USA Brain Bee

Then consider participating in the International Brain Bee (IBB). Students that join our competition compete with teenagers from all over the world, win prize money, and visit some of the best brain research facilities in the world.

If you have read this far, you must think you've got what it takes to be the next International Brain Bee World Champion! Each year, thousands of students compete worldwide to find out who has the "best brain." The first step in the IBBWC competition is to contact your Local Chapter Brain Bee Coordinator and enter your local competition. (A list of local coordinators can be found here.)  Local Chapter Bees can be held at any time throughout the year, but are most often held during the fall and winter of each year. The winners of all Local Chapter Brain Bees will be invited to their respective Regional Brain Bee, and the winner of each Regional Bee will be invited to the International Brain Bee World Championship.

The Brain Bee is a program designed especially to stimulate students (ages 13 to 19) to learn about neuroscience. No student is allowed to participate in more than one Local Chapter Brain Bee each school year, and students are only allowed to compete in the International Brain Bee World Championship once.

Students can prepare for any Local Chapter Brain Bee by studying the book Brain Facts. This publication is available as a free download, as well as an audio version. (For a hardcopy of the document, please contact the SFN.)  Winners can prepare for Regional and World Championships by also studying Neuroscience: The Science of the Brain. This book is translated into twenty languages. Each Local, Regional and World Brain Bee is unique, and you should contact your specific coordinator for more information on procedures and rules in your area. You may also view a list of the Local and Regional Coordinators, as well as links to some of the IBB websites. 

For more information on how to prepare for the regional and international levels of competition, please visit our frequently asked questions page as well as our study materials page.

Below you will find the only local brain bee questions that have been officially released as samples.

1. Approximately how many neurons does the brain contain?  (100 billion)
2. Name the device that measures brain waves.  (Electroencephalograph)
3. Stargazer mice are experimental models for which type of epilepsy?  (Petit mal epilepsy)
4. Prozac relieves symptoms of depression by affecting which neurotransmitter?  (Serotonin)
5. The Greek word for the branches of a tree give us the name of what part of a neuron?  (Dendrites)
6. Name the surgical procedure that destroys part of the basal ganglia and helps Parkinson's patients.  (Pallidotomy)
7. The biologic clock is located in what part of the brain?  (Hypothalamus)
8. Name a brain disorder named after a famous baseball player.  (Lou Gehrig's disease)
9. What is the mot common type of inherited mental retardation?  (Fragile X Syndrome)
10. Name the peptide that accumulates in the senile plaques of brains of Alzheimer's patients?  (Beta Amyloid)
11. What chromosome is altered to cause Huntington's disease?  (Four)
12. What is the leading preventable cause of mental retardation?  (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome)
13. The abbreviation PET stands for what brain imagine technique?  ( Positron emission tomography )
14. What kind of molecules are netrins and semaphorins?  (Guidance molecules)
15. Name a cognitive disorder associated with chronic alcoholism.  (Korsakoff's Syndrome)

LOCALS (CHAPTERS): Students can prepare for Local Chapter Brain Bees by studying Brain Facts, a resource published by the Society for Neuroscience. It is available online as a free PDF download. It is also available as an audio version here. Please contact your local brain bee coordinator for details and exceptions, especially in non-English speaking contries. Local Brain Bees conducted in countries where English is not the primary language may use the British Neuroscience Association's publication Neuroscience: the Science of the Brain, as it is available in many languages. These translations can be found at the International Brain Research Organization's website.

NATIONALS: Students can prepare for any Regional Brain Bee by studying Brain Facts, or the British Neuroscience Association's publication Neuroscience: the Science of the Brain or other material. For more information on the procedures and rules of a specific Regional Brain Bee, please contact its coordinator.

WORLD: The format for the 2023 International Brain Bee World Championship is TBA.

Sample Competition Format for USA Championships 

The 2023 Championship will be worth 100 points. The competition will be divided into six parts as follows:

            1. Human Neuroanatomy Practical (25%). This involves 25 stations with whole or half human brains that have pins sticking in different parts. Students must recall their names and/or functions and write them on their answer sheets. Students can prepare by studying any basic neuroanatomy or neurophysiology textbook or atlas. Each question will be worth 1 point.

            2. Written Test (10%). All competitors are given the same 50 multiple-choice questions. Students can prepare by studying Brain Facts (2012) which can be obtained free and Neuroscience: the Science of the Brain PDF. Both texts are freely downloadable. Each question will be worth 0.2 point.

            3. Neurohistology (10%) All competitors will rotate through 20 stations, each with either a photo of a histological section. The students will be given a list of possible answers. They must then match the answers with the stations. Students can prepare by studying any basic neuroanatomy or neurohistology textbook or atlas. Each question will be worth 0.5 point.

            4. MRI Identification (10%) All competitors will be shown the same 20 MRI images with an arrow pointing to one of the structures. The students must write the correct name of the structure on their answer forms. Students can prepare by studying any basic brain imaging book or atlas. Each question will be worth 0.5 point.

5. Patient Diagnosis (20%)     Students will spend 4 minutes alone with each of 10 patient actors. By observing them, asking them 3 questions, and ordering 2 laboratory or clinical tests they are to diagnose the patient’s neurological or psychological disorder. Students must then match one of the following 20 disorders with each of the 10 patients: 1) Huntington's Disease 2) Parkinson's Disease 3) Alzheimer's Disease 4) Bipolar Disorder 5) Schizophrenia 6) Autism 7) Epilepsy 8) Stroke 9) Multiple Sclerosis 10) Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis 11) Narcolepsy 12) Korsakoff´s Syndrome 13) Phobia 14) Major Depression 15) Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder 16) Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder 17) Alcohol Addiction 18) Tourette's Syndrome 19) Obstructive Sleep Apnea 20) Cerebral Palsy. Patients are only allowed to answer “yes”, “no” or “I don’t know” to the 3 questions. Students will select from a list of diagnostic tests and will immediately be given the results to help their diagnosis. Students can prepare by studying the basic signs, symptoms and diagnostic procedures for these disorders. A concise place to find this is in the Medical Encyclopedia of Medline-Plus that can be found at the National Library of Medicine website: www.nlm.nih.gov. Each correct diagnosis will be worth 2 points.

            6. Oral Question and Answer (25%). The same 25 questions are asked of every student. They require a one word or phrase answer. They will write each answer on a pad of paper. After each question the answers will be read aloud by a moderator to the judges. Students can prepare by studying Brain Facts (2012) published by The Society for Neuroscience and Neuroscience: the Science of the Brain PDF. Each question will be worth 1 point.

Note: Ties for first place will be settled with sudden death elimination with oral questions. A student is eliminated after giving two wrong answers. The last student left standing is the winner. Ties for other places will stand as ties. Ties for second place will divide the prize money equally.

Note: The design of the competition may change due to unforeseen circumstances.

Registration for the International Brain Bee takes place at three main levels.

Local (Chapter) Level

In order to compete, USA students must register with their nearest USA Chapter Coordinator. To start a new USA Chapter, the potential Chapter Coordinator should visit the “Start-Up” page, and then complete and submit the Chapter Application Form PDF to the USA Regional Coordinator, Dr. Norbert Myslinski.

USA National Level

USA Chapter Coordinators are responsible for completing and submitting two forms annually to the USA Coordinator: The Report Form and the Registration Form for the USA Championship.

World Level

The Chapter Coordinator of the USA Champion must register and prepare his/her student for the World Championship.

(Revised November 3, 2011)

All Brain Bees

Responsibilities of Judges: All judges must follow the Judging Guidelines. A copy of the Guidelines should be made available to the judges before the competition. Individual guidelines using the word “must” are required. Individual guidelines using the word “should” are preferred. If situations arise that are not covered by the Guidelines, judges must make decisions that are fair and equitable for all competitors. All decisions of the judges are final. There is no appeal process. It is the responsibility of the Coordinator to make sure the Guidelines are followed.

Qualifications of Judges: All Brain Bee competitions must have one or more judges.  Multiple judges with different areas of neuroscience expertise are preferred. Judges must have proven knowledge of the human brain. Preferably it should be someone with an advanced degree in neuroscience, psychology, neurology, psychiatry or a similar profession. Judges should not be chosen who have real or apparent conflicts of interest.

Duties of the Judges: Judges should not be given any other concurrent duties. Their attention should be totally focused on judging. Separate volunteers should be used as timers, scorekeepers, and readers of the questions. Scores should be kept, and calculations made, in duplicate, by at least two individuals.

Access to Questions: Judges should have access to the questions and answers before the competition, in order to familiarize themselves with them. Before the competition, judges have the freedom to change questions, remove questions, or alter answers if they find them inaccurate or awkward or beyond their expertise. However, they should not remove them, or skip questions, during the competition. All questions must be related to the science of the brain. Questions regarding other fields, such as politics, music, mathematics, and others, are not allowed unless they are directly related to brain science.

Competition Questions: Questions can be given orally, or visually on a screen seen by everybody, or both. Answers to questions can be oral, written, or both. Different questions can be given to each competitor, or the same questions can be given to all. If different questions are given, reasonable efforts should be made by the coordinator to supply questions of comparable difficulty for each round.

Qualifications of Competitors: Individuals are allowed to compete in only one local Brain Bee competition per year. Coordinators of the next level determine if it is a calendar year or other designation. Usually, a “Brain Bee Year” is based on when the next level of competition occurs. It usually starts after the competition at the next level starts. By its nature, Brain Bees involve individuals competing against each other, not groups. However, group competitions are allowed as an additional activity, but they must not determine who is invited to the next level of competition (local to national, or national to international).

Format: Most Brain Bee competitions are simple question and answer. However, coordinators have the freedom to create competitions that are more complex. For example, they may involve neurohistology with microscopes, neuroanatomy with real brains or brain models, patient diagnosis with actors as patients, simple paper and pencil written tests, brain imaging identification, etc. In all cases, judges must be available to certify that the answers are correct.

Time Allotment: The amount of time given to competitors to complete their answers should be predetermined before any individual question is given. A timing device should be used that has an audible or visual signal indicating that the time is up. If the answers are written, all writing must stop when time is up. If the answers are oral, a competitor should be allowed to complete their answer if they start their answer when time is up.

Ties: Ties for first place should not be allowed. A competition should continue until one individual wins. If after the competition the winner is not able to compete in the next level of competition, then the coordinator must determine a fair method of determining who will advance to the next level. Usually it is the second place winner.

Fairness: Judges should not show bias to any competitor by giving them more time, giving them hints, or specifically choosing questions for certain individuals. Reasonable attempts should be made to eliminate the possibility of cheating. Keep all questions confidential before the competition. Auditory and visual recording devices must not be allowed during the competition. All questions should be kept confidential or destroyed after the competition. When answers are written, barriers should be provided, or seats separated, so as to prevent visual copying of the answers. The appearances of fairness should be maintained at all times.

Specific Local Chapter Brain Bees

Local competitors must be 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 or 19 years of age.

English is the language of the Brain Bee. However, local Brain Bees can be in the local language.

Specific National Brain Bees

Regional competitors must be 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 or 19 years of age.

At least two judges are required, preferably in different areas of expertise in the neurological and psychological sciences.

Individuals are allowed to compete in national competitions only once.

English is the language of the Brain Bee. However, regional Brain Bees can be in the respective national language.

Specific International Brain Bees

International competitors must be 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 or 19 years of age.

At least three judges are required, preferably with a diverse range of expertise in the neurological and psychological sciences.

Individuals are allowed to compete in the international competition only once.

English is the language of the Brain Bee. However, if a competitor does not speak English, a translator should be provided by the respective national coordinator or by the competitor. Translators should sign an agreement indicating that they will not give unfair advantage when translating.

The Basics

Starting a brain bee is not nearly as time-consuming or costly as you might think. A Local Chapter Brain Bee does not actually cost anything to run - all that you need is a location for the competition, a neuroscientist to judge the answers, and high school students. Each Local Chapter Brain Bee has a coordinator who is affiliated with a university, high school, museum, biotech company, society or other organization. Local coordinators are given the flexibility to conduct their bee at any time or place, and in any way they feel is best for their situation. However, all brain bees are required to follow these rules:

• No recording devices can be used at the competition during the question and answer period
• All Brain Bees must have at least one person knowledgeable in neuroscience to act as a judge (just as physicians, psychologists, neuoscientists, etc) - Email Dr. Norbert Myslinski if you would like help finding a judge
• Each Local Chapter Brain Bee must have competitors from at least three different schools
• No registration fees can be collected from the competitors for Local Chapter Brain Bee
• Local Chapter Brain Bees must be open to any student who wants to compete, unless there are logistical considerations
• A student can compete in only one Local Chapter Brain Bees per year
• A student can compete in their respective Regional and International Competitions only once
• Questions for Chapter competitions must be based on information in Brain Facts, which is freely downloadable from www.sfn.org. Coordinators only can create their own questions or obtain confidential questions and answers from the USA Regional Director Dr. Norbert Myslinski. These questions are to be used only for the competition and not for study or preparation by students. 

Local coordinators are encouraged to inform the media of the Brain Bee event, since the media loves unique events like this one involving children, science, healthcare and competition.

The Cost of Organizing a Local Chapter Brain Bee

A local coordinator should expect to spend a minimum of 18 hours on this project, but getting assistants to help you will obviously reduce the amount of time you have to spend. Coordinators may want to create flyers to be posted at local high schools, a program for the actual competition, and award certificates for the participants. The Local Chapter Brain Bees are grass roots efforts; as such, the IBB cannot offer any financial support to these chapters. Most bees are supported by academic institutions, businesses, individuals, or their Society for Neuroscience chapter. Your Local Chapter Brain Bee can be a terminal competitors are not required to participate in their Regional Bees - but most local winners compete in the Regional Bees. If you intend to send your winner and his or her chaperone to these championships, you must provide the funds for travel expenses and lodging at the Regional Bee.

Interested? Great!

To start a new USA Chapter, the potential Chapter Coordinator should complete and submit the Chapter Application Form PDF to the USA Regional Coordinator, Dr. Norbert Myslinski.

• No recording (audio, video, or written) of the competition questions or answers is allowed.
• The competitor can compete in only one Chapter Competition in the 12 months prior to the USA National Championship.
• A competitor is allowed to compete in the USA National Brain Bee Competition only once in a lifetime.
• The competitor is of the age range 13 to 19 years of age. The Brain Bee is for teenagers only.
• If a competitor, who is advancing to the next level of competition, turns 20, he/she will not be eligible to continue. In that case, the second-place finisher will be substituted.
• The competitor must sign the liability and media authorization forms before competing in the USA Championship.
• The competitor must be accompanied by an adult chaperone (for in-person competitions), or a proctor (for virtual or paper competitions).
• The competitor must not have knowledge of the confidential questions and answers before the competition.
• The competitor’s answers are those of the competitor only, with no outside help.
• The decisions of the judges are final.

* Note: This list is not intended to imply that these are the entire list of rules and regulations.

Australia

• Australian National Bee

Canada

• McMaster University Brain Bee
• Canadian National Brain Bee

China

• China National Brain Bee

Germany

• German National Brain Bee

Israel

• Israeli National Brain Bee

Italy

• Italian National Brain Bee
  

New Zealand

• New Zealand National Brain Bee

Romania

• Romanian National Brain Bee

United Kingdom

• English National Brain Bee

United States

• Michigan State University Brain Bee
• The New Jersey Brain Bee
• Northeastern Pennsylvania 
• University of Minnesota
• Indiana University
• National Capital Area
• Georgia Regional
• Denison University
• North East Ohio Medical University
• Anchorage, Alaska