete together against students from Asia in the Online Regional Finals, though the qualification is done both on the basis of top 2/3 of all students and the top 2/3 of just students from Europe.
2. Qualifying Method B
Championships Qualifying Exam
This qualifying method consists of the Championships Qualifying Exam (CQE) is offered at all in-person International History Bee and Bowl Regional Tournaments, and provides an alternate qualifying method for the International Science Bee to any students competing in these history tournaments. Interested competing students can take the Championships Qualifying Exam during the lunch break. The cost is 20 Euros, British Pounds, US Dollars, Swiss Francs, or 25 Azerbaijani Manat and may be paid in cash on the day of the tournament. The Championships Qualifying Exam consists of 50 multiple-choice questions on all aspects of Science; students have 20 minutes to take the Exam.
Two Exam Versions are offered: the Beta Set CQE is given at in-person International History Bee and Bowl tournaments that run on the Beta Question Set and the Alpha Set CQE is given at in-person International History Bee and Bowl tournaments that run on the Alpha Question Set.
Students qualify for the ISB European Championships and the International Environmental Science Olympiad by accomplishing one of the following things:
1. Finishing in the top half of students in their age division who take their respective version of the CQE at any given tournament site. If there is an odd number of students, or if two students tie for the last spot, we “round up” so that 4 students out of 7 would qualify, for example, unless there was a tie for 4th place, in which case 5 (or more, if more than two students tied for 4th) would qualify.
2. Students can also qualify by finishing in the top half throughout Europe among all students who take the CQE within their age division for any given exam. These median scores are calculated for Gamma and Beta Sets for all students who have taken an Exam by March 19 for Beta Set, and May 10 for Alpha Set.
3. Students who score at the automatic qualifying level for the International Environmental Science Olympiad: a score of at least 75 (if they are Varsity), 65 (if they are Junior Varsity), 55 (if they are Middle School) and 45 (if they are Elementary) – also qualify for the ISB European Championships.
Students only need to qualify once (either on either version of the Championships Qualifying Exam or at either Regional Finals Tournament) each year for the European Championships, and once in every two year cycle (i.e. from January 2023-December 2024) for the International Environmental Science Olympiad.
2024-2025 International Science Bee – Championships Qualifying Exam Results
Coming soon!
2. International Science Bee – 2025 European Championships
More information coming soon!
4. International Environmental Science Olympiad
December 2024
The International Environmental Science Olympiad is a multi-faceted, five day-long competition for the best science students from around the world. Held every two years (the next IESO will take place in Puerto Rico from December 27-31, 2024), the International Environmental Science Olympiad features numerous separate buzzer-based quiz competitions, other competitions, field trips, cultural activities, and a chance to meet other students who excel at and enjoy studying science. This event is specifically designed to encourage students’ families to attend. There will be activities for all family members in attendance to take part in, and not just for the competing students.
5. Past Results
2023-2024 Academic Year ISB Results
Congratulations to the 2024 International Science Bee European Champions!
Varsity Division: Evan Cai, Eton College, UK
Junior Varsity Division: Sulaiman Ahmed, City of London School, UK
Middle and Elementary School Division: Kian Harrison, City of London School, UK
Official Beta Set ISB Median Scores:
Varsity 73 Junior Varsity 62.5 Middle School 44 Elementary 18.5
Combined ISB Beta Set Exam Results and Median Calculations are found here. Note that the official medians reflect all Exam scores received by March 20. These Official Medians do not change further even with other students taking the Beta Set Exam after March 20.
Beta Set Exam Results
2024 Cyprus Tournament Site – International Science Bee Exam Results – Apr. 6, 2024
2024 Berlin Tournament Site – International Science Bee Exam Results – Mar. 16, 2024
2024 Geneva Tournament Site – International Science Bee Exam Results – Mar. 16, 2024
2024 London Tournament Site – International Science Bee Exam Results – Feb. 24, 2024
2024 Dubai Tournament Site – International Science Bee Exam Results – Feb. 3, 2024
2024 Paris Tournament Site – International Science Bee Exam Results – Jan. 27, 2024
Official Gamma Set ISB Median Scores:
All Official Gamma Set Median Scores were higher than the minimum qualifying scores; therefore, no additional students qualify through their scores being above the official median scores for Gamma Set. Note that the official medians reflect all Exam scores received by March 20. These Official Medians do not change further even with other students taking the Gamma Set Exam after March 20.
Gamma Set Exam Results
Independent International Science Bee Exam Results from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa
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2022-2023 Academic Year ISB Europe Results
Congratulations to the 2023 International Science Bee European Champions!
Varsity Division: Adrien Amouroux, Ecole Jeannine Manuel, France
Junior Varsity Division: Thomas Ravel, Ecole Jeannine Manuel, France
Middle School Division: Sulaiman Ahmed, City of London School
2023 International Science Bee European Championships – Full Results
Online Science Bee of Europe and the Middle East Results – May 17, 2023
2022-2023 International Science Bee – Championships Qualifying Exam Results
Official Beta Set ISB Median Scores:
Varsity 42 Junior Varsity 51 Middle School 40 Elementary 16
Combined ISB Beta Set Exam Results and Median Calculations are found here. Note that the official medians reflect all Exam scores received by May 14. These Official Medians do not change further even with other students taking the Beta Set Exam after May 14.
Beta Set Exam Results
2023 British Championships Tournament Site – International Science Bee Exam Results – May 14, 2023
2023 Swiss Championships Tournament Site – International Science Bee Exam Results – May 6, 2023
Official Gamma Set ISB Median Scores:
Varsity 71 Junior Varsity 61 Middle School 39 Elementary 40
Combined ISB Gamma Set Exam Results and Median Calculations are found here. Note that the official medians reflect all Exam scores received by March 19. These Official Medians do not change further even with other students taking the Gamma Set Exam after March 19.
Gamma Set Exam Results
Independent International Science Bee Exam Results from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa – Ongoing
2023 Cyprus Tournament Site – International Science Bee Exam Results – Mar. 18, 2023
2023 Geneva Tournament Site – International Science Bee Exam Results – Mar. 11, 2023
2023 Azerbaijan Tournament Site – International Science Bee Exam Results – Mar. 4, 2023
2023 London Tournament Site – International Science Bee Exam Results – Mar. 4, 2023
2023 Paris Tournament Site – International Science Bee Exam Results – Feb. 4, 2023